Sunday, May 23, 2010

Popsicle of the Week: Orange Cream


This week I decided to try my hand at a smooth and creamy popsicle, Orange Cream. Freshly squeezed orange juice and half and half are blended with sugar, sour cream, and a touch of corn syrup to create a thick and creamy orange pop. I questioned whether or not the mixture was too thick for the Zoku Quick Pop Maker, but the book showed that they had in fact used the Zoku to make this pop. I decided to go for it.

I poured the orange cream mixture in the Zoku Quick Pop Maker.

Seven minutes later, I used the special tool given to remove the popsicles from the base. You can see how well that turned out in the picture below.

The tool pulls the popsicle stick out just fine, but the popsicle remains in the base. Not really the result I was looking for! This happened one other time when I made the Rhubarb popsicles, which were also thick and creamy.


I really like my Zoku Quick Pop Maker. It's great for making juice-based popsicles and it's a lot of fun to use. However, I'm starting to think that it isn't a great idea to pour thick and creamy mixtures into the Zoku (even if they do it in the cookbook).

My frustration with the Zoku Quick Pop Maker is this: You place it into the freezer and let it freeze overnight, or at least 24 hours. Twenty four hours later, you pour your mixture in and seven minutes later, if your popsicles release from the mold, you have a freshly made popsicle. Everything is right in the world. However, if the mixture doesn't release from the mold, it is rather frustrating. In the case with these orange cream pops, the mixture was very thick. When the pops didn't unmold, I didn't want to ruin the machine by scraping the popsicles out with a spoon....SO I was forced to leave the Zoku on the counter to THAW OUT. Not only did my popsicles stick in the machine, now I cannot use the Zoku for another couple days. The Zoku will need to thaw out so that the mixture can be poured out. Then the Zoku will need to come to room temperature before it can be washed. After it is washed, it will need to be completely dry before placing back into the freezer. It normally takes the better part of a day for the Zoku to thaw out, get washed, and dry completely. Kinda frustrating, right? Not to mention that you will have to wait another 24 hours for the Zoku to freeze up AND you still have a popsicle mixture sitting on the counter.

Somewhat defeated, I resorted to my good old-fashioned popsicle molds from Tupperware. They never let me down.

Notes/Results: The orange cream pops were okay, but not our favorite. I think the half and half somewhat masked the orange flavor. We ate them, but I don't think I would make them again.

In the meantime, the Zoku is back in the freezer. I talked to the girls over at Williams-Sonoma this weekend. They are constantly having demos using the Zoku and I wanted to ask them if they ever ran into trouble with it. All of the girls praised the machine and said that none of their popsicles ever stuck to the base. Hmmmm.....could it be user error on my part? I don't really know, but I am thinking about calling the manufacturer. Would do you guys think? Should I give them a call? Maybe they can give me tips?

28 comments:

  1. These sound like they would remind me of the giant orangesicle pushpops I used to eat as a kid--yummy!

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  2. I would think these would by my favorite so far! As far as the whole sticking problem, I don't know. You could try contacting the manufacturer, can't hurt!

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  3. Why not? If nothing else, you're giving them a heads up and something to think about. Your popsicle maker is very cool, but yeah...I use the old fashioned tupperware method myself! I saw some oj cream pops in the last issue of Food Network mag...or was it Everyday food (one of those two..I was reading them simultaneously) that looked delish...keep up the popsicle making... =)

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  4. Each time I see your popsicle posts it makes me want to go buy one of these popsicle makers. I better get moving with summer coming soon!

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  5. That does sound frustrating. I'd call for some pointers. Can't hurt!

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  6. popsicles..Its summer time aright!

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  7. Ooops! No worries daaaaaahling, not every recipe can be a smashing success. On to newer and better.
    *kisses* HH

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  8. Ahhh I'm so sorry that you're so frustrated with this! I think those girls are probably "white lying"...I can't imagine that you are doing anything wrong. Orange creamsicles were always my favorite as a kid...I'm sad that these weren't a hit!

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  9. Hey, I like to hear about recipes that DON'T work out as much as the ones that do. That just gives me the information I need to make culinary decisions in my own kitchen! I do wish you better luck on your next batch though!

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  10. Bummer about the pop maker--I would call them as I can't think you would do anything wrong with the recipe. They look delicious--I love creamsicles--maybe adding zest and pulp to them would help with the orange flavor.

    Speaking of popsicles--my first batch from the book are cooling to room temp on the counter before I pour them in the molds. I did the Mexican Chocolate ones because I had an open vanilla ricemilk in the fridge to use. Thanks again for the book--I'll let you know how they turn out--I can't remember if you made that one or not. ;-)

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  11. I had to smile that you went back to the tupperware molds. I also think that you should contact Zoku company about this problem, you might get a good answer and this might help them to come up with a good solution or create a better product.

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  12. Sorry they didn't turn out as well as you hoped. But they sure look yummy! I crave them now. :)

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  13. I was thinking these would be amazing! Too bad they were just so-so.

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  14. I would take a spoon to the mold and eat the popsicle that wouldn't come out easily. I am easy to please that way :-)

    btw, I have the guava paste. I should have it out in the mail to you this week. I will send you an email when I mail it.

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  15. I really doubt it's user error! Don't ya just love tupperware!

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  16. Those were sort of like Creamsicles weren't they? That used to be my favorite when I was a kid! If you don't get an answer in your comments (bloggers are really helpful) I'd contact the manufacturer. Or did you Google your problem? It's amazing what comes up. Just google Zoku and problem with molding and see what comes up.

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  17. Oh orange cream! My absolute favorite. I am totally transported back to childhood when I gaze on these.

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  18. Bummer about them sticking but thank God for tupperware! :)

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  19. I'm sorry for all the problems you are having with the popsicle maker. It's making me wonder whether or not I want to invest in one. Let us know if you find any solutions to this problem. As for the popsicle itself, maybe using a light cream istead of the half and half in the recipe would help. We sure are loving these popsicles of the week.

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  20. That does sound frustrating! Especially when your kids are looking forward to them. I would definitely get in touch with them. These sound totally scrumptious! Sorry you didn't love them.

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  21. The problem with those popsicles is that they didn't have liquor in them ;)

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  22. Kim, I've never heard of this machine (not available yet in Belgium), but as I was reading your post I kept thinking of the tupperware-style molds I bought in Germany last year. They never fail me. Yes, they take longer to freeze the mixture, but if you factor in the pre-freeze time for the fancy pants machine I think that the they probably take less time. And you can dip them in warm water to make ANYTHING un-mold...

    However, the combination of orange and cream always seems like a good one. I'm sorry to hear that these weren't your favorites.

    Thanks for the info on this machine. I think I'll pass on it and stick with my tupperware.

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  23. Orange and cream is a classic flavor combo for popsicles. Maybe orange juice concentrate would increase the flavor. I love my Tupperware molds. Have you tried spraying with a non stick spray?
    Mimi

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  24. Ciao ! i'd never seen this popsicle machine !! <Love the chicken nuggets too (and the distructor)

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  25. creamy based mixtures may take longer to set than 7 minutes. try double the time and see if that works. this is Tony by the way. Jackson is the king of destruction for sure and I know he loved crushing those chex.

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  26. Hi Kim,

    This is the team from Zoku. The heavy cream contains too much fat so it doesn't freeze solid enough to adhere to the sticks. This is what we call a "soft pull". Generally speaking, recipes with very high fat content, and lots of dissolved solids tend to create soft pulls. The good news is it is possible to get the results you are looking for by using yogurts thinned with milk (instead of heavy cream) and/or reducing the amount of dissolved solids. AND they still taste amazing. We are in the process of creating an official Zoku recipe book, AND we will have frequent updates on our blog with free recipes. If you follow us on Twitter you'll have an easy way to get notified when new recipes post.

    Please feel free to send us an e-mail to info@zokuhome.com with your phone number and we'd be happy to call you and share tips with you over the phone. Also there are some tips and tricks on our blog too: www.zokuhome.com

    Thanks for purchasing the Quick Pop Maker and for writing about us!

    Regards, The Zoku Team

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  27. Hi, thanks for sharing.
    I have the same problem with my Zuko and it is so annoying!

    I am dissapointed from my Zuko because I really thought It will help me make fast yogurt pops. But the yogurt is thick so it mekes a mess and no results...

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