Homemade Fudgesicles with Cherries

Summertime is all about cool treats. Popsicles of all sorts are the easiest and most fun of all the treats that can be made at home, not to mention the most economical too!

I love the variety one can create using ordinary ingredients from fridge and pantry. Fruits, milk, coconut milk, lemonade, juices and ,of course, everyone’s favourite…chocolate. These chocolate cherry flavoured homemade Fudgesicles are my daughters’ most favourite snack to make and eat in the season. There really is something very irresistible about chocolate on a stick and that too frozen cold.

Some recipes just come together so smoothly and easily even the first time you try them that it becomes one of the reasons you want to make them again and again. Making these chocolate cherry Fudgesicles is one such happy experience because things go deliciously well every single time.

You can replace cherries with any other of your favourite fruits. In fact strawberries, grapes, peaches and bananas are few of my favourites when cherries are not in the season. All that is left to do, the hardest part actually, is wait for them to freeze. My younger one consoles herself by licking the chocolate sauce in the saucepan or she saves some to dip cherries in it while watching her favourite tv shows.

Tips:
No Popsicle mold, no problem – you can use paper or plastic cups instead. In fact some recipes work better with cups and glasses.

A loaf pan works just fine too; line the pan with plastic wrap, after the Popsicles are partially frozen, insert the sticks evenly spaced apart. Once fully frozen, slice into individual servings.

Muffin trays are just perfect for this purpose too.

And every kitchen has ice cube trays to make smaller version of Popsicles.

In smaller containers toothpicks or wooden skewers work better than sticks.

2 cups milk
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons corn flour
2 tablespoons honey
A few drops vanilla essence
2 cups cherries

Whisk together milk, brown sugar, cocoa powder, cornflour, honey and vanilla essence in a medium sauce pan.

Put the saucepan on medium low heat. Keep stirring with a whisk or spoon till the mixture is like thin custard.

Let it cool down to room temperature.

Meanwhile, remove pits from cherries and fill up the Popsicle molds with them almost to the top. Pour the chocolate mix in each mold to cover the cherries completely, leaving one quarter inch of room at the top because the Popsicles will expand as they freeze.

Wipe any excess mixture from the top so that the residue doesn’t freeze and make unmolding difficult.

Cover with lids, insert the sticks and freeze for at least four hours or until firm. It’s better to make them a night before to serve next day.

To unmold, fill a pan with warm water. Briefly dip the molds in warm water and gently pull out the delicious homemade Fudgesicles. If any chocolate sauce left, pour it over the Fudgesicles before serving for more messy fun!

Serves 6