Summertime in Louisiana is stupid hot. My poor mother had to survive her 3rd trimester while pregnant with me during the summer of 1988. I arrived two weeks late, a whopping 9 pounds, and was told I was a good eater from day 1. Surprise surprise.
Relief from the heat comes in two forms: (1) Air conditioned spaces that, when coming in from the infernal outdoors, seep a wave of intense cool from the room, and (2) Cold treats. In the interest of keeping electric costs down (hello single income household!), I'm cranking out more of the option 2's these days than I am cranking down the air. Try these paletas and stay cool, friends! That, or pay out the wazoo.
Coconut Lime Paletas
Ingredients:
1 can + 1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
zest of one lime
pinch of sea salt
Method:
1 can + 1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
zest of one lime
pinch of sea salt
Method:
- Puree all ingredients in food processor or blender until well combined. If you want a slight green color, add one drop of green food coloring and pulse to blend.
- Pour mixture into 6 popsicle molds, place lid on top, and insert wooden popsicle sticks into each mold. Freeze until solid (at least 3 hours).
- To serve, run warm water over the molds a few seconds to loosen, gently wiggle, and pull.
PALETAS vs. POPSICLES
Paletas are the Latin American version of the American popsicle. Both are frozen fruit pops, but big differences exist between the two. Popsicles are concocted with water, lots of sugar, and artificial fruit flavoring. Paletas (literally "trowel" in Spanish) are made with real chunks of fruit, spices, fresh ingredients, and are only slightly sweet (at times, from simply the fruit). That, and paletas come in pretty exotic flavor combinations: orange-hibiscus, strawberry-horchata, chili-watermelon, or mango-cayenne anyone?