Monday, April 26, 2010

Popsicle of the Week: Choco-Coco Pops


Popsicle of the Week is going to be a new feature here at Stirring the Pot. As a family, we LOVE popsicles. We eat them all year round, but can really go through them in the summertime. Awhile back I bought two cookbooks dedicated entirely to popsicles and bookmarked almost every recipe in each book. In an effort to cook my way through these two books, I will be featuring a new popsicle recipe each week! I'm hoping we will find some new family favorites!

There are many popsicle molds for sale and there is even a new kitchen appliance for sale called the Zoku Quick Pop Maker ($49.95 @ Williams Sonoma). The Zoku is a fun product that is getting rave reviews for making popsicles in a mere 7 minutes. I'm really looking forward to getting one of these in the next few weeks, but for now I have a few different popsicle molds that I can use.

For these Choco-Coco Pops, I used these Mickey Mouse Popsicle Molds by Tupperware. There are six plastic molds and each mold holds around 2.5 - 3 ounces of liquid. This is a perfect size for children, but a bigger mold would be nicer for adults. Sometimes it can be difficult to get the popsicle to release from it's mold, but these Tupperware molds released very easily.

I've collected popsicle molds over the years, but you really don't need any special equipment. You can make popsicles from everyday household items such as muffin tins, cupcake liners, paper cups, shot glasses, and juice glasses. Paper cups are especially nice because there is no fooling around with a mold, trying to get the popsicle to release itself. If using paper, you can simply tear the paper away and have at it. Wooden popsicle sticks are widely available everywhere, namely at places like Hobby Lobby and/or Michael's. I have even seen people use straws, cocktail stirrers, cocktail picks, bamboo skewers, lollypop sticks, chopsticks, plastic spoons, plastic toys, pretzel rods, chocolate rolled wafer cookies, biscotti, and cinnamon sticks as popsicle holders.

Today I made Ellie Krieger's Choco-Coco Pops from her new book, So Easy. The recipe is a mixture of one can lite coconut milk, 3 ounces dark chocolate, sugar, and vanilla. The mixture is cooked on the stovetop until the chocolate melts and the mixture is thickened. Once it has cooled, it is poured into popsicle molds and chilled for four hours. They were extremely tasty and are going fast, even on a cold and gloomy day like today!

*The reigning "Popsicle King"- Jackson

I have two cookbooks that I will be using for Popsicle of the Week. The first is called Pops! Icy Treats for Everyone by Krystina Castella ($11.48 Barnes and Noble). This book has chapters on Healthy Energy Pops, Fruit Juice Pops, Soda Fountain Pops, Cream and Pudding Pops, Coffee and Tea Pops, and Cocktail Pops. I think that this book is more for the adults and has some really nice, unique, and creative recipes.


The second cookbook, my favorite of the two, and the most family-friendly, is called Ice Pops "Recipes for Fresh and Flavorful Frozen Treats" by Shelly Kaldunski. I found my copy at Williams-Sonoma, but so far it is not available online at Williams-Sonoma, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble. I think it was just released and should become available shortly. This book is basic, easy, and has fantastic recipes for both children and adults. There are chapters for Fruity Ice Pops, Chocolate Ice Pops, Creamy Ice Pops, New Flavors for Ice Pops, and another chapter on Creative Shapes for Ice Pops.


Stay tuned.....there is going to be a fantastic giveaway for Shelly Kaldunski's Ice Pops Cookbook!

Popsicle of the Week will be featured each Monday for the next 12 weeks at least......... possibly longer!

23 comments:

  1. My mom used to make orange popsicles for us all the time and they were definitely one of my favorite summer treats! These chocolate look awesome, especially with those Mickey Mouse holders. so cute!

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  2. Very fun focus! I love making popsicles--the chocolate and coconut milk sound perfect. I am tagging this one to try for sure. ;-)

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  3. Not seen a popsicle maker here in the UK, I will have to hunt one down. It will awaken the big kid inside me. :)

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  4. Great feature! I'm going to try these Choco Coco Pops for myself!

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  5. Ah, these look so fun. I got to look out for popsicle maker now. I dont want to miss out on all the action :)
    *kisses* HH

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  6. My son is also the popsicle king around here. I'll bet he would love these. That's a way cool popsicle freezer, I love it :)

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  7. What fabulous curls on your little popsicle eater!

    I never think to make popsicles very often. Looking forward to getting some great ideas from your popsicle series!

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  8. What fun. When we were young my mom made us chocolate malt Popsicles. She used little dixie cup for the pops, which she would put in the freezer in the A.M. by mid afternoon the neighborhood(about 15 kids) were enjoying creamy popsicles.
    Mimi

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  9. It's a funny thing, I was at the store the other day and I was eyeballing a posicle mold set. I can't wait to see all the ones you make for this wonderful feature. Now I have to go back to the store and get it :D

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  10. What fun it will be to read your popsicle posts.
    I'll be along for the ride. I can use your recipes to make treat for the grandkids when they visit. I hope you and your curly headed heart stealer are having a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

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  11. What a great idea!! I'll probly try a few along the way:)

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  12. I love this idea! We go thru a whole lotta popsicles here in the summertime. I hardly ever make my own, but I remember that my mom made popsicles and pudding pops for us all of the time when we were kids. I should do this. You'll have to be my inspiration. I can't wait to see what you make! These Choco-coco pops sound SO good. I love chocolate and coconut together so I'd probably develop an addiction!

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  13. Oh so fun! This post reminds me of my childhood. I love popsicles and haven't had homemade ones in years!

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  14. These are so adorable! I love the Mickey Mouse ones. Haven't made popsicles for years, but I'd sure like to start with the ones in the first photo!
    What a clever idea to do this once a week. And the Choco-Coco pops are obviously a big success! Look at that face!

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  15. i'm having a hard time not getting distracted with those adorable curls, what a cutie!

    this is a fun new feature, my kids adore popsicles, this makes me want to get out and make some!

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  16. oh wow I need one of these what a fun feature to add to your blog and your lil one is adorable

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  17. I grew up with mom's homemade fruit juice pops. So refreshing! Sweet and fun idea!

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  18. I love making popsicles! What a treat! I bet your kids are loving them. Jackson is so cute - he has gorgeous eyes!

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  19. My kids saw this popsicle maker in williams-sonoma and begged me the whole time to buy one. I look forward to all of your coming popsicle posts.

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  20. He is such a cutie...looks like he has his mom's gorgeous hair! Being a mom, I LOVE this idea. My daughter lives off of popsicles all summer long and I would love to have some different ideas!

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  21. What a cute idea. I love Popsicles too and since I've been trying to find snacks for my diabetic husband, Popsicles could be the perfect answer!

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  22. Love this idea--perfect for summer! I usually only think of eating popsicles when I am sick, but now I have a weekly reminder!

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  23. These popsicles certainly look like a lot of fun, love the colors and fruit slices! I'm still trying to imagine how a pretzel or biscotti popsicle would turn out.

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