wholesome homemade fudgesicles

Sometimes (read: all the time...), I have one of those days when the mere thought of a specific treat or food triggers an instant jump into the kitchen to make whatever it is I'm craving. That's what happened when I started thinking about making my own homemade fudgesicles. I've made tons of fruity popsicles in my day, but this was my first foray into something more creamy. And I must say, I'M HOOKED! This will surely be the jumping off point for many a creamy popsicle to come. 

Because really, let's be honest, we all want a freezer-full of popsicles when those hot summer days come along by surprise. And we'll all be a little happier if that includes fruity pops, creamy pops, and chocolatey pops. Lots and lots of chocolatey pops. 

I may have eaten two already today... thankfully I made them mini-sized so I don't feel so bad when I decide one isn't enough. YUM! 

These pops offer all the creamy chocolatey goodness of fudge pops from the store, with none of corn syrup and other weird ingredients I don't like to put into my body (and you shouldn't either!). 

Simple wholesome ingredients like chocolate chips, whole milk, and organic cane sugar come together quickly for these tasty treats. 

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup chocolate chips or 2oz bar chocolate, chopped

2/3 cup cane sugar 

2 Tbsp tapioca starch (you could use corn starch as well, this is just what we had... pantry clean out and all) 

3 Tbsp raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder 

2 1/2 cups whole milk 

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract (I used ground vanilla, but I know that isn't something most folks have) 

Instructions: 

Whisk together sugar, tapioca starch, cacao powder, salt, and milk in a medium saucepan and place on burner over medium heat. 

While the mixture begins to warm, melt the chocolate chips. You can do this in the microwave or in a double boiler, just be sure to stir frequently if you do it in the microwave! 

Once the chocolate is melted, whisk it into the milk mixture. 

Continue warming the mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it has thickened into a pudding-like substance (though it won't get quite as thick as pudding). 

Remove from heat, and whisk in vanilla. 

Let cool slightly, then fill your popsicle molds and freeze. If you don't have popsicle molds, you can use small cups or jars and popsicle sticks. Just let the pops freeze for about half an hour, then insert the sticks so they'll stand up straight! 

thyme shortbread

Shortbread is a magical blank slate that tastes beautifully buttery and slightly sweet on its own, but is open to a world of possibilities when it comes to added flavors.  It's one of the rare blank slates that is just as good blank as it is fully adorned. For quite some time now, I've been making shortbread for special occasions, and always around the holidays. There are my regular flavors, like lavender dipped in dark chocolate and rosemary - but this spring I got into somewhat of a thyme obsession. So of course, there had to be thyme shortbread! 

I love the way the tiny fresh thyme leaves shine through this shortbread dough when it's freshly rolled. Getting you excited for the moment you can dig in and taste that beautiful flavor! 

Thankfully, those beautiful little leaves continue to shine through once these beauties are baked, making for an oh-so-simply decorated cookie without needing to do any decorating! 

So, get into the kitchen and bake these cookies as quick as you can. Then make sure to stack your plate of cookies high, because I can guarantee these won't last long! 

Ingredients: 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 cup unsalted butter, softened 

3/4 cup powdered sugar 

pinch of salt 

2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, or more if you're feeling extra flavorful! 

Instructions: 

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer or some strong arms), cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

Mix in the flour and salt until fully incorporated. 

Sprinkle the thyme over the dough. Use your hands to mix it in evenly, then form the dough into two discs. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for about an hour. You can also make the dough ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for up to a few days. 

If your dough has been in the fridge for longer than an hour, you may need to let it warm slightly before rolling or it will crack. You'll know once you start rolling if the dough is too cold. Just trust your gut! 

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 thickness. This dough is a dream to work with, so you really don't need much flour. 

Cut with a cookie cutter or just use a knife and cut the dough into squares. 

Place cookies on a parchment or baking mat lined sheet pan, and bake at 360 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are starting to brown, ever so slightly. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely. 

Store in an airtight container for up to one week. 

strawberry swirl merengue cookies

we'll get to the cookies soon, but first i want to share a bit about my morning. see, these cookies are incredible - airy and light with the perfect balance of fruity sweetness. my morning, which is thankfully over now, was far from perfect, and definitely not airy or light (at least not until post-yoga). 

i spent my early hours with a big cup of coffee, excitedly writing about all sorts of wonderful things: the perfect solution for egg whites left behind by batch after batch of homemade ice cream. joyously arriving at a party with a big bowlful of these cookies to hands reaching in for a taste and lots of smiling faces. you know, the great daily moments of life. 

i finished putting my thoughts into words and phrases that would actually make sense to you wonderful people. and right at that moment, in a flurry of awful, the saving of the post failed and i clicked in the wrong place, and boom. gone. all those beautiful words, the only reason i got out of bed extra early. gone. 

so of course, i got angry (like one does). but instead of sulking my morning away as i really wanted to do in the moment, i pulled myself up and out the door. i went to shanti school of yoga - my yoga studio, my sacred space. this beautiful wood ceiling cathedraling up to one big skylight could bring joy to anyone’s soul. and it sure did better my bad morning moment. 

everyone's first thought at abandoning work for a mid-morning yoga class is surely one of terror. but hear me out. 

do i now have 2 hours less time to complete my afternoon’s to do list and need to add in re-doing the morning’s task? yes. did the idea of that reality make me really not want to go to yoga in the moment? yes.

but, here is the thing. taking some time to calm my mind, breathe, and reconnect with myself allowed me to totally let go of the disappointment of lost work. now, i’m here again - writing a piece inspired by the whole experience instead of angrily trying to re-create the past. 

so here is to letting go when things don't go your way, taking time to clear your head, and to these cookies. for no reason other than simple enjoyment of life! 

note: strawberry powder is made by simply pulsing freeze dried strawberries in a blender or a clean coffee/spice grinder. you could also switch in any other freeze dried fruit for other flavors! yum! 

ingredients: 

3 large egg whites 

3/4 cup sugar 

1/4 tsp corn starch 

3 Tbsp strawberry powder (see note) 

instructions: 

using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a handheld mixer, whip egg whites, sugar, and corn starch until stiff peaks form. 

whip in strawberry powder (and a little vanilla if you like!) until evenly distributed. 

fit a pastry bag (or just a plastic bag with the corner cut off) with a medium star frosting tip. if you don't have a tip, you can just scoop small piles of the batter onto your baking sheet, or use a plastic bag with the corner cut off to form small mounds. 

fill the pastry bag with batter, and form small swirls on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. they can be very close together as they won't swell, just make sure they aren't touching! 

bake at 200 degrees for about 2 hours, then let cool with oven door cracked. cookies should be dry to the touch before turning off the oven, and one big crunch once cooled (tasting is the best way to test them!). if for some reason your cookies still have some gooeyness to them once cooled, just turn the oven back on for another half an hour or so, then let them cool again. 

store these in an air-tight container to make sure the outsides don't get sticky!