There is nothing better on a hot summer day than cooling down with an icy treat. And while a trip to the ice cream shop is always a thrill, making frozen sweets at home is fun and easy. These fudgesicles by Alice Medrich are the most popular sweets that I’ve made with kids. Though this recipe calls for popsicle molds, you do NOT need to buy them. There are many clever ways to create some with items already in your house.
Make popsicle molds by using:
Ice cube trays (clean out the trays before using as they often have a freezer taste to them.)
Individual baking molds, like these
Mini muffin tins
Small yogurt cups
Small plastic or paper cups, like these Dixie ones
If you’re looking to buy popsicle molds, I have this set from Ikea and really like them. These molds look good, too, though I cannot personally vouch for them
To make popsicle sticks, you can:
Cut take-out wooden chopsticks or skewers with a knife into halves or thirds depending on the size of the molds you’re using. If the cut-side of the chop stick is a bit jagged, stick a mini marshmallow on it.
When next at a coffee shop, ask for a few extra coffee stirrers and cut them to size with a knife
Use lightweight plastic spoons or thick toothpicks
Or you can buy popsicle sticks like these. Now, for the important stuff….the RECIPE!
Fudgesicles
Makes 10 (3-ounce) fudgesicles
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened natural or Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
3 cups whole milk (use any kind you like)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Ice pop mold with 10 cavities (or 10 individual molds)
1. Place a rubber spatula near the stove, as well as a large wide bowl to cool the mixture before spooning it into molds.
2. Combine the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy medium saucepan. Whisk in 3/4 cup of milk to make a smooth paste. Once smooth and lump-free, whisk in the remaining 2 and 1/4 cups of milk.
3. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly and scraping the bottom, sides, and corners of the saucepan. Once bubbles form along the edges, continue whisking and cooking for 2 minutes more.
4. Transfer the chocolate mixture to the large bowl to cool. Whisk in the vanilla. Once slightly cool, refrigerate the mixture to fully cool.
5. Once cooled, transfer the chocolate mixture to a liquid measuring cup or pitcher with a spout. Fill the popsicle molds leaving at least 1/4 inch at the top to allow for expansion. If your mold has a cover with openings for sticks, cover and insert sticks. If not, you can place aluminum foil over each mold, and insert the stick through the foil. Another option is to freeze molds until the mixture is thick enough to hold a stick upright and then insert sticks. Freeze until hard, about 4 hours.
6. When ready to serve, run hot water over the popsicle mold (or dip it into a hot water bath) and tug its stick until the pop releases from the mold.
7. To store, wrap each fudgesicle in a piece of wax paper, put them in a re-sealable plastic freezer bag and freeze until ready to serve. Adapted from Alice Medrich, via food52.com.