Chill with chocolate pops, like when you were a kid
No matter how old I get, I will always have a childlike enchantment with summer and all its joys: jumping waves in the ocean, biking around town, biting into big wedges of watermelon, watching the fireflies come out at dusk.
Another of those pleasures is the refreshment of a frozen treat on a hot afternoon. I remember my mom used to put orange juice into paper-cup pop molds and freeze them for us, and I loved those. But it was the occasional splurge on the package of chocolate pops that really excited me.
This recipe taps that same summertime thrill in a way that is fairly healthful, as desserts go, because it is made with low-fat milk (or plant milk), minimal added sugar and dark chocolate.
The chocolate mixture is essentially a simple pudding (although somewhat thinner than a typical pudding) that is poured into pop molds. Once frozen, they come out creamy, icy and refreshing — amply rich with the intensity of good dark chocolate, and clock in at just 100 calories apiece.
Although enjoying one in the shade on a sweltering day brings me back to my childhood, they taste so much better than the storebought ones I remember, and they make me glad I’m all grown up.
CHOCOLATE PUDDING POPS
Makes 8 servings
This is a sweet treat you can feel good about serving. Dairy milk is called for, but a plant-based milk can be substituted. You will need 8 (2-ounce) frozen-treat molds or small paper cups and craft sticks.
If you want to make them ahead of time, the pops need to set up in the freezer until solid, about 6 hours.
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened
cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups cold, low-fat (1-percent) milk, or unsweetened plant based milk such as coconut, almond or oat
2 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate (about 60% cocoa solids), finely chopped 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in the milk until the mixture is smooth. Chocolate pudding pops
Set the saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is gently bubbling and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low; continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted, then stir in vanilla extract and salt until well-incorporated.
Distribute mixture evenly among the molds or small paper cups and place in freezer. If using paper cups, place a craft stick in the center when the mixture is frozen enough for the stick to stand up straight, about 1 hour.
Allow to freeze completely, about 6 hours.
PER SERVING: 100 calories, 3 g protein, 15 g carbohydrates, 0 fiber, 12 g sugar, 4 g fat
(2 g saturated), 0 cholesterol, 75 mg sodium