Dessert Experiments

[Guest guest]

OK, you have my recipe for popsicles/smoothies just with fruits. I

consider that one done. But as I finished my last popsicle yesterday

I wondered what else could be done. First thing I thought of was,

could I just whip the grape juice in the blender and use for popsicles?

Round 1:

That's what I tried. I whipped about a half cup of legal grape juice

up and it made a nice lavender fluff. Froze it in the popsicle

makers and next day determined that that nice pretty fluff is not

hard enough to hold the stick in. Dug it out with an iced

teaspoon. Back to the drawing board.

Round 2:

I wondered if adding some coconut oil might give it some more body,

but then I remembered that 40-50 years ago when we made Jello

(horrors) we sometimes whipped that. So, I made my gelatin as usual

with half water and half grape juice. When it was soft-gelled, I put

a cup of it in a pint freezer jar and whipped it up with the

blender. I didn't try this with the popsicle molds, just put it in a

container in the freezer. Some eaten a few hours later was quite

like sherbet in texture. Some more eaten today was quite frozen but

still good. Kind of hard but not too hard, like the popsicles. I

wondered if something else might improve the texture. Also, with the

thinned juice and then whipped, this iteration is a little short of flavor.

Round 3:

Made some more this morning. I now was using fully gelled gelatin

made up last night. One cup of gelatin and a small banana whipped

together comes out quite good! It's delicious as is, sort of a cross

in texture between a pudding and sherbet. Lots more flavor and

smoother with the banana. Passes with flying colors and I have some

in the freezer to test later.

I think this series will lead to a few good ideas eventually and I'll

keep you posted. I still think some coconut oil might help but I'm

very short until my new order arrives and I doubt olive oil would add

to the flavors here! Those of you who can use yoghurt and/or honey,

I think they might work well, too. The yoghurt might swing the whole

thing to more like ice cream.

I'll keep you posted!