Make tasty frozen treats at home

There’s the jingle – here comes the ice-cream truck!

Just hearing one of a whole bunch of ice-cream-man jingles can bring back memories of sweet, icy treats, which seem to especially hit the spot on the hot, sticky days we’ve had lately.

But maybe an ice-cream truck doesn’t frequent your neighborhood, or maybe you’d like frozen treats that are a little more healthful. In that case, you may be pleased to know they’re easy to make at home.

Ice-pop molds can be found in cooking stores, catalogs and often in discount and dollar stores. Tupperware was one of the first companies to market the molds, and they’re still available through their representatives.

If you’d rather not make the investment, consider using paper cups. Freeze the mixture in the cups, adding wooden sticks after the pops have had a chance to freeze a bit (be careful not to push the sticks through the bottoms of the cups) and then tear off the paper. Some pops can even be made in pans and cut to size, as in the last recipe in the following group.

RED, WHITE AND BLUEBERRY POPS

2 cups halved, hulled strawberries

6 tablespoons sugar, divided use

5 tablespoons lime juice (from 3 limes), divided use

½ cup full-fat plain yogurt

3 tablespoons heavy cream

2 cups blueberries

In a blender, combine strawberries, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1½ tablespoons lime juice. Puree, scraping down sides as needed. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids; discard solids. Divide puree among six 4-ounce or eight 3-ounce ice-pop molds. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

Combine yogurt, cream and 2 tablespoons each sugar and lime juice. Remove molds from freezer and top with yogurt mixture; insert ice-pop sticks. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

In clean blender, puree blueberries, remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and remaining 1½ tablespoons lime juice. Pour through clean sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids; discard solids. Remove molds from freezer and top with blueberry puree. Freeze until solid, 6 hours more (or for as long as 1 week). Just before serving, briefly run molds under hot water to release pops.

Makes 6 to 8.

– Recipe from Everyday Food from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living

SUNDAE CONES

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon fine salt

2 cups cold heavy cream

8 sugar cones

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped, divided use

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

¼ cup chopped peanuts

In a medium bowl, stir together condensed milk, vanilla and salt. In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat cream on high until stiff peaks form, 3 minutes. With a rubber spatula, gently fold whipped cream into condensed-milk mixture. Pour into a loaf pan, cover and freeze until firm, 6 hours (or for as long as 1 week).

Set cones upright in another loaf pan filled with uncooked rice. Microwave one-quarter of the chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Spoon into tips of cones and let cool.

Pack each cone with ice cream, then top with a round scoop, pressing down to secure. Return cones to rice-filled pan and freeze until firm, 6 hours (or overnight).

Microwave remaining chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in oil and let cool slightly. Working quickly, invert each cone, dip in chocolate, set upright in pan and sprinkle with nuts. Freeze until firm, 1 hour. (To store, cover with plastic and freeze, for as long as three days.)

Makes 8.

– Recipe from Everyday Food from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living

FROZEN FUDGE POPS

3 cups low-fat milk (1 percent or 2 percent milk fat)

1 cup sugar

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)

¼ cup light corn syrup

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Heat milk, sugar, cocoa powder, corn syrup and ¼ teaspoon salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature or quick-chill in an ice bath.

Pour into 8 1/3-cup or 10 ¼-cup ice-pop molds and freeze 30 minutes. Insert sticks, then freeze until firm, about 24 hours.

Run hot water over molds (or dip in hot water) to loosen pops before unmolding.

Makes 8 to 10

– Recipe from Gourmet magazine

“CANDY CORN” FROZEN CITRUS

CREAM POPS

2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 juicy lemons), divided

36 drops yellow food coloring, divided

1 teaspoon grated fresh orange zest

¼ cup fresh orange juice (from two small oranges)

9 drops red food coloring

1 cup chilled heavy cream

Put one can of milk in each of two bowls, then whisk lemon zest, 1/3 cup lemon juice and about 18 drops of yellow food coloring into one bowl.

Whisk orange zest, orange juice, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and remaining 18 drops yellow and 9 drops red food coloring into second bowl.

Beat cream in another bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks, then gently fold half of cream into each condensed milk mixture.

Divide orange mixture among 12 3-ounce ice-pop molds, about 2½ tablespoons per mold, then freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Divide lemon mixture among molds, about 2½ tablespoons per mold.

Place cover on molds and insert sticks, making sure they are straight (important for removing top when unmolding). Freeze until completely firm, at least 8 hours.

To unmold pops: If using a multiple-pop mold, partially submerge up to ¼ inch from the top of the mold in a large bowl or sink of room-temperature water for 30 seconds. Remove mold from water, then remove cover and pull out pops.

If using individual molds, run hot water over them for about 5 seconds, then let stand 30 seconds and remove cover.

In either case, serve immediately or wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze until ready to serve.

Makes 12.

– Recipe from Epicurious

ORANGE CREAM POPS

1 quart vanilla ice cream, homemade or purchased

½ cup frozen organic orange juice concentrate, partially thawed

Line a 9-by-7-by-2-inch baking pan with plastic wrap, allowing a 5-inch overhang on the long sides. Let the ice cream soften at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

In a bowl, combine the softened ice cream and orange juice concentrate and mix until well blended. Pour into the pan and bring the plastic wrap up over the top. Place in the freezer and freeze overnight.

The next day, using a sharp knife, cut the frozen ice cream into 10 rectangles (2 rows, 5 rectangles per row). Using a small spatula, lift out each rectangle and insert a wooden pop stick into one end. If the pops have softened, lay them on a baking sheet and return them to the freezer until firm.

Serve immediately, or wrap each pop in waxed paper, twist the paper where the pop meets the stick, and freeze until ready to serve or for as long as 1 week.

Makes 10 pops.

– Recipe from Williams-Sonoma.

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@review journal.com or 702-383-0474.

MINTED WATERMELON AND

LEMON ICE POPS

Watermelon layer:

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup water

¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

2 cups packed, ½-inch-cubed seeded watermelon

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Lemon layer:

6 tablespoons sugar

½ cup water

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

¼ teaspoon orange extract

To prepare watermelon layer, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; cook 30 seconds, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir in mint; cover and let stand 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a bowl.

Place watermelon in a blender; process until smooth. Strain puree through a sieve into bowl with mint syrup; press with back of a spoon to extract juice. Discard solids. Stir in lime juice; cover and chill 1 hour.

Pour about 2½ tablespoons watermelon mixture into each of eight ice-pop molds. Freeze 1½ hours, or until almost set. Arrange sticks in mixture. Return to freezer. Freeze 1 hour, or until frozen.

To prepare lemon layer, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; cook 30 seconds, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour into a bowl; stir in lemon juice, orange juice and extract. Cool 15 minutes; cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Remove molds from freezer. Pour about 3 tablespoons lemon mixture over frozen watermelon mixture in each mold. Freeze 2 hours, or until completely frozen.

Makes 8.

– Recipe from Cooking Light