Homemade Fudgesicles!
Greetings again, everyone! Last week, we shared some recipes for tasty homemade popsicles. They were fruity, refreshing, and healthy. As much as I love them, every now and then I crave a little chocolate. So I took to the internet and looked at some recipes for fudgesicles. The problem I ran in to with most of them was that they usually required heavy cream or half and half. Not too healthy at all. So, what I decided to do was modify and alter some recipes, and add a few twists of my own, to create an awesome, healthier, and different fudgesicle recipe. So, let’s go over the recipe, and I’ll explain the nuances as we go along.
Homemade, Grown-up Fudgesicles
The Ingredients:
2 ½ cups 2% milk
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 dashes cinnamon
1 dash cayenne pepper
The Process:
1.) Add all the ingredients to a blender, and puree until smooth. Odds are good that all the sugar won’t dissolve, but we’re going to deal with that in a moment. The goal here is to create as smooth of a mixture as possible.
2.) Add your mixture to a medium pot or saucepan and crank up the heat to medium. The goal here is bring this up to temperature slowly. Be sure to stir constantly, as the cornstarch has a tendency to want to settle.
Here’s the plan. We’re using the cornstarch to thicken the milk. Effectively, we are making a loose chocolate pudding. This is going to allow us to mimic the texture of heavy cream without having to add the calories.
3.) Allow the mixture to thicken. You want this to just come to a simmer, and then pull it from the heat. You’ll notice that the mixture will thicken to the consistency of a loose pudding. That’s the aforementioned plan.
4.) Allow mixture to cool slightly. It will only take about 15 minutes. Then, add the mixture to your molds. Just like with the popsicles, use foil and add a stick. Place in the freezer and allow to freeze solid.
That’s all there is to it! I know that the cinnamon and cayenne seem a little odd, but trust me, they work brilliantly with the chocolate. I hope you all mange to stay cool out there, but if you’re struggling, try a popsicle or fudgesicle and enjoy yourself. Stay healthy!
What’s your favorite cream based popsicle?
