Mango Vanilla Yogurt Popsicles

I do love holidays. Relaxing... a two day drive with a cranky four year old... reconnecting... arguing constantly with husband and said four year old about what music to play... rejuvenating... yep, doing that two day drive back in a lightning storm no less.

Haha. Seriously though, I really do love my holidays, I was just being an snarky ass back there. Being in a car with your family forces you to shut off all electronics... except for the music player... and really talk and listen to your loved ones. Being at the in-laws means we all get spoilt rotten, so much so that coming back to real life is a shock... yep, if that fridge is empty, it isn't going to magically refill itself until you get out there and do it yourself. And long lie ins when the grandparents fuss over the child in the mornings is a thing of the past. 

I am blessed to have a lovely family, and I have made an effort this time round to really shut off all outside stuff and just enjoy myself. We camped on the lake, played badminton with husband with child refereeing (ouch, my poor unexercised flabby arm), went on a photography drive up to the Nass Valley with an amazing photographer (Mike's so cool) and was lucky enough to be enchanted by some beautiful scenery and wildlife, yammered classical music and marmalade with FIL and hung out and talked for hours with MIL, shared recipes and brought back a lot of inspiration. Just what you need to refresh your mind, heart, soul and creativity. And certainly what every holiday should be like.

These popsicles, for me, reflect my joy in summer holidays... or just summer even. I love making these easy treats, and they are a delicious treat to have in the freezer for warm days, and days on which you need to give the kids a boost of energy without spoiling dinner for them. 

I love the versatility of this recipe. You can skip the cream and use half and half (10% cream) instead to cut down on the calories. Or even just use all yogurt, if you want. You can substitute the mango puree with any other soft fruit. Peaches and apricots work really well in this recipe, as do cherries and any kind of berries like strawberries, blueberries or raspberries. Just remember to strain berry puree to remove any seeds for a smooth texture. And that's it, really.

Recipe: 

(Printable Recipe) 

1 cup plain or Greek style yogurt

1 cup heavy cream, divided

¼ cup sugar + a little extra

1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

1 cup mango puree *see note

Juice of ½ a small lemon

Method:

Whisk together the yogurt, ½ cup heavy cream and the sugar.

Stir in the vanilla extract.

Whisk together the mango puree, lemon juice and the remaining ½ cup heavy cream. Taste and sweeten with a little sugar, if required.

Half fill popsicle moulds with the vanilla yoghurt. Top with the mango-cream mixture. Using a skewer, stir vigorously, until the mango puree ‘bleeds’ into the vanilla yoghurt, creating pretty swirls.

Freeze until solid, preferably overnight. To unmold, run water over the popsicle moulds and serve.

Makes around 10 popsicles, depending on the size of your moulds.

Note: To make mango puree, slice off the ‘cheeks’ of two - three ripe mangoes. Scoop out the pulp, and puree in a blender. If you cannot find fresh mangoes, you can easily use tinned mango pulp. I use Alphonso mango pulp that is available in most superstores or ethnic grocers.