Vanilla, Fig & Sour Cream Popsicles
Popsicles are quite possibly my new favorite thing to make. I simply love how creative you can be with them. Seriously, there are no limits. I've used tea, cake, booze, you name it...and I have made a popsicle with it.
This particular recipe is a twist on the first recipe I ever tried out. My first try was this sour cream popsicle with bourbon soaked cherries. And yes, it was as delicious as it sounds. I took them to Dolores Park with some friends on a sunny Sunday afternoon and they were quickly devoured.
I had planned for these figs to meet the same fate as those cherries but they were so fresh and bursting with flavor, that it broke my heart just to freeze them. I didn't want anything else to alter their taste. So I refrained and I am glad I did. These pops are scrumptious!
The idea of sour cream can be a little off putting, I know. But with the vanilla and the sugar, it is much like greek yogurt. Why not just use greek yogurt, then? Well, because I didn't want to! But you can. Though I suggest you try it with the sour cream...you will be amazed.
This recipe originally appeared at KQED's Bay Area Bites.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
- 5 figs
Instructions
- Slice the figs so they are rather thick, like the thickness of two quarters.
- Seed the vanilla bean by pressing it flat against a cutting board and then slicing it in half. Using a butter knife, slide it across the inside of each half, scraping out the seeds. FACT: Vanilla is the only fruit-bearing member of the orchid family. That's a lot of responsibility! In fact, the flower that produces the vanilla bean only lasts one day. Talk about a quickie. So farmers have to act fast. You can read more fun facts about vanilla here.
- Add the milk and sugar to a medium sauce pan and warm the mixture over a low heat, just til the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Add the vanilla bean and then the sour cream. Whisk the mixture until it completely smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a large measuring cup and let it cool in the refrigerator for about an hour.
- Fill each popsicle mold with about an inch of the sour cream mixture and insert the popsicle sticks. Let set in the freezer for about an hour. FACT: Did you know that fig trees do not blossom. Well, the blossom is actually inside the fruit. Many tiny flowers produce the crunchy little edible seeds that give figs their unique texture. You can learn more fun facts about figs here.
- Divide the sliced figs amongst the molds and fill with the remaining mixture.
- Place popsicles in the freezer until solid.
- Enjoy!
