This is perfect timing for this post from Aida Mollenkamp. Not only is it right at the end of a long hot summer — I had just posted a great recipe for Decadent Coconut Milk Whipped Cream with Berries and Dark Chocolate Coconut Mousse from Mark’s Daily Apple — this is essentially the frozen version of Mark’s recipe (with the exception of the sugar). All that I can say is that coconut milk is perfect for either of these desserts and a heck of a lot healthier than a dairy-based dessert.
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“I’m, like, totally a child of the 80s.
For proof, look no futher than my first shoe purchase — a pair of pink jellies – and my first concert — the Los Angeles stop of the Bad world tour. Oh, the fact I was all but addicted to Jello-O pudding pops. My parents actually wouldn’t keep them in the house so I would save up allowance to buy them on the hush-hush down at the local cornerstore. But, I grew out of that habit and hadn’t thought of them for years until Kristen of Dine & Dish mentioned this book a few weeks ago. And then I had a craving. I mean, one of those cravings that won’t quit. No amount of chocolate ice cream, gelato, or yogurt could quell it — it had to be a pudding pop.
But the pudding pop is all but extinct and, even if it were around, I’d shy away from it because it was likely made with scary stabilizers and fake sweeteners. And no amount of cajoling from Bill Crosby could convince me otherwise. So, I came up with a healthier, more adult take, my Grown-Up Pudding Pops. They’re fudge-y and chocolatey like the classic, but I made them more refined by adding espresso, cocoa nibs, toasted coconut for a more darker chocolate flavor and some crunchy texture. But don’t think that means I’m giving up the jellies and my OG Bad jacket. No, it may be 2011, but I’m still an 80s baby through and through…”