Mexican Chocolate Ice Pops {Paletas de Chocolate}

Remember those fudge bars you loved as a kid?  Perhaps they're still a favorite.  I was never really a big fan.  Once in a great while, I'd get a craving for one.  But only one.  Oddly enough, I've never been a straight-up chocolate kind of gal when it comes to ice cream.  Now, I know that a fudge pop is not exactly ice cream, but same difference.  In my mind.  When I eat chocolate ice cream (Still. To this day.) I want something swirled or chunky inside of it.  I guess I feel the need for some contrast and texture to break up the richness.  That is EXACTLY what my new favorite paleta is all about.  Imagine a homemade popsicle with that rich, smooth consistency of a fudge bar.  Now imagine it laced with the scent of cinnamon.  And now imagine little bits of grainy Mexican chocolate and toasty bites of nuts studded throughout.  Oh yeah.  This is my kind of fudge bar.  My new favorite.  It's entirely likely that, given the dangerous opportunity, I could eat a whole batch of these all by myself. 

 Mexican Chocolate Ice Pops

{Paletas de Chocolate}

slightly adapted from Paletas by Fany Gerson

yield 6-10 (depends on the size of your mold, really)

1 c. heavy cream

2 c. whole milk

1 (3" pc.) canela (Mexican Cinnamon stick)

pinch of fine sea salt

8 oz. Mexican chocolate, coarsely chopped- divided

¾ c. mix of toasted almonds & hazelnuts, coarsely chopped- divided

Put cream, milk, cinnamon stick, and salt in a saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer.  Lower heat and continue to simmer for ~5 minutes.  Add half of the chopped chocolate and stir until dissolved.  Let cool (over an ice bath or in the fridge) completely.  Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

Combine the remaining chopped chocolate with the toasted nuts.

Divide the cooled cream mixture evenly among popsicle molds, leaving enough room on top to add the chocolate/nut mixture later.  Freeze until mixture has a bit of a slushy consistency, ~30 minutes.  Evenly divide the chocolate/nut mixture into the slushy molds, pushing down a bit so that the mixture is just covered.  Add your sticks (this may push little bits to the top and middle of the popsicles...but I like it...little surprises hidden throughout) and freeze until solid.

As with her book, My Sweet Mexico...I am now totally addicted to Fany Gerson's Paletas.  I promptly ordered it after checking it out from the library.

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