Elevated Ice Pops

Soaring summer temps call for simple childhood-inspired treats. Head to the river or lake (or soak your feet in the kiddie pool) and savor a For Bitter For Worse ice pop.

You can keep it simple and playful, blending whole fruit with a small amount of For Bitter For Worse and a liquid sweetener. Use this simple base recipe: 1 cup fruit, ¼ to ½ cup For Bitter For Worse, and about 1.5 – 2 teaspoons liquid sweetener (maple syrup, simple syrup, agave syrup, or thawed fruit juice concentrate, or even jam) of your choice.

Or get fancy and layer different flavor profiles, rocket-pop style.

Tips: 

Sugar syrup minimizes ice crystals and makes for a smoother and sturdier ice pop. Freezing also diminishes our flavor perception, so it’s helpful to super charge the flavor intensity of your base (make it sweeter & more potent). Ingredients such as yogurt (dairy, or plant-based) and coconut milk are great for creamy, paleta-style treats. If your opened bottle of Eva’s spritz has gone flat, turn it into ice pops!

I have a flat silicon ice pop tray that uses wooden sticks. Here’s a space-saving stackable silicon set that comes with reusable sticks.

Think strawberries and melons with Eva’s spritz. Try cherries, and berries with The Saskatoon. I made Saskatoon sangria pops with mixed berries, simple syrup and lime cordial. Frozen limeade concentrate is an easy shortcut.

For elevated “rocket pops” using Eva’s Spritz, The Saskatoon, and a lime-coconut water layer, follow these steps I’ve adapted from a Food52 recipe. Makes 6 average-sized pops.

Here are the ingredients for each layer:

Spritz layer:

• 1 cup hulled strawberries, partially frozen
• ¼ to ½ cup Eva’s spritz
• 1.5- 2 teaspoons simple syrup, honey, agave syrup, or frozen juice concentrate

Coconut water layer:

• 1 ¹/₄ cups crushed ice
• ½ - 3/4 cup coconut water
• 1 tablespoon agave syrup or honey
• 2 to 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon lime zest

The Saskatoon layer:

• ¹/₂ cup blueberries, partially frozen
• ¹/₂ cup blackberries, partially frozen
• ¼ to ½ cup The Saskatoon
• 2 teaspoons liquid sweetener 

1. Start with either fresh fruit, partially frozen, or frozen fruit, about half-thawed.
2. In your blender, blend the strawberries, 1/4 to 1/2 cup Eva’s spritz, and 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons honey or other sweetener syrup adding the syrup last (to avoid sticking at the bottom), and using the smallest amount of spritz needed to reach a smooth consistency. You want the mixture as thick as possible for all of the layers.
3. Empty into a bowl or glass and freeze for about 30 minutes until starting to thicken. Proceed with the rest of the recipe.
4. Rinse your blender then blend the blackberries, blueberries, 1/4 to 1/2 cup The Saskatoon, and 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons sweetener syrup, adding the syrup last (to avoid sticking at the bottom). Taste and add more sweetener if desired,
5. Place in a bowl in the freezer for about 30 minutes until starting to thicken.
6. Rinse your blender then blend the crushed ice, lime juice, lime zest, 1/2 to 3/4 cup coconut water, and 1 tablespoon agave or honey, adding the agave or honey last [to avoid sticking at the bottom], using the least amount of coconut water to reach a smooth consistency. Taste and add more sweetener if desired.
7. Place in a bowl in the freezer for about 30 minutes until starting to thicken.
8. After all mixtures have thickened (You’re trying to reach a texture where you can spoon the layers on top of one another without them mixing. Like a thick slushy. However, if they mix it's completely fine!) spoon the strawberry mixture into your popsicle molds first about 1/3 of the way up. Tap on the counter to level.
9. Spoon in the lime mixture next making sure there are no air pockets (lightly poke with the top end of the spoon to help fill gaps), then top with the blackberry/blueberry layer and level off the top. 
10. Place popsicle sticks in the ends when the mixture is thick enough that they remain standing, and freeze until solid, about 4 to 5 hours.
11. Serve once frozen. You may need to allow the pops to thaw for about 5 to 10 minutes before being able to remove them from the molds.