Before we dive into these divine popsicles, I just want to let out a quick I'm sorry! I've been letting this blog go by the wayside for the past week or two, and am definitely going to continue to do so for at least three or four weeks more. You see, I'm moving across the country in just two short weeks and taking an amazingly wonderful few weeks to do so! In the meantime, I’ll do my best to share a few quick and easy recipes with you. And when I return, there will be a brand new (to-me) 1920s kitchen for our continued exploration together!
I sure am going to miss the crystal blue waters of Lake Michigan!
This road trip of ours will start of course from our dear home in Traverse City, Michigan. We’ll spend an evening saying farewell to my family just a short trip north in Petoskey, then head to the shores of Lake Superior where we’ll spend a night (and a bit of exploration!) at the Porcupine Mountains before heading on to the Apostle Islands in Minnesota where we’ll explore magnificent cliffs and caves via kayak. Then it’s onward to Duluth for 4th of July celebrations with family and friends before making some big progress westward and away from our beloved great lakes!
The Presque Isle River, from my last visit to Porcupine Mountains!
The western adventures will start with a quick stop in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, then the main attraction of a week in Montana! Montana will bring camping and day-hikes exploring the wild of Glacier National Park, and a long weekend with a few old friends in Butte where the Montana Folk Festival will be happening.
While there may not be blog posts, there will surely be a million and a half photos of the adventure - so come follow along on social media while we make our way west! You can find me most actively on Instagram and Facebook. #tootsweetgoeswest
Now… a million paragraphs later, for the popsicles! I’ve made these before in a number of different variations, including roasting the strawberries and toasting coconut flakes to mix into the coconut layers. They’ve always tasted great, no matter what variations I take on - but for this recipe, I wanted to simplify things and make these something you can throw together in less than twenty minutes.
You see, I’ve been writing a monthly piece for The Awesome Mitten - featuring a different awesome local Michigan ingredient each month. The post always includes three recipes for that ingredient which are super simple and require very few ingredients. For June, I just had to choose strawberries (because really, what else is worthy of the produce-of-the-month title?). So here we have it - super duper simple strawberry coconut popsicles!
Ingredients:
1 quart strawberries, greens removed
1/2 tsp ground vanilla, or 1tsp vanilla extract
1 – 14oz can of coconut milk (use the full fat kind!)
1/4 cup maple syrup
Instructions:
Puree the strawberries and vanilla with a blender until totally smooth. If you’re picky about seeds, strain through a fine mesh sieve. I never take that step, and the seeds are not very noticeable in the final product.
In a small bowl, whisk together coconut milk and maple syrup until no clumps of coconut cream remain.
Using a small measuring cup or spoon (or just pouring), layer strawberry puree and coconut milk into popsicle molds. Unless you use a small spoon and do this very very gently, they’re going to swirl together, and that’s alright! I think they taste best when you get a bit of coconut and a bit of strawberry in each bite! I usually aim for two layers of each in every popsicle.
Let freeze until fully solidified (overnight will do it), then enjoy!