I think it’s safe to say that, with all the glorious sun and rising temperatures, summer is officially upon us! This means that we all now start indulging in our favourite summer treats, and in my opinion, ice lollies are right at the top of that list!
Of course, there are plenty of options for purchase in supermarkets and your local shops, but something that can be really fun is actually making them yourselves at home. All you really need is some kind of mould and a working freezer, and your options are pretty much endless! This article is going to go into a few recipe options for you so you can make the best ice lollies this summer.
Soft Drink Based
These are what I’d recommend if you’re making your own ice lollies for the first time. Simply take your favourite fruit juice, tea, fizzy drink or cordial mix, pour it into moulds, put some sticks on them, whack them in the freezer, and in a few hours they’ll be ready! Since these kinds of juices are nearly all water-based, it won’t take long at all for them to be ready in your freezer – personally, I would go with the most summery flavours like mixed berry Robinson’s, flavoured Tango, or tropical mixes!
Alcohol Based
Do you want to take your Pimm’s, Gin & Tonic, or Vodka & Cranberry drink to the next level? Maybe you have a favourite cocktail, shot or spirit that you want to indulge in, but you want to enjoy it even more in the hot summer weather. Go ahead and make boozy ice lollies! All you need is to make sure you’ve researched just how long it’ll take for your chosen alcoholic mix to freeze, and you can go ahead and choose whatever you want! These kinds of lollies would be perfect for a barbecue with your friends, where you can enjoy all the extra daylight long into the evening!
Dairy Based
Maybe instead of juices or alcohol, you want to re–create your favourite iced latte, iced mocha, or iced chocolate drink in ice lolly form! No matter what milk alternative you might require, you can create a plethora of coffee–flavoured lollies, or maybe you want to emulate your favourite kind of milkshake! These kinds of lollies are perfect for coffee lovers – you might wake up and feel too hot for a regular coffee, and these will be able to give you the caffeine hit you need on a hot day!
Bits & Pieces
If none of the above options is enticing you, then you can just go wild and experiment however you want! Do you want fresh fruit, chocolate, cereal, sweets, sweet sauces, honey, or flaky sea salt? Go ahead and give it a go! Try and see if you can recreate the flavours of a banana split, a sticky toffee pudding, or an apple pie – the choice is completely up to you and who knows, you could create the next big summer craze!
Be Creative!
However, if you’d rather go ahead with recipes that have been professionally tried and tested, then BBC Good Food have a huge variety of options for all preferences and dietary requirements! Lastly, if you’re having trouble figuring out exactly what you want, what I like to do is make a list of my favourite drinks and turn those into ice lollies, because I already know I’m going to like how they taste. Feel free to experiment with whatever flavours and methods sound the most delicious to you, enjoy the summer, and good luck with your iced treats!
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