Hi there! Long time, no blog.
After last Wednesday’s post, I began writing a Friday Favorites round-up, but then I remembered I was on vacation and so I bailed and went to a watercolor class instead. Blogging is great and all, but I felt the need to Maine* while in Maine, you know?
*Yes, I used “Maine” as a verb.
That doesn’t mean I didn’t cook though. Vacationing on a remote island means spending time in the kitchen is a necessity, and for me, a luxurious one. The menu for our trip is meticulously planned every year, but I always make room for playing around. It never amounts to anything anything particularly elaborate (except for pie), but I always add ingredients to the list specifically so I can mess around with them.
This time around, we already had blueberries (because Maine), maple syrup (because waffles), and vanilla (because I’m a baker) on the list, and I had packed a blender (because salsa), so adding a can of coconut milk, Dixie cups,* and popsicle sticks seemed like logical steps. Because Blueberry Popsicles.
*When at home, I use these popsicle molds.
These are the perfect easy summer dessert! They require the bare minimum of effort and ingredients, but deliver big-time on icy texture and creamy blueberry flavor. Oh, and they’re vegan, so your gluten-free vegan co-traveler can enjoy them too.
The batch pictured was made on a Wednesday morning before we went to the beach. They were enjoyed at a dinner party that night, and then at every subsequent meal until we left on Saturday morning. VJ and I both agree that they are good on the first day, but that their blueberry flavor deepens drastically as time goes on.
There are four steps to making Blueberry Popsicles:
-blend all ingredients until smooth.
-divide the mixture into cups/molds. It’ll be thick and may seem lumpy, but rest assured that this is normal. Chemistry is weird.
-wait 45-60 minutes before adding sticks.
-freeze until solid.
All that’s left to do is unmold and enjoy them on a patio in Maine. Or in your New York City apartment while daydreaming about being on a patio in Maine.
Maine Maine Maine Maine Maine.
Um. Sorry. I’ll try to contain myself.
Blueberry Popsicles
makes about 8-10 pops
12 ounces (1 dry pint) fresh blueberries
1 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients in a high-powered blender. Blitz until smooth. Mixture may seem thick and lumpy—this is normal and will not negatively affect final texture.
Divide mixture among ice pop molds (I used 3-ounce Dixie Cups). Do not add sticks.
Freeze one hour. Insert sticks. Freeze at least 5 more hours before enjoying.
To release from ice pop molds, place mold in a glass of warm tap water for 30-45 seconds. Popsicles should release easily. If they don’t, place them back in the warm water for 15 seconds before making another attempt.
Store in the freezer.
Until last Wednesday, I had no plans to create a new Fudgsicle recipe. I have some vegan 
I trekked over to Trader Joe’s to buy the day’s groceries. It was only when I was turning onto the block where I work that I realized I hadn’t bought anything for Fudgsicles. I had been a bit distracted when my boss had requested them, and had forgotten to put the ingredients on my list. It was getting late and I needed to get started on dinner, so instead of going back to TJ’s, I determined that I’d figure out how to make Fudgsicles from things they had on-hand.
Once I got dinner on, I started to look through the cabinets for ingredients. It went something like this:
I put all the ingredients in the blender, said a little prayer to Julia Child, and blitzed everything together until it was smooth. I divided the mixture among a set of ice pop molds and put them in the freezer.
Before the Fudgsicles were completely frozen, it was time for me to go home. As you probably could have guessed, I spent the next 18 or so hours wondering if they were any good compared to my old favorites. Imagine how delighted I was when I got to work the next day to see that the family had already eaten most of them!
Luckily, there was one left for me to try. It was deeply chocolaty, perfectly sweet, and soft enough that I could bite through it—so basically, exactly what I was going for. I love that a recipe that began as a guessing game worked on the first try. That rarely happens, so I’m calling it a victory.
I’ve made three more batches of these Fudgsicles since last week—two for work and one for me. I love how quick and easy they are and that they’re made from the sort of ingredients I always have on hand. And that’s to say nothing of the fact that they’re vegan and fairly low-calorie for an end of the day treat. I don’t follow any sort of diet, but it’s nice to make something on the lighter side every once in a while.
Spend five minutes making a batch of Fudgsicles this weekend! I hope you love them as much as I do.
e2 bakes brooklyn 