Food on Fridays: An adult take on the popsicle

Summer is usually my favorite season, but I’m ready for it to be over. I don’t know about the rest of you, but this heat is killing my desire to cook, exercise, go anywhere or do anything. In fact, the only thing that sounds good most days is lying on the couch and eating ice cream. Unfortunately, trying every flavor of Ben and Jerry’s while watching Bravo for hours on end is maybe not doing me a whole lot of good.

But that’s okay. I’ve already found a good substitute (for the ice cream, not the TV). I’m smitten by these gussied-up recipes for homemade popsicles, written by Mark Bittman, food columnist for the New York Times. The unique flavors are so much more enticing than the standard fare found in most grocery stores. I took a freezer full to a recent dinner party and they were a huge hit. And yes, they are substantially healthier than the ice cream I’ve been stockpiling in the freezer.

Next project: removing myself from the couch…

The full article and recipes can be found here. My favorite is the Strawberry-Basil, but I’m planning on trying the Chocolate Chili and the Mojito sometime soon.

Recipe after the jump.

Strawberry-Basil Popsicles
Purée 2 cups hulled and quartered strawberries, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons basil leaves and water as needed in a blender or food processor until just blended.

Instructions: You can either use plastic molds or paper cups. Either way, just pour the mix into four to six paper cups and stick them in the freezer. After an hour or so, insert a wooden stick into each cup — the mixture will have solidified enough that the stick should stay upright — and continue to freeze until totally solid. To remove the pops from their molds, run them under cool running water for a few seconds to loosen them. Then unmold and lick to your heart’s content.