Well, there may not be a heat wave anymore but it's still the hot, blazing summer these days. I've been looking for more ways to cool down in this heat and realized—what about dessert?!
One of my favorite things about summer (besides the Latin cool down drinks and Latin-flavored ice cream) is ice popsicles. The one thing I'm worried about, though, is the calories. I've definitely had a few too many indulgences since July 4th and now, just as with the Latin low-cal cocktails, I want to fix that—all with the help of my favorite Latin low-calorie ice cream-inspired desserts! There's even one that's JUST for the adults (fi you know what I mean). Yummy.
Readmore ¿Qué más? 5 Latin low-calorie summer cocktails
What's your favorite low-calorie frozen treat this summer? Share with us in the comments below!
Cranberry-Jalapeño Granita
Ingredients: 2 cups cranberry juice cocktail, 1/3 cup sugar, 4 (5-inch) mint sprigs (about 1/2 ounce), 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Directions: Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover and remove from heat; let stand 15 minutes. Strain cranberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish; discard solids. Cool to room temperature; stir in lime juice. Cover and freeze for about 45 minutes. Stir cranberry mixture every 45 minutes until completely frozen (about 3 hours). Remove mixture from freezer; scrape entire mixture with a fork until fluffy.
Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light.
Ancho Chili and Chocolate Goat Cheesecake Popsicles
Ingredients: 4 oz. low-fat goat cheese, softened, 1/3 c. sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp. cocoa powder, 2 eggs, separated, 1 tbsp. flour, 1/4 tsp. ancho chili powder
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine goat cheese, sugar, and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add egg yolks two at a time. Fold in flour, cocoa powder, and ancho chile. Whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold into mixture. Spread into buttered and sugared parchment-lined baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool. Remove from pan by picking up parchment. Use 1 in. cookie cutter to make individual circles and insert skewers to create a "lollipop.”
Recipe courtesy of Shape magazine.
Mango-Lime Ice
Ingredients: 4 large mangoes (about 3 1/2 pounds total), peeled and coarsely chopped, Zest of 1 orange, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Directions: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the mangoes, orange zest, sugar, lime juice, and 1 cup water. Process until the mixture is smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl then press gently on and discard any solids (there will be about 3 cups syrup). Transfer to a freezer-safe dish, cover with plastic, and freeze until the mixture is firm 2 inches in from the sides, about 2 hours. Scrape into a food processor and process until the mixture is slushy. Repeat the freezing and processing 2 more times, then freeze for at least 1 hour before serving.
Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com.
Banana Puding Pops
Ingredients: 1/3-1/2 cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, Pinch of salt, 2 cups low-fat milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 cups diced bananas, (about 2 large)
Directions: Whisk sugar to taste, cornstarch and salt in a large saucepan. Add milk and whisk until combined. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Put about half the pudding in a food processor or blender and add bananas. Process until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Stir the mixture back into the remaining pudding. Divide the mixture among freezer-pop molds. Insert the sticks and freeze until completely firm, about 6 hours. Dip the molds briefly in hot water before unmolding.
Recipe courtesy of Eating Well.
Ruby Grapefruit and Campari Ice Pops
Ingredients: 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon finely grated grapefruit zest, 2 1/2 cups fresh red grapefruit juice, 4 1/2 tablespoons Campari
Directions: In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar and zest and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the syrup into a bowl and add the grapefruit juice and Campari. Refrigerate until chilled. Pour the mixture into six 1/2-cup ice-pop molds and freeze overnight.
Recipe courtesy of Food & Wine.
