Keen to keep it cool this season? Sjaan van der Ploeg has the perfect solution: spring fruit popsicles.  

Cucumber mint cooler 

Makes 6-8 

We used plastic cups to make these pops, but you can also use cleaned and dried mini yoghurt containers. For an adult version, add a tiny splash of white rum or vodka to make mojito lollies! 

Ingredients 

2 limes or 1 lemon, zested and juiced 
1 ½ large cucumbers, chopped 
2 cups water 2 punnets (20g each) mint, leaves picked 
½ cup sugar  

Method

1. Add ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth. 
2. Divide mixture between 6-8 plastic cups (or use lolly moulds) and freeze for 1 hour before securing a wooden popsicle stick in each lolly. 
3. Freeze overnight. 
4. Run a warm cloth on the outside of the cups, unmould and serve immediately. 

Good idea
If you have popsicle moulds without the attachable stick holders, freeze the popsicles for 1 hour before inserting wooden sticks into the middle of each one. This way, the semi-frozen mixture holds the sticks in place, and they don’t sink to the side or bottom. You can also tape a grid of Sellotape over moulds to keep your sticks upright.

Citrus berry blast 

Makes 10 

Instead of orange juice, add cranberry or mixed berry juice for a full berry flavour. 

Ingredients 

250g fresh or frozen mixed berries (try strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries) 
1/4 cup sugar 
1 lemon, juiced 
1 ½ cups orange juice  

Method

1. Place berries, sugar and lemon juice in a pot over medium heat. 
2. Cook berries while stirring for about 10-15 minutes or until mixture turns a jammy consistency. Set aside to cool slightly. 
3. Place berry compote and orange juice in a blender, blitz until smooth. 
4. Decant mixture into two 5-cavity popsicle moulds and insert a wooden popsicle stick into each one. 
5. Freeze for 6 hours, preferably overnight, before serving. 

Cook’s note
We used frozen berries because they release more vibrant colours and slightly more juice.

Roasted banana granola bars 

Makes 9 

You don’t need specific moulds to make popsicles, a loaf tray will do just fine! 

Ingredients 

4 bananas, sliced 
¼ cup brown sugar
3 cups full-cream yoghurt 
¼ cup honey, plus 
2 Tbsp for coating 
1 cup granola, lightly toasted  

For the blueberry compote 

125g frozen blueberries
¼ cup sugar 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. 
2. Line a tray with baking paper, toss bananas in sugar and arrange in an even layer on tray. 
3. Roast bananas for about 25-30 minutes, until golden and caramelised. 
4. Pack roasted bananas into a plastic bag (along with any caramel from the tray) and freeze completely. 
5. 5. Add frozen bananas, yoghurt and ¼ cup of honey to a blender and blitz until smooth. 6. Heat remaining honey for a few seconds, then toss with granola to coat. 
6. Line a loaf tin with baking paper or plastic wrap. Pour mixture into prepared loaf tin and freeze for two hours before sprinkling granola over, pressing down to secure in the frozen yoghurt. 
7. Insert 6-8 popsicle sticks in a line along the middle of the tin, then return to the freezer for another 4 hours. 
8. Slice frozen yoghurt into bars and carefully remove with the assistance of a spatula or knife. 

Good idea
To avoid the granola sinking into the popsicle, the yoghurt needs to be semi-solid. Freeze mixture for a few hours until semi-frozen. Alternatively, freeze overnight, then remove for 30 minutes to thaw the surface slightly. Once the yoghurt has thawed, sprinkle over granola and press down to secure. Freeze for an hour before slicing and serving.

Rooibos iced tea 

Makes 12 

The rooibos syrup sinks to the bottom of the moulds to reveal a lovely, sticky lollipop top when removed. 

Ingredients 

For the rooibos syrup  

5 rooibos teabags 
2 cups water 
½ cup caster sugar  

1 lime, zested 
1 – 1 ½ cups rooibos-flavoured iced tea
½ peach or lemon, thinly sliced  

Method

1. Place syrup ingredients into a pot over medium heat. 
2. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then simmer for 5 minutes before removing the tea bags. 
3. Continue to simmer for another 15 minutes until reduced by half and slightly thickened. Stir through lime zest and set aside. 
4. Fill two 6-cavity popsicle moulds 3/4 of the way with iced tea and freeze for 1 hour. 
5. 5. Break the icy surface on partially frozen lollies and add 2 slices of peach or lemon, followed by the rooibos syrup until filled to the top. 
6. Secure popsicle sticks onto the moulds. Return to the freezer for another 6 hours, or preferably overnight. 
7. Remove moulds from the freezer and run a warm cloth along the outside to unmould. Serve immediately. 

Cook’s note
Use any flavour iced tea, then make a syrup using the same tea flavour as your drink. 

Recipes & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg  

Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

The post 4 fruit popsicles to enjoy this spring appeared first on MyKitchen.

We know what a rush school mornings can be! At least breakfast will always be sorted with these prep-in-advance frozen yoghurt fruity pops.

SERVES 2–4 // COOKING TIME 20 min, plus freezing time

INGREDIENTS
2 cups frozen fruit
Flavourings (see below)
¼ cup plain yoghurt
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice

METHOD
1. Blend all the ingredients until creamy. Scrape down the sides of the blender to ensure there are no lumps left.
2. Pour into empty yoghurt tubs or cups and place in the freezer.
3. Once yoghurt is semi-frozen, remove from freezer and insert a lolly stick into each container. Return to the freezer overnight or at least 6 hours.

Yoghurt becomes even yummier when you add your own flavours! Pick and choose your favourite:

Banana split
2 cups frozen banana
¼ cup cacao powder
2 tsp vanilla essence

Pina colada
2 cups frozen pineapple
¼ cup coconut
2 tsp vanilla essence

Berrylicous
2 cups frozen strawberries, raspberries or blackberries

Mango treat
2 cups frozen mango
Zest of 1 lime or lemon

Recipe: Dalene Bosman
Styling: Andrea Kühn
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

And something for the grown-ups… Our yoghurt and chia seed breakfast puddings!

The post Cooking with kids: Frozen yoghurt fruity pops appeared first on MyKitchen.

From guac to avo on toast, there endless delicious options for avo! Be adventurous this summer with these avocado, strawberry and coconut lollies.

MAKES 8 // COOKING TIME 20 min, plus overnight

INGREDIENTS
2 avocados, peeled and cubed
Handful mint
2 tbsp lemon juice
250 ml double-cream yoghurt
250 ml coconut milk
2 tbsp honey
10 strawberries, roughly puréed

METHOD
1. Blend avos, mint and lemon juice until smooth.
2. Mix yoghurt, coconut milk and honey. Reserve 100 ml of this mixture. Stir the rest into the avocado mixture.
3. Pour into the lolly moulds in this order: 2 tbsp berry purée; 3 tbsp avo mix; 1 tbsp coconut milk mix.
4. Insert a stick into each mould. Place in the freezer overnight.
5. To serve, leave lollies out of the freezer for 5 minutes to make them easier to remove from moulds.

Recipe: Ripe For You
Styling: Diane Heierli
Photography: Christoph Heierli

Keen to try more exciting avo recipes? Make our fudgey date and avocado brownies!

The post Avocado, strawberry and coconut lollies appeared first on MyKitchen.

Summer calls for fresh fruity flavours to enjoy with all of your loved ones, like these watermelon ice lollies with ginger and edible flowers.

MAKES 8 // COOKING TIME 20 min plus overnight freezing time

INGREDIENTS
8 wooden ice-cream sticks
½ cup sugar
3 cm piece of ginger, finely sliced
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1½ cups watermelon juice (blended and strained)
Edible flowers

METHOD
1. Soak the ice-cream sticks in water for one hour.
2. Combine ½ cup water and the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the ginger and leave to infuse for a few hours.
3. Remove and discard the ginger pieces.
4. Combine the sugar syrup, lemon juice and watermelon juice and mix well.
5. Divide the mixture between 8 ice-lolly moulds and push the flowers into the sides.
6. Freeze for at least one hour and then insert the soaked sticks. Freeze overnight.
7. Run warm water over the moulds to loosen the lollies.

Recipe & styling: Diane Heierli
Photography: Christoph Heierli

The post Floral watermelon ice lollies appeared first on MyKitchen.

Our fruity yoghurt lollies make a healthy summer dessert. The yoghurt is full of calcium for strong teeth and bones, so it’s a great snack option for your kids as well. Make them in empty yoghurt containers, or in shot glasses for mini versions.

Makes 6–10 // Cooking time 1 hour, plus freezing time

Ingredients

2 cups plain yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla essence
200 g frozen strawberries, hulled, half sliced
3 kiwis, peeled
3 granadillas, pulp only
Handful frozen cherries, chopped
Handful frozen blueberries

Method

1. Mix the yoghurt and vanilla, then divide between 4 bowls.
2. Purée the strawberries in a food processor. Remove. Purée the kiwis.
3. Mix the strawberry purée, kiwi purée and granadilla pulp into 3 of the bowls of yoghurt. Leave the last bowl plain.
4. Pour the yoghurt into the moulds, adding the strawberries, cherries and blueberries as you go. To create the layers, pour a little yoghurt into the mould, then place in the freezer for about 45 minutes, until almost fully frozen. Then add the next layer and freeze for another 45 minutes.
5. Insert ice-lolly sticks (or teaspoons) into the semi-frozen lollies, then freeze for 3–6 hours until frozen solid.
6. To release the ice lollies from their containers, run under hot water for 5 seconds. Serve immediately.

Also read: Frozen banana breakfast tart with pineapple and coconut

The post Fruity yoghurt lollies appeared first on MyKitchen.

Calling all popsicles lovers! There’s something new and fresh on the market and it’s coming your way very soon, wait for it… GIN POPSICLES. We can’t tell you how excited we are.

By Ulisha Moodley

As of early September, you will be able to enjoy two new Gin & Tonic popsicles, a G&T Classic and a G&T Berry Infusion. This exciting product is the first for the Frost Popsicles label that is brought to you by JML Consulting (Pty) Ltd, the same geniuses behind the Pierre Jourdan Wine Popsicles (read more about them here).

Now, let’s get down to the flavour. The Classic G&T popsicle offers the subtle bitterness and ‘juniper-driven notes’ of a classic gin and tonic, whilst the Berry Infusion incorporates all your favourite beauties including strawberries, blackberries and blueberries for a slightly sweeter G&T option.

These G&T popsicles will be available in early September at selected Spar, Pick n Pay, Liquor City and independent liquor stores in Western Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal.

The post Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring and Gin Popsicles appeared first on MyKitchen.