By Del Sroufe, The China Study Family Cookbook
I grew up in a neighborhood where the ice cream truck was a staple visitor in the summer months. If I could find an ice cream truck that served this delicious treat, the kid in me would go running for the truck today.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 cup strawberries, blueberries or raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions:
- Put the cashews and dates in a bowl, cover with water and soakfor at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Drain and reserve the soaking liquid. Transfer the cashews and dates to a blender, along with the berries and lemon juice. Puree until smooth and creamy, adding enough of the soaking liquid to make a creamy consistency.
- Spoon the puree into freezer pop molds, cover and place craft sticks in the molds. Freeze until firm, about 3 hours.
- To remove the pops from the molds, rinse the molds under cool water for 30 seconds, remove the lid and gently pull the pops from the molds. Serve immediately, or store frozen in zip-top bags.
Sugar-free desserts may not taste sweet enough for those first starting to eat a healthier diet. It can take several weeks for your taste buds to down-regulate. If your kids, or you, are not enjoying sugar-free choices like this one, start by replacing half of the dates with an equal amount of maple syrup and then slowly reducing the amount of maple syrup while increasing the amount of dates in subsequent batches.
To make vanilla cheesecake pops, leave out the berries and add 2 tablespoons more cashews, 1/4 cup water and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract to the blender.
Removing the pops from the molds can take a little effort and a little patience. The first time I made freezer pops I thought that hot water was the best way to get the pops out of the mold. Instead, it made a mess. Practice patience in the kitchen and teach your kids the same. You will be rewarded with a better treat for your efforts.
