Summer Treats: Champagne and Strawberry Popsicles

 

Summer has finally and unquestionably arrived here in New England. After a few uncertain recent weeks of non-stop bitterly cold rain and Winter-esque temperature drops- the sun has been shining, the air is hot and humid- and more and more people have been coming out of hiding to brave the beach and get their suntan on.

Of course, with a much-missed season making it’s long overdue debut- a celebration is in order- and you can’t really have a celebration without champagne, can you? Don’t bother digging out the fine glassware and decorative flutes just yet- because this 21+ beach and/or pool party treat is a little less formal and a whole lot sweeter.

And don’t worry- if you don’t want alcohol in these popsicles- it’s easy enough to substitute other ingredients! I’ll give you a few tips!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• ½ cup of water
• ½ cup of sugar
• 1 pint of ripe strawberries
• ²⁄₃ cup of champagne (you can substitute the champagne with fruit juice here, or if you still want the fizzy feel- try using flavored seltzer water, instead!)

READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Stir the water until the sugar has completely dissolved. Turn off the heat. Dissolving the sugar has created a syrup, which will help the popsicles have a more smooth texture.
3. Remove the green tops from the strawberries and puree your strawberries in a blender until they are completely smooth.
4. Combine the sugar syrup, strawberries, and champagne. Use a whisk to ensure that the ingredients are completely mixed.
5. Fill your popsicle molds and freeze the mixture until it is completely solid. This usually takes at least two hours, so you’ll have some time to run any errands (or if you’re like me- get a pedicure) before these pops are ready.
6. Remove your popsicles from the mold, sit back on the nearest beach blanket or hammock- and enjoy!

These popsicles were really refreshing during this past weekend’s scorching heat- and were (naturally) a pretty big hit at brunch. Some friends suggested using the same recipe but creating ice cubes instead of popsicles to throw into chilled mimosas for some added flavor and an extra kick of boozy goodness at the next backyard BBQ or cook-out.

Of course, what makes these so easy is that you can puree pretty much any other type of fruit to give yourself and your guests a variety of flavors to enjoy. Oranges, coconuts, mangoes, bananas- the possibilities are endless but always tasty and tropical. As long as you make your water & sugar mixture/syrup base- you’re good to go!

xx

– Ashley –