Before there is a chill in the air, while it is still relatively hot outside, put the chill in dessert. Homemade popsicles are the way to go, as summer winds down but we still enjoy some warm days. Having been enjoying popsicles from the store all summer (as well as our city’s overflowing ice cream scene – check out the articles), I finally decided it was time to try the ol’ d.i.y. method. 

And of course, the sweet and creamiest of frozen treats are what I started with. Healthy berries and bananas will be part two, I promise. But decadent delights entice initially: chocolate, of course, mixed with strong coffee; creamy rich coconut milk. And root beer float for old time’s sake, a reminder of childhood, when coffee was a forbidden drug!

The only trouble is, these treats test your patience; i.e., you do have to wait while they freeze. I have a hard time with this aspect of the project. There are special freeze pop molds that hasten the process. I have yet to invest in such, but perhaps I should. Just walk away from the freezer door, I tell myself firmly...

To make Mocha Latte Creamy popsicles, try this recipe adapted from Jo Dunn's Smilemonsters blog; she's a maven of 'sicles. Root Beer Float On A Stick is here. And her ideas for Coconut Cream Popsicles. 

Coconut popsicles are also known as Limber de Coco, a Puerto Rican – and thus New Yor-ican – specialty, usually sold by women on their front stoops, for a dime or a quarter, frozen in a dixie cup. Softrito For Your Soul has a good place to start in your experiments with this treat.