With the weather finally heating up over the weekend I had the opportunity to try out the ice lolly moulds I recently bought. Rob went off to the farm shop for berries and came back with a selection in varying shades of red – strawberries, redcurrants and raspberries.
I chose the strawberries for my first experiment and blended a punnet-full. Into the puree went a tablespoon of caster sugar then, after a tasting, another spoonful. It tasted good, but needed another flavour so I added a peeled, cored and chopped apple to blend in. The resulting puree was quite thick so I watered it down with half a litre of water then poured it into the moulds. Well that was the fun bit but then I had to wait. And wait. As I’d started the lolly-making in the evening I had to wait until the next day (today) before they were frozen and I could try them.
Now, I don’t know if it was these particular moulds that I’d bought or if they’re all sent to try us, but the fight I had trying to get the bloody lolly out of the mould was ridiculous. I certainly needed cooling off once I did eventually get it out! It was all worth the effort though; it tasted great and, despite the sugar, was a healthier and fresher alternative to any ice lolly you can buy in the shops. If I were to be critical I’d say the apple was a little overpowering so I’d be careful to balance out the flavours next time by using less of it, although I guess how much would be needed for flavour would depend on the type of apple. I’d also like to try it without the water, as there was some crystallisation of the ice. And finally I must remember to sieve the pips out next time!!
