With so much local produce in season right now, the 4th of July is the perfect holiday to showcase the best fresh ingredients.
Homemade popsicles are all the rage right now on Pinterest and Instagram. Why not grab some fresh, local berries and whip up some cool, sweet treats of your own to celebrate the 4th? Here’s a red, white, and blue frozen pop recipe that’ll refresh your star-spangled guests. And in the spirit of Willie Wonka: frozen treats are sweet, but liquor is quicker. This festive cocktail makes the most of the fresh mint popping up in our herb gardens.
Red, White, and Blue Mojitos
12 fresh mint leaves
3 red raspberries
5 blueberries
juice of ½ of a lime
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 ounces rum
club soda
ice
In the bottom of your cocktail glass, muddle the mint, blueberries, raspberries, lime juice, and sugar. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and rum and shake firmly, over your shoulder, for 15 seconds. Pour the rum and ice over the berry-mint mixture in the glass. Top off with a splash of club soda.
Red, White, and Blue Raspberry-Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Pops
(Substitute strawberries or mulberries for the raspberries, if you prefer.)
3.5 c. of vanilla yogurt (low fat works, more fat works better)
8 oz. fresh red raspberries
8 oz. fresh blueberries
In a blender, puree your red berries. (Too tart? Add honey for extra sweetness.) Lay out your cups/trays, and put about 1 inch of yogurt in the bottom. Drop some blueberries into the yogurt. Pour the raspberry puree over the yogurt layer. Add another layer of yogurt and blueberries on top. Insert sticks (or teaspoon handles, or pretzel rods). Freeze.
