One of the perks of working for a company that makes ice cream is that from time to time you get treated. I usually go for the delicious Kapiti ice creams sticks and for just a few minutes zone out into my own little bubble of joy as my mouth wraps around the sweet sweet goodness. This is the second time in the month of June I have had to forgo this delicious novelty in the name of Junk Free June.
These are a ‘healthy’ take on the Kapiti boysenberry ice cream sticks. “Smooth, creamy ice cream swirled with a sauce made from Nelson boysenberries and dipped in rich chocolate.” or so the label says.
My colleagues are all currently on the chia pudding vibe too. I find the texture a little weird when it is in pudding form so I decided to try my luck at making something frozen out of them. I also was inspired by a recipe by the Secret Squirrel, she made a raw chocolate coating. I lack the patience and the funding for such an ordeal though so really dark chocolate it will have to be.
Taking advantage of a loop hole in my promise (no refined sugar, cakes or ice cream) I am making these refined sugar free coconut ice blocks. Ice cream needs to contain dairy fat, as these are made with coconut cream they technically do not count! I am also sweetening these with honey rather than sugar. Probably the only place I really cheat here is in the chocolate coating but that is super dark chocolate which doesn’t even really taste that good, surely that means it doesn't count right?
I love how we can justify things that are natural and unrefined as healthy. We mustn’t forget that sugar is sugar and fat is fat. If eaten in excess undesirable side effects still happen. Eating these sticks will not make you skinny unless of course you eat one and nothing else all day. With so much emphasis on ‘good’ food and ‘bad’ food I can see why the search for ‘healthy’ treats is a fierce one. After all if we eat 'bad' food we immediately become ‘bad’ people... I ate an entire avocado pudding the other day. It was super high in calories and afterwards I felt just as guilty if not more so than what I would have if I had eaten a regular pudding. The main thought going through my mind was "dammit, I could have used those exact same calories on something decent and made of ACTUAL chocolate". Ugh.
In the last 21 days I have 93% stayed true to my Junk Free June and I have come to appreciate ‘sometimes’ foods a great deal more. Treat foods really are better appreciated when not eaten all the time. I also feel way better without all the sugar highs and lows I used to get throughout the day. Sure it has been painful watching my colleagues eat twix bars, reeces cups, freshly baked cakes and Russian fudge but once the goods had disappeared into the bellies of others the temptation and craving quickly dissipated.
I found the ice block moulds for these at Kmart for a grand total of $2. I used wooden ice block sticks though for the sole purpose of aesthetics. I strapped them in place and stopped them from deviating from the centre of each pop with a cellotape lattice (how crafty am I?).
Boysenberry Ripple Chia Ice Pops
Makes 8
3 tablespoons black chia seeds
1 1/2 cups of light coconut cream
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 cup frozen boysenberries, chopped roughly
2 tablespoons threaded coconut
50g super dark dark chocolate, melted
Sprinkle of freeze dried raspberries
Sprinkle of threaded coconut
Ice block moulds
Mix together the chia seeds, coconut cream, honey and vanilla. Stir through the frozen berries and coconut then leave to soak in the fridge overnight. Once the chia seeds are fully hydrated, fill up 8 ice block moulds with the mixture. Freeze for 8 hours or overnight.
Melted the dark chocolate in a double boiler. Release the ice blocks from their moulds by dipping them quickly in boiling water. Line them all up next to each other and drizzle the dark chocolate back and forth. Finish by sprinkling over the freeze dried raspberries and the coconut.
Wrap gently in baking paper or in snap lock bags and store in the freezer for when you want to devour them.
Enjoy x
