It's Getting Hot In Here

🎶 so take out all your pops 🎶

This has been the kind of week where it’s impossible to turn on the stove. I don’t have central air, just a newly installed window unit in my bedroom. That means if I’m anywhere else in my apartment, especially the kitchen, I’m sweating. I had some delicious empanadas with a ridiculously easy crust planned for this week but I just couldn’t do that to you guys- and myself. That recipe will roll out one of these days but this week I’m pulling a cool dessert from my personal collection: Frozen Cheesecake Pops with Fresh Fruit.

They are rich, decadent, and you only need a good blender, no popsicle molds required. I like to blend the base together, fold in the fruit, and let it freeze together in a bowl for no more than an hour. Then just scoop the mix right on to a cookie sheet covered in gram cracker crumbs and stick a popsicle stick right in. Sure, you could use a mold but I like a more freeform approach with these. I think it adds to the indulgent nature of the dessert. You can use fresh or frozen fruit here, whatever works best for you. I had some cherries in the fridge that were on their way out so they were perfect here but any berry or ½ cup of jam would be delicious too. I’ve got a video of me making these so if you want to cook along or are more of a visual learner, make sure to follow me and Bad Manners for more content. In the meantime, I’ll be eating big salads, dips, and peanut noodles until my brain cools down.

Frozen Cheesecake Pops with Fresh Fruit

Makes about 8 big pops

1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 30 minutes in warm water, up to overnight

¾ cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

¼ cup melted, refined coconut oil

¼ cup brown rice syrup

2 tablespoons lemon juice

¼ teaspoon salt

Up to ¼ cup of your favorite non dairy milk

½ cup roughly chopped and pitted cherries, berries, or a similar fruit, fresh or frozen*

2 tablespoons agave

1 cup gram cracker or your favorite cookie crumbs

Drain the cashews and add them to your blender along with the coconut, coconut oil, brown rice syrup, and salt. Let this run until the batter inside is nice and smooth. If your blender needs a little more liquid to get going, add your favorite non dairy milk, 2 tablespoons at a time , to help it along. Once the batter is smooth, pour it into a freezer safe bowl and set it aside.

Now add the fruit and agave to the same blender, no need to rinse it, and pulse it until the fruit is chopped up nice and tiny. A couple big chunks are ok. Swirl this into the batter and stick the bowl in your freezer until it’s started to harden but before it’s completely solid, about 45 minutes.

Grab a cookie sheet and place a couple piles of gram cracker crumbles right on the sheet. Use an ice cream scoop and scoop out a good helping of your cheesecake batter and place it right on the crumb pile. You can sort of flatten the top of the scoop if you want but it not necessary. Repeat the process until you run out of batter. Stick a popsicle stick right into the scoop and sprinkle the tops with a few more cookie crumbs. Place the cookie sheet back in the fridge until they harden then put the pops in an airtight container in the freezer to keep them fresh. Eat within the first month of making them not that they will last that long.

*If you like things sweet, sub in ½ of your favorite preserves or jam and skip the agave. Just swirl it right in.

Frozen Cheesecake Pops With Fresh Fruit

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Thanks so much for joining us here in The Broiler Room. Stay hydrated out there!