As a child, popsicles were the highlight of my summer. I loved those tall, blue popsicles shaped like rockets that the ice cream man brought in his musical truck, and the Kool-Aid pops I made with my mom. I didn’t discriminate when I came to finding a cool treat to lick while basking in the hot sun. The best days were when I could enjoy a pop after a hard day of building moats in the backyard and commanding my Golden Retriever, Daisy, to guard our imaginary fortress. She wasn’t a very good guard dog, but she did try her best, and I rewarded Daisy’s efforts by letting her finish my popsicles. One must be magnanimous, after all.

Though adults and children alike enjoy pops, I think there’s a special connection between childhood and popsicles. Perhaps this is because they were invented by an 11-year-old boy. His name was Frank Epperson and the year was 1905. He liked to create novel drinks by experimenting with soda powder and flavors from the local grocery store, and one evening he forgot a little glass, filled with soda and garnished with a stick, on his back porch. That night San Francisco experienced the “Big Freeze,” with temperatures dropping below 32 degrees F, so in the morning Frank found a popsicle where his soda had been. He called it an “Epsicle,” after himself. Many years later, when Frank was a grown man with a wife and children of his own, he remembered this childhood experiment while operating a lemonade stand at a local amusement park. Not long afterwards he began selling his creation as “popsicles” - so called because his children would ask for Pop’s sicles.’ Not surprisingly, the treats caught on.

Some historians have disputed Epperson being credited with the invention of the popsicle. They point out that, as far back as 1872, two men named Ross and Robbins sold frozen-fruit confections on sticks, which they called the Hokey-Pokey. They took their products around town in bicycle-propelled carts and were called “hokey pokey men” by the locals. Other historians note that Italians have been selling granitas for ages, and isn’t that a fairly similar concept? Whatever the argument, the fact is that Epperson’s story has stuck, probably because he was the first to mass market the idea.

Today we can find popsicles of every variety in our local supermarket, but I think the best ones are made in your kitchen. It’s not just about the taste but about the pleasure of making them, perhaps with someone you love, or while listening to some old-time big-band music, as I was doing yesterday. Tomorrow I might just make a batch of Banana Split Pops - I’m feeling decadent!

The photograph above features the pops I made earlier this week: Peach Cream and Coconut. (The tubes sticking out on the sides are built in “straws,” so you can drink any melting juices.) Both popsicles were mentioned in my last post, where I was giving away two copies of the book from which these pops come: Pops! Frozen Treats for Everyone. 171 (!!) people participated in the raffle, and I’m happy to announce that RuthL and Mara were the lucky winners! I will be emailing both of you shortly, so check your inbox, and as for everyone else what can I say except thank you for participating & I wish I had more copies to give away. They’ll be more chances to win free books though, never you fear. Indeed, everyone seems to enjoy these ‘raffle’ posts so much that I’m considering giving away one book a month. Keep an eye on the sidebar!

As part of this week’s raffle everyone voted on which popsicle recipe I would share, and the winning recipe was for Coconut Pops. I was pretty happy with this result because, I have to admit, between the two this one was by far my favorite. See the book review below to learn more about each recipe and also about other recipes featured in the book.

Book Review: Pops! Icy Treats for Everyone is exactly what you want in a summertime book - creative, fun and accessible. With recipes for frozen treats like Kiwi & Strawberry Pops (with whole slices of kiwi frozen inside), Blueberry Cheesecake Pops, Sugar Pumpkin Pops and Mimosa Pops, there is an abundance of unique, exciting recipes in this book. I was immediately drawn to the Coconut Pops and Peach Cream Pops (made with peach nectar and slices of fruit). Both were satisfying after a long day at work, sitting out on my patio and enjoying a bit of frozen goodness. The coconut pops rivaled Edy’s, which are my favorite brand of ‘freezer section’ coconut popsicles. As for the peach cream pops - there was a lot of promise there. These pops were created by layering the nectar/fruit mix with a cream mix made with yogurt and milk. The top layer, with the nectar, was amazing. However, the bottom layer of “peach cream” just wasn’t sweet enough. Next time I make these I’ll be adding sugar or some other sweetener to the cream mixture. That, I think, would be perfection.

All of the recipes are imaginative and easy to follow. Each one is introduced by a short story from the author on the top of the page, and most are accompanied by a mouth watering photo. I especially loved how the author included variations for every recipe. For instance, the recipe for Cookie Dough Pops lists 5 variations, along with instructions, at the bottom of the page. These variations include: Waffles & Ice Cream Pops, Peanut Butter Cookie Pops, Ginger Snap Pops, S’Mores Ice Cream Pops and Cookies & Cream Pops.

Overall this is an excellent book that’s certain to add a bit of refreshing fun to your kitchen. You’ll learn how to create a variety of tasty treats while also learning how to give your popsicles a more exotic look: layering colors, embedding fresh fruit, and even making your own molds. Have fun!

Chapters include: Healthy Energy Pops, Fruit Juice Pops, Soda Fountain Pops, Cream and Pudding Pops, Coffee and Tea Pops, and Cocktail Pops. Also included are sections on ice pop ingredients, essential tools, techniques and presentation.

Coconut Pops
Reprinted with permission from Pops! Icy Treats for Everyone by Krystina Castella.

Ingredients: Makes six 8-ounce pops or eight 6-ounce pops

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups coconut milk, homemade or canned; or 3 cups coconut water (see note below)
• 2 cups fresh (best) or dried shredded coconut

Step 1: In a saucepan, combine the milk and sugar and stir over low heat for 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar; be careful not to scald the milk. Stir in the vanilla extract and let cool to room temperature.

Step 2: In a bowl, combine the coconut milk or coconut water, the shredded coconut, and the milk and vanilla mixture.

Step 3: Pour into the pop molds. Insert the sticks. Freeze for at least 6 hours.

Step 4: Remove from the freezer; let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before removing the pops from the molds. Enjoy this coconut delight.

Notes:

To make homemade coconut milk: Put 2 cups grated coconut meat (from 1 coconut) and 3 cups hot water in a heatproof bowl. Let soak for 1 hour. Pour the coconut milk through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl.

To obtain coconut water: Coconut water is the liquid in the center of a fresh young (green) coconut. Drive 2 nails into the coconut, then remove them and drain the water out of the coconut into a bowl.

Variations:

Coconut & Banana Pops: Replace 1 cup of the coconut with 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas. Add the mashed bananas in step 2.

Coconut Curry Pops: Omit the vanilla extract. Gradually add red, green or yellow curry paste to taste plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves and 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice in step 2.

// Edit: 7.31.08 - I’ve received a few emails from people asking me how to grate fresh coconut & am posting the answer here in case anyone else is wondering!

After you have drained the coconut (incidentally, you can use a drill instead of 2 nails to drain the coconut) crack it open and bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes. You must drain the coconut before you do this.

The baking process will crack the remaining shell. You can now remove it, carefully, using a screwdriver or oyster knife. Once that’s off, you need to remove the brown husk clinging to the white meat - do this with a vegetable peeler. Give the meat a little water bath to remove any remaining bits of husk.

You can use a box grater to shred the meat, but if you have a food processor with a grating attachment that’s the easiest way to go.

To be honest, the chai ice cream recipe featured in this post is decadent in its creamy tribute to one of the world’s favorite spiced teas - but it was such a pain to photograph. Omg. I spent nearly an hour battling the hot, humid weather, which naturally began melting the ice cream within seconds of my scooping it. Frustrated, I’d shape it with a spoon then stick the bowl in the freezer before attempting to take another photograph. Telltale signs of this war can be seen in the droplets of water clinging to the bottom of the ice cream bowl - humidity made visible. Yet on the upside, one of the bonuses of taking food photos is that when your subject annoys you revenge can be taken by eating it as soon as you’ve gotten that one, usable image. Which is exactly what I did after I snapped the above picture.

Vendettas aside, eating a bowl of this ice cream was supremely satisfying, combining the pleasure of sipping an iced chai with the texture of perfectly churned ice cream. I used my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker and churned the mixture of cream, egg yolks, chai spices, milk and sugar for 25 minutes - more time than that, I’ve learned, creates larger ice crystals and sacrifices texture as a result.

Being a curious cook who likes to learn about the origins of her treats, I’ve looked into the beginnings of chai - pronounced like the ‘ch’ in chocolate and rhyming with ’sky’ - discovering that though Americans usually associate the word “chai” with a specific drink made with black tea, milk, sugar and spices, the word is actually a generic term for tea. Indeed the ‘chai lattes’ we’ve grown so fond of in the US are technically called “chai masala” - ‘masala,’ meaning ‘a mixture of spices,’ and ‘chai,’ meaning ‘tea.’ According to some the drink is more than 5,000 years old and was invented by the King of Siam, who fiercely protected his recipe. Others claim that the drink has roots in the Hindu healing system of ayurveda, which uses spices and herbs to cure physical ailments. However, historians like Lizzie Collingham maintain that chai masala is a relatively recent addition to the Indian repertoire, originating in the 1700’s when England decided to colonize India. Being avid tea drinkers the English were interested in expanding their tea supply beyond China, and so created large-scale tea plantations in India. The local population was so unfamiliar with tea that when farmers were sent to harvest the leaves they had to be schooled in the technique. In an odd bit of history England eventually launched a campaign to teach Indians how to drink tea, sending soldiers or traders to remote houses with teapots, leaves and sugar in hand. At some point during this process Indians began adding more milk and sugar than their English instructors recommended, and in an act that surely shocked more than a few English ladies they began adding various spices or honey to the mix as well. Hence our chai masala was born.

Today chai masala is frequently prepared in Indian homes and can also be found in popular public locales, such as train stations or city streets, where it is sold by vendors called “wallahs.” Wallahs make their chai over open fires, mixing the milk, sweetener and spices with a dramatic pouring of the liquid from one large cup to another, before serving the chai in clay cups called “chullarhs.” (I’ve heard that the chullarhs are smashed on the ground once the patron has finished his or her drink, but I’m not sure if this is true.) Recipes vary from whallah to whallah and from family to family, with spices such as cinnamon, star anise, ginger, peppercorns, cardamom, cloves and fennel being common ingredients.

The chai recipe used to make the ice cream pictured above used cloves, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom, though if you’re adventurous you can certainly experiment with other combinations. Black tea leaves and whole spices are added to the milk, cream and sugar, then strained from the mixture before chilling and freezing. The resulting balance of flavors is both elegant and comforting. If they are chai drinkers, your friends & family will adore this ice cream.

Edit:// I almost forgot to mention that today is my 1 year blogaversary! One year ago today I made my baking obsession official by buying this domain and sharing a recipe for sugared monkey bread. Ah the memories, the posts, the friends I’ve made - including you. Thank you so very much for sharing my baking and books adventures with me.

Chai Ice Cream
Reprinted with permission from A Passion for Ice Cream: 95 Recipes for Fabulous Desserts, by Emily Luchetti.

Ingredients: Makes about 5 servings

• 5 green cardamom pods
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 1/2 tablespoon black tea leaves (loose leaves, not sachets)
• 1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 4 pieces
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the cardamom pods on a baking pan and crush them with the side of a knife. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes. In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the milk, cream, 1/3 cup of the sugar, the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon sticks, tea, and ginger. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until almost simmering. Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Let the spices and tea steep for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, and the salt. Slowly pour the hot liquid into the egg mixture, whisking as you pour. Return the liquid to the pan and cook, over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant plastic or wooden spatula, until the liquid reaches 175 degrees F (I used a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature) and lightly coats the spatula. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve (I used cheese cloth secured with a rubber band) into a bowl, discard the spices and tea, and cool over an ice bath until room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze until scoopable, about 4 hours, depending on your freezer.