Creamy Mango Ice Pops

"This is delicious!  Can I have another one?"  That's what I like to hear about a new treat.  I was looking for a creamy frozen treat that wasn't one of our normal flavors.  My eldest likes mango but the youngest usually turns up her nose at purchased frozen treats that are mango flavored.  So I was very pleased when the latter devoured this pop and immediately requested another.  These are flavors I really like as well.  I have become enamored with fresh nutmeg in the past few years and will probably never use jarred ground nutmeg again.  It is much more complex and appealing in its freshly grated state.  BTW, nutmeg and citrus grate and zest beautifully with a microplane grater.  I recommend having at least a little one around if you have room and budget for one.  Crystallized ginger is also another treat that we love in baked goods and blends perfectly with mango.  An altogether tropical and sunny treat.

I may try this mixture in a quick freeze zoku mold at some point but I am not sure if it is too creamy to release.  In a traditional mold these have  the creamy and icy combination of the slower freezing method.  One way to combat iciness is to use juice concentrate rather than fresh juice, though I would cut down on the amount by a third or more.  Another is to make sure the mixture is completely chilled before putting in the freezer.  S totally didn't care how the texture was and it didn't last long enough for me to inquire.  Depending on the sweetness of the mangoes, these pops could be taken back to only 1-2 tbsp sugar and still be plenty sweet.  Remember that the frozen product will taste less sweet than the liquid mixture when you are tasting.

 

Creamy Mango Ice Pops
makes about 10 3-oz. pops

1 cup Greek Honey flavored yogurt, measured generously
1 cup orange juice
1½ cups frozen mango, thawed (or fresh!)
3 tbsp evaporated cane sugar
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp crystallized ginger chips

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.  Pour into frozen pop molds of your choice.  If your mold does not have a cover to hold sticks, freeze the pops for an hour and then insert a popsicle stick into each mold.  Freeze until solid according to the mold directions, or overnight.  To remove pops, place mold briefly under warm running water.

Enjoy as a cooling summer treat, or a little bit of sunshine on a stick for the cooler months!