Sunday with summer popsicles

CHENNAI: MANGO POPSICLE

INGREDIENTS

2 medium-sized mangoes (preferably Alphonso variety)

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cardamom pod

INSTRUCTIONS

Rinse the mangoes thoroughly and cut them. Scoop out the pulp and discard the skin.

Remove all the fleshy pulp from the mangoes.

Add 2 tablespoons of sugar to the pulp. Adjust the amount of sugar based on the sweetness of the mangoes.

Add the seeds from 1 cardamom pod (remove the outer skin).

Pour in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water.

Blend the mixture until it becomes smooth and creamy.

Pour the mixture into popsicle moulds. You can use paper cups or small steel tumblers if you don’t have moulds.

Leave about 1/2 inch of space at the top of each mould.

Cover the moulds with aluminium foil. Make a small slit in the foil for the popsicle sticks to be inserted.

Insert the popsicle sticks and freeze for a minimum of 8 hours, preferably overnight.

When ready to serve, remove the moulds from the freezer and dip the outside in water to loosen the popsicles.

Remove the foil and gently pull out the popsicles.

ROSE MILK POPSICLE

INGREDIENTS

Using rose milk essence:

2 cups full-fat milk, boiled and cooled3 tablespoons sugar3 drops of rose milk essence

Using rose syrup:

2 cups full-fat milk, boiled and cooled 1/4 cup rose syrup

INSTRUCTIONS

Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring it to a boil.

Let the milk simmer for 3-5 minutes.

Allow the milk to cool down, then transfer it to a jug.

Add sugar and rose milk essence to the milk. Mix well and set aside.

Pour the mixture into popsicle moulds or teacups, filling them up to 3/4 of the rim.

Cover the moulds with aluminium foil. Carefully prick the foil with a knife and insert ice cream sticks. Alternatively, you can use the lid of the popsicle moulds.

Freeze the moulds for at least 8 hours.

When ready to serve, carefully dip the popsicle moulds in water to loosen them.

Remove the foil and gently pull out the popsicles.