Growing up, we would spend most of our Sundays visiting my grandparents in Ensenada. On our way there, we always made a mandatory stop for a seafood cocktail, and on the way back home, we would stop for paletas at La Michoacana. Dad let us pick two each — a creamy, sweet milk-based one, and a spicy water-based one. He was always split between strawberries and cream or guava, so if he got two 'paletas.’ it meant we could too 😊👍.

I'm all about making popsicles and keeping them in the freezer for a speedy treat. The molds I use were a high school gift from my mom and they’re fantastic, but I can’t find where they're from. These are the popsicle molds recommended by ATK, and I’m considering upgrading soon.

Two summers ago, I rented this book—Aguas Frescas & Paletas: Refreshing Mexican Drinks and Frozen Treats, Traditional and Reimagined—from the library and found an unexpected gem. It's one of those cookbooks worth having in your kitchen, as nearly all the recipes I’ve tried have been great.

Here are the popsicle recipes I've made that are great for summer:

Paletas de Fresa - Strawberry Ice Pops from UNKNOWN (scroll to the end for the recipe)

Burnt Milk Pops with Pecans [Paletas de Leche Quemada con Nuez] from Aguas Frescas & Paletas: Refreshing Mexican Drinks and Frozen Treats, Traditional and Reimagined (scroll to the end for the recipe)

Rice Pudding Pops [Paletas de Arroz con Leche] from Aguas Frescas & Paletas: Refreshing Mexican Drinks and Frozen Treats, Traditional and Reimagined (scroll to the end for the recipe)

Frozen Yogurt Pops Two Ways - Orange Cream & Mixed Berry from 100 Days of Real Food (scroll to the end for the recipe)

A healthier yet delicious choice

Peach Honey Chamomile Ice Pops from a newspaper

I made these in high school with my mom, and they are something I look forward to making every summer when Costco's peaches are at their best.

Mango Lassi Ice Pops from Food Network by Katie Lee Biegel

Just a big fan of mango lassi.

Paletas de Mango con Chamoy from Pizca de Sabor (from this week’s recipes-scroll to the end for the recipe)

Recipes Made So Far This Year:

Goal: To try 7 different recipes each week 🗓️, aiming for a total of 365 this year!

 Number of Recipes Made this Week: 7

Number of New Recipes Tested as of 4/7: 137

Weeks Achieving 7 or More New Recipes: 15 out of 15

FYI: This week is the first where I didn't buy any groceries to make new recipes 🛒. We were heading out of town, so I made a couple of recipes at home with what I could find. When I arrived at my in-laws’, I didn't have time to plan or go grocery shopping, so I just looked in the pantry and came up with my last three recipes using what was available🏠. I used the tools I found there, made my own popsicle molds, and tried to make single-serving recipes to avoid wasting food. I can't believe I managed to make 7 new recipes this week!

Note: If you can't access a recipe and would like me to send it to you, just respond to this email.

This Week’s Recipe Test Summary

Impress Someone🌟

Paletas de Mango con Chamoy (Mango Popsicles with Chamoy) from Pizca de Sabor 🥭🌶️ (Translated below)

I made these with ataulfo mangos and loved the combination of blending the mango while leaving a few whole mango bites. I'm definitely making these a couple of times this summer.

Would Make Again 👍

Mango, Coconut and Chia Smoothie from Food Network 🥭🥥

Just a refreshing smoothie to add to the mix.

Paletas de Mango y Coco (Mango and Coconut Popsicles) from Nestle El Mejor Nido 🥭🥥(Translated below)

Simple, but good.

Raspberry-Jam Bites from Eating Well

These reminded me of my favorite supermarket treat (trüfrü). I made these bites tablespoon-sized, but they are hard to bite when frozen, so next time I'll make them teaspoon-sized.

Would Not Make Again 👎

These recipes didn’t live up to expectations or just weren’t to my taste.

Paletas de Yogurt con Panditas (Yogurt Popsicles with Gummy Bears) from Cocina Vital

I did not enjoy the texture of frozen gummy bears.

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup from NYTimes by Alison Roman🥦🧀

This is my go-to soup at Panera, but this recipe was just alright.

Brigadeiros from America’s Test Kitchen 🍫

I was hoping they would taste like the ones my sister made back in the day, but they did not.

Translated Recipes & Recommended Recipes

Paletas de Fresa - Strawberry Ice Pops from UNKNOWN

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups fresh strawberries, preferably wild, hulled and cut into quarters

• 1/2 (3/4 cup) cup sugar, or more, depending on the sweetness of the berries and of your sweet tooth

• 1/2 cup water

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

PREPARATION

1. Combine the strawberries and sugar in a bowl. Let sit until the strawberries start to release their juices, 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Transfer the sugary strawberries and water to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Simmer until the berries are slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

3. Transter the mixture to a blender or food processor, add the lemon juice, and purée until the desired consistency, whether smooth or somewhat chunky.

4. If using conventional molds divide the mixture among the molds, snap on the lid, and freeze until solid, about 5 hours.

5. If using glasses or other unconventional molds, freeze until the pops are beginning to set (1 1/2 to 2 hours, depending on the size), then insert the sticks and freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours.

Burnt Milk Pops with Pecans [Paletas de Leche Quemada con Nuez] from Aguas Frescas & Paletas: Refreshing Mexican Drinks and Frozen Treats, Traditional and Reimagined 

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups whole milk, divided

• ½ cup dark brown sugar

• ½ cup pure cane sugar

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2 whole cloves

• ⅓ cup finely chopped pecans

PREPARATION

1. Place 1 cup milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until milk curdles and begins to change to a yellowish color, stirring frequently.

2. Place remaining 5 cups milk in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.

3. Add curdled milk, sugars, cinnamon, and cloves to boiled milk. Simmer on low for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

4. Run mixture through a strainer into large pitcher with spout. Stir in pecans.

5. Divide mixture into popsicle molds. Cover and insert sticks. Chill overnight.

Rice Pudding Pops [Paletas de Arroz con Leche] from Aguas Frescas & Paletas: Refreshing Mexican Drinks and Frozen Treats, Traditional and Reimagined 

INGREDIENTS

• 2½ cups water, divided

• ⅓ cup short grain rice, rinsed

• 1 (12 ounces) can evaporated milk

• ⅔ cup pure cane sugar

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

PREPARATION

1. Boil 1½ cups water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add rice.

2. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes or until rice is tender and most of the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat.

3. Add remaining 1 cup water, evaporated milk, sugar, and cinnamon to cooked rice. Stir to combine ingredients.

4. Spoon mixture into popsicle molds. Cover and insert popsicle sticks. Freeze at least 4 hours or until firm.

Frozen Yogurt Pops Two Ways - Orange Cream & Mixed Berry from 100 Days of Real Food 

INGREDIENTS

ORANGE CREAM

• 2 cups plain yogurt

• 1 cup orange juice

• 1 cup pure maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

MIXED BERRY

• 2 cups plain yogurt

• 1 cup frozen mixed berries

• 1 cup maple syrup

PREPARATION

For the Orange Cream: In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Pour into ice pop molds, insert a wooden stick into the center of each, and freeze for 4 to 5 hours or overnight.

For the Mixed Berry: In a blender, combine all the ingredients and puree until smooth. Pour into ice pop molds, insert a wooden stick into the center of each, and freeze for 4 to 5 hours or overnight.

Paletas de Mango con Chamoy (Mango Popsicles with Chamoy) from Pizca de Sabor 🥭🌶️

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup peeled mango (your favorite)

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• ¼ cup water

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• ¼ to ½ cup peeled and diced mango (optional)

• 2 to 3 tablespoons chamoy

PREPARATION

1. Blend 1 cup of mango with lemon juice, sugar, water, and chili powder.

2. Add chili powder and chamoy to the popsicle molds, to taste. I used 1 teaspoon of chamoy per popsicle.

3. Fill the molds ¾ full with the blender mixture.

4. Add chopped mango to each popsicle, about 1 tablespoon per popsicle. Stir with a spoon to distribute throughout the popsicle and top up with more mixture if necessary.

5. Add more chili powder and chamoy to taste and insert the popsicle sticks. Even if they are wooden, you can add them now since the mixture is thick and they will stay in place.

6. Freeze for 8 hours or until firm.

Paletas de Mango y Coco (Mango and Coconut Popsicles) from Nestle El Mejor Nido 🥭🥥

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups of chopped fresh mango

• 1 cup of unsweetened coconut water or coconut milk beverage

• 1/3 cup of LA LECHERA Sweetened Condensed Milk (squeeze bottle).

PREPARATION

1. Place the mango, coconut water, and sweetened condensed milk in the blender; cover. Blend until smooth.

2. Divide the mixture among the popsicle molds; insert sticks.

3. Cover; freeze for several hours or until the mixture is frozen solid.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, or any recipe request you might have. Just respond directly to this email.

See you next week. Keep cooking! 👋 

Vale from ValeCooks