Drunken Gummy Bear Popsicles

Do I ever have a Thursday treat for you!

Don't worry, I'm almost done with the popsicle recipes. I've only got this one, and one more to share. I'm just trying to get them all in before the end of summer. Summer is seriously winding down here, the temperature and humidity are already greatly reduced. I just love the summers here, I'm sorry to see fall start to descend. And why not watch summer head for the hills with a spiked popsicle?

For those of you who know me, you know I have an extreme weakness for gummy candy. My biggest weakness is sour gummy candy, but gummy bears take a quick second. I always have gummy bears on hand. It's a habit I haven't been able to grow out of :) Of course I saw these popsicles on Pinterest, but I actually saw the recipe that featured a photo of soap. Tsk, tsk people. I'm so glad I use my own photos. So while my popsicles don't look like that picture, it's ok. Mine are actually edible!

As I mentioned earlier in the week, vodka does not freeze. I decided to soak my gummy bears in vodka overnight before I put them in the popsicles. Only problem? I accidentally left them for 2 days, and those little bears drank all the vodka! I guess I used college age bears, hehe. I soaked them in about a cup of vodka, these popsicles pack a serious punch in the face. Perfect for a Labor Day get together. That is, if you have to spend Labor Day with family...

Ingredients (makes 4 popsicles):

1/2- 3/4 cup gummy bears
1 cup vodka
7-Up

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine gummy bears and vodka. Store combination in fridge 24-48 hours (soak longer for a "stronger" popsicle).
2. Divide gummy bears amongst a popsicle mold. Fill popsicle mold full with 7-Up. Place sticks in popsicles, freeze for 24-48 hours (due to the alcohol content, these popsicles take significantly longer to freeze).
3. Run mold quickly under warm water, slide popsicles out of mold. Store in a ziploc bag in freezer.

Red Winesicles

Calling all red wine lovers!

I saw winesicles on Pinterest the other day, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about  them. What an interesting idea. I think these would be just perfect for an adults-only summer evening.

Ok, here's a couple of things I learned while making these popsicles. Now, as any college grad worth his/her weight in gold would know, alcohol does not freeze. So for all of you college freshman out there thinking the only thing better than ice in your vodka is ice made out of vodka, throw in the towel now. It ain't gonna happen. Wine and beer on the other hand? We all sure as heck know that if you leave a Pabst in the freezer for too long, it will explode. But that's a can, not a popsicle. These popsicles don't get as frozen as other popsicles, I believe due to the alcohol involved.  So when you are removing them from the mold, you don't have to run under warm water for a terribly long time. Another thing- because they aren't as solid as other pops, be careful when you are wiggling the pop out of the mold. It is possible to pull the stick out of the pop. And let me tell you, once you pull the stick out, you can't get it back in. Refreezing will not make the stick stay. You'll also need to lick fast, as they melt pretty fast.

I decided to just make a wine pop, but you can go ahead and toss diced fruit into these pops to make it a sangria pop. You'll note from this recipe that there isn't a ton of wine in these, so I'd say you aren't shknockered from these. But they do taste just like wine, which makes them good, ol-fashioned fun. If you are a wine-o and you want to make a fun, novelty item for your wine-guzzling buddies, I'd say go ahead and try these.

And, because you are going to be licking these down, use a good quality wine that you actually like to drink! I used one of my favorite red wines.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup red wine

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat orange juice, lemon juice, and sugar over medium-high heat. Cook 2-3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Set aside, let cool to room temperature.
2. In a pourable container, thoroughly stir together the juice mixture and wine. Pour mixture into popsicle molds, place handles on popsicles. Freeze at least 8 hours before serving, or overnight.

Chunky Peach Popsicles

Boy, do I ever have a ton of popsicles ideas. Life is going to be popsicle-licious over at dis' here blog for awhile! I'm so glad I bought popsicle molds, I can't stop using them. Homemade popsicles taste soooooo much better than store bought, I can't believe I ever wasted my time with pre-made's.

Peaches were on sale last week, so I picked up a couple of pounds to do something with. I wasn't sure what, but something was going to happen. I tossed around ideas for Peach Cobbler, saw a recipe for Peach Panna Cotta (I'm probably still going to try that one!), and contemplated a Peach Barbecue Sauce (that one's probably still going to happen, too). My brain was shouting popsicles during my research period however, so that's how these popsicles came to be.

I left about a cup of chunky peach puree reserved from when I processed the peaches to add at the very end, thus ending up with chunks of peaches in the popsicles. So yummy and refreshing. Popsicles are also one of the most easiest treats to make, with very few ingredients, for those of you with time crunches.

Now, my next couple of popsicle recipes are going to be for adults only. I think you know what that means (whip out the booze!) ;)

Ingredients (makes 8 popsicles):

3 large peaches, halved and pitted
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse peaches until texture is chunky. Reserve 1 cup of chunky peaches.
2. Add orange juice through vanilla to the food processor. Process until texture is smooth. Move peach mixture to a pourable container. Stir in chunky peaches.
3. Fill popsicle molds. Stick a popsicle stick in the middle, and freeze for 4 hours, or until solid.

Recipe courtesy of Delish

Blackberry Popsicles

Popsicles are not just for kids my friends! I love popsicles. I have since I was a kid. My favorites were the long, skinny Welch's Fruit Juice popsicles in- what other flavor is there?- raspberry. Yummy.

Popsicles always make me think of summers during my childhood-

--Playing outside all day long. At least until the sun went down at what seemed to be 9 pm--

--Riding my bike to the park with friends, wind in my hair, helmet occasionally sliding down over my forehead, riding so fast I imagine I'm going to break the sound barrier--

--Trips to the community pool to wait in line for the water-slide, slip-n-slide mat wrapped around my waist, brave smile on my face--

--Begging my parents to let me sleep a tent in the backyard, armed with nothing more than friends, a flashlight, and a very friendly dog--

--The days when my only responsibility was to vacuum the entryway stairs or clean a bathroom. Funny how that one chore always seemed to be a huge, time-consuming obstacle. The one thing standing in the way of my over-indulgence in the summer sun--

--Neighborhood wide games of "Capture the Flag"--

--Counting down the days of August, dreading being forced back into that claustrophobic classroom--  (Can you tell I didn't like school?)

Well, you know what? Popsicles aren't just for kids. I still love them. They are one of the healthiest desserts, consisting of mostly fruit and a little sugar water. They are super-easy to make, delicious, and a great use of summer berries. And you know what? They taste so much better than store-bought!

Ingredients (makes 5-7 popsicles):

1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
3 cups blackberries
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat water and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and let cool.
2. In a food processor, pulse blackberries and lemon juice until completely smooth. Pour blackberry mixture through a fine sieve to strain out seeds.
3. Put de-seeded blackberry mixture back in food processor. Add sugar water, and pulse again until smooth. Pour mixture into a pourable container.
4. Pour blackberry mixture into popsicle molds. Place a wooden popsicle stick in the middle of each and place each mold in the freezer for 4 hours. Popsicles are ready to serve after 4 hours.

*Recipe courtesy of Picture Perfect Meals*

-You can also find this recipe over on The Country Cook's weekly linky party!