Taking that peek into the basket...lifting the virtual lid...spreading the blanket and loading up my plate. Did you have any doubt that I would bring a popsicle this year? I mean, even if my blanket was occupying space under a giant shade tree and a pleasant breeze was blowing, it's still sizzling out there.
Paletas de Chabacano y Manzanilla (Apricot-Chamomile Popsicles)
Juicy apricot ice pops infused with fresh chamomile flowers.
by
Prep Time: 30 minutes + time to freeze
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Keywords: snack dessert chamomile apricots popsicles American Mexican summer
Ingredients (8-10)
- 1½ c. water
- ½ c. sugar
- ⅓ c. fresh chamomile flowers (½ c. dried / ~48 tea bags)
- 1 lb. apricots, pitted & quartered
- 1 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a a boil and sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally.
If using fresh or loose dried chamomile, add to pan. If using tea bags, add to pan in their bags. Lower heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
If you used fresh or loose dried chamomile, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Return syrup to the pan. If you used tea bags, simply lift them out, squeezing as much liquid from them as you can.
Add apricots to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the apricots soften, 5-10 minutes. Let cool until lukewarm. Stir in the lemon juice.
Pour everything into a blender jar and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until cold.
Divide mixture amongst your popsicle molds and add sticks when the time is right for your pops (depends on mold). Freeze until solid, usually 4-6 hours.
I know, 48 tea bags is a lot. It's about 2 boxes. Maybe slightly more. Just use 2 boxes, if that's the route you want to go.
-slightly adapted from Paletas
