Photo: Goran Kosanovic for The Washington Post
These Blackberry Sage Ice Pops are an upgrade of fruit-juice ones my mom would make for me when I was young. They were a cool break on a hot summer day that seemed to make everyone happy — me, because they were a sweet treat, and her, because they were relatively good for us kids. This recipe builds on that approach but uses pureed fruit rather than juice.
That makes the pops more intensely flavorful, with the full, deep essence of blackberry in every frosty bite, and more nutrient-rich. Although the puree is strained of seeds, which removes some of the fruit’s fiber, the bulk of its health benefits are retained. Using whole fruit also allows you to take advantage of the wealth of fresh berries — blueberries would be a nice substitute — in the market this time of year.
But that’s not all. These pops get another layer of flavor from fresh sage. The herb is steeped in hot water and muddled to release its fragrant flavor. Then the infused liquid is added to the blackberry puree along with lemon and honey, and the mixture is poured into molds and frozen. The result is a bold-flavored frozen treat that will make a kid’s summer day but has enough flair to appeal to grown-ups as well.
Blackberry Sage Ice Pops
Ingredients
1/3 cup fresh sage leaves
3/4 cup boiling water
¼ cup honey
3 ½ cups blackberries (12 ounces)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
Place the sage leaves in a small bowl or mug and pour the boiling water over them. Use a wooden spoon to muddle the leaves slightly, then allow to steep for 3 minutes. Remove the leaves from the water and discard the leaves. Stir in the honey into the water until dissolved.
Place the blackberries into a blender with the honey-sage water and the lemon juice and puree. Strain the puree through a fine mesh strainer, stirring and pressing with a spatula to press the liquid out. You should wind up with about 2 cups of strained puree. Discard the seeds.
Divide the blackberry puree among 6 pop molds. Insert a wooden stick into each and place in the freezer for at least 5 hours.
Makes 6 servings
Serving size: 1 pop
Per serving: Calories 70; Total Fat 0g (Sat Fat 0g); Protein 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Total Carbohydrates 17g; Dietary Fiber 3g; Total Sugars 14 g (Added Sugars 11g)
Copyright 2017 Ellie Krieger. All rights reserved.
