Strawberry Pink Moscato Ice Pops

This month the Sunday Supper Movement is partnering with Gallo Family Vineyards to bring you some tempting recipes that feature one of Gallo's Moscato wines in honor of the upcoming National Moscato Day!

We could either use Moscato in our recipes or pair it with our dish. I knew right away that I wanted to infuse it into my dish. The biggest dilemma (for me) was choosing which of Gallo Family's three varieties of Moscato I wanted to use: white, red, or pink.

I enjoy all three, so my decision-making process really came down to my mood. It's only the beginning of May and spring is just getting underway here in my part of the country, but after such a long and toiling winter, I'm already thinking summer and sunshine!

Originally I was going to combine Gallo's White Moscato with peach or mango, and use it as a glaze on one of two things, Mahi Mahi Sliders or Chicken Wings. The light effervescence of the wine just begs for something citrus...something tropical...something best enjoyed while you have sand between your toes. Both of those options were bright, vibrant, open-arm invitations to warmer times. Thus, they are both still on my to-develop list.

Then I toyed with the idea of using Gallo's Red Moscato for making a spiced Red Moscato syrup to drizzle over a custard, tart, or a fresh fruit dessert. It's bold, it's lively, and its bright finish would surely reduce down into something no less than magical.

But then I remembered my first taste of Gallo's Pink Moscato at last year's Food and Wine Conference. Airy, sweet, and delicate - yet perfectly capable of holding its own at the dinner table. I could hear its red berry undertones calling my name from the gorgeous strawberries on my kitchen counter. And that was all she wrote.

So looking back, I've narrowed it down to Pink Moscato, ruby red strawberries, and the desperate desire to feel sunshine on my shoulders. Well, if you know me, you inevitably know what this means - I'M MAKING POPSICLES!

These popsicles have two layers. There's a fruity layer that consists of ripe strawberries that have been generously infused with Pink Moscato. And then, there's a smooth, creamy layer that is laced with orange blossom water. They come together to form one perfect ice pop; creamy, fruity, bright, dreamy, and beautifully boozy.

Summer on a stick with Gallo Family, #SundaySupper, and yours truly.

Strawberry Pink Moscato Ice Pops

Accented with orange blossom water and infused with wine, these Strawberry Pink Moscato Ice Pops combine fruity and creamy in one irresistible frozen treat!

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 15 minutes (+ at least 10 hours to freeze)

Cook Time: 1 minute (for simple syrup)

Keywords: dessert snack nut-free soy-free vegetarian cream strawberries wine orange blossom water popsicles frozen summer

Ingredients (~16 ice pops)

for the fruity layer:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 pound ripe strawberries, hulled
• pinch of fine sea salt
• 8 fluid ounces Gallo Family Pink Moscato

for the creamy layer:

• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups half & half
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
• pinch of fine sea salt

Instructions

fruity layer:

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat over low, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Add the cooled syrup, strawberries, and salt to the jar of a blender and puree until almost smooth, leaving a bit of texture. Stir in the Pink Moscato.

creamy layer:

Place everything into a 4-cup capacity measuring cup with a spout and whisk together until well combined.

freezing:

Fill your popsicle molds about 1/5th of the way with either mixture (or so, the layers can be any size or amount that you choose...even or uneven). Put in the freezer until the first layer is set enough to hold another layer, 60-90 minutes. Store your mixtures in the fridge between layers.

Remove and fill another 1/5th with the opposite mixture. Return to freezer until this layer is set. Repeat until the molds are filled all the way to the top, adding your popsicle sticks in once the third layer is added (adjust to your own type of popsicle mold).

After the final layer has been added, freeze for at least another 6-8 hours before serving. To serve, run the bottom of the molds under a hot water for a few seconds, or until you are able to pull a popsicle free from the mold. (Unless you use a paper cup, then just peel the cup away.)

notes:

If you don't want to make layers, or just don't have the patience, feel free to whisk the mixtures together, it's just as delicious this way, but it doesn't give you the bold texture/flavor/color contrast. You can also make each layer into its own ice pop, if you choose.

The popsicle molds that I used for the pops pictured measured about 3 ounces each. The amount of finished ice pops that you get will vary depending on the size of your molds - adjust accordingly.

Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.