Author Notes
Ice lollies are a traditional summer favourite in Britain as they are in North America. Sold from ice cream vans patrolling the streets and found in the freezer section at delis and supermarkets, they are easy to make at home and healthier if made with less sugar. Flavours are perhaps not as exotic as Mexican paletas but are enticing nonetheless when made with superb local produce purchased at the farmers markets that seem to be springing-up everywhere.
For a more adult version of these refreshing watermelon ice lollies add a splash of vodka to the mixture. For a more child-friendly flavour that visually resembles the watermelon from whence the ice lollies came, add a handful of chocolate chips and omit the lemon or lime juice.
Caroline & Robin Weir's recipe as published in their 'Ice Creams, Sorbets & Gelati' was the starting point for this recipe. The inspiration for the vodka came from a watermelon and vodka granita I've had (more than once) at Jacob Kenedy's fabulous Bocca di Lupo restaurant in London. The idea for the chocolate chips came from I don't know where, probably something read or remembered from a long-ago trip to Italy. —olinsloan
Ingredients
-
24 ounces
(700 g) watermelon, rind and seeds removed
-
4 tablespoons
granulated (caster) sugar
-
1 tablespoon
lemon or lime juice (omit if using chocolate chips)
-
2 tablespoons
vodka or 3 ozs (85 g) chocolate chips, opt.
Directions
-
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or liquidiser (blender) and pulse until smooth.
-
Pass the purée through through the finest disk of a food mill or a fine-mesh strainer into a large jug.
-
Pour the liquid into the containers used to make the ice lollies, leaving about 1 cm (1/2 inch) clearance at the top (to allow the ice to expand during freezing).
See what other Food52ers are saying.