My cousin Amanda and her husband Eric gave CK and I the Zoku Quick Pop Maker as a housewarming gift last month. How cool are they?! Even though this funky gadget intrigued me thoroughly I probably never would have purchased it for myself as my inner skeptic would have inevitably won out over my inner shopaholic. Fortunately for those of you suffering through a similar bout of “should I or shouldn’t I buy this crazy contraption” turmoil I’m happy to let you know that this popsicle maker isn’t just hype. It actually works!
I’ll admit it. My jaw literally dropped to the floor when I pulled out my first fudgesicle completely intact and literally glistening with cold. I was completely prepared for a soggy mess to land on my kitchen counter but instead I ended up with 8 richly dark treats. There was one chocolate casualty but that was more “Erin error” than anything I can blame on the pop maker.
If you do decide to pick up a Zoku Quick Pop Maker of your very own please make sure to read the instructions VERY carefully. When it says that you can’t use sugar-free liquids, not to fill the pop maker past the indicated lines, and that each batch takes a little longer to freeze during subsequent pop sessions they mean it. You should also keep in mind that you can only make nine pops at a time so don’t expect to whip up oodles and oodles for a crowd.
As I wasn’t sure if the pop maker would work I decided to keep my first experiment pretty straight forward hence the Classic Fudge Pops. What they lack in the looks department is definitely made up for in taste. This recipe yields a super rich fudgecicle with a creamy texture. These aren’t Healthy Choice treats by any stretch of the imagination so I’d try to keep the serving size to one a day. In order for CK and to manage this I wrapped each frozen pop in wax paper and placed them in the freezer. Then when we want a little post dinner dessert we just have to walk over to the refrigerator.
I’m definitely looking forward to trying out more recipes in the Zoku Quick Pop Maker. I’m especially intrigued by their suggestion to make layered popsicles. In the meantime though you can certainly make the below recipe with any old pop molds or paper cups with popsicle sticks that you have on hand. You’ll just have to wait a few hours to enjoy them instead of ten minutes.
Classic Fudge Pops
Originally published in Ice Pops: Recipes for Fresh and Flavorful Frozen Treats by Shelly Kaldunski
Yields 6-9 ice pops
1 3/4 cups half-and-half
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp malted milk powder
1 tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
4 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
In a saucepan, combine the half-and-half, cocoa powder, malted milk powder, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, and cook until the cocoa and milk powder have completely dissolved. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Let cool to room temperature.
If using conventional ice pop molds, divide the mixture among the molds. Cover and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours or up to 3 days. If using sticks, inset them into the molds while the pops are partially frozen, after about 1 hour, then continue to freeze until solid, at least 3 more hours.
If using an instant ice pop maker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to fill the molds and freeze the pops.
