matcha peach layered popsicles

 

happy friday everyone! before we get into this recipe, i am going to answer the question everyone has been asking me on instagram.. "WHERE DID YOU GET THOSE POPSICLE MOLDS?!". it is nice to know i wasn't the only person who found it next to impossible to find a classic style popsicle maker. i literally went to every store in niagara that i thought would possibly carry them & no luck. every store had the same junky, child size, rainbow colour popsicle makers. it was quite frustrating! but then as a last resort i looked at good old amazon & success! i found these on amazon.ca here & i highly recommend them if you are looking for that classic look. now let's get into the reason we are all here.. the popsicles!

aftermaking those salted caramel popsicles on NOM this week, i wanted to make a healthy two tone flavour style popsicle. with peach season in bloom, i thought mixing matcha + peaches was a perfect pair! i used the aiya matcha cooking grade matcha powder & fresh peaches that i pureed. to keep it healthy, i used a raw sugar to sweetened them with a splash of vanilla. they are super easy to make & the perfect summer treat.

ingredients

for the matcha popsicle layer

for the peach popsicle layer

  • 2 cups freshly sliced peaches
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons raw honey
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions

for the matcha popsicle layer

  • in a blender add the yogurt, matcha powder, honey & vanilla. puree until smooth & the matcha is well blended.
  • fill popsicle molds halfway with the mixture & freeze until solid.

for the peach popsicle layer

  • in a blender add the sliced peaches, lemon juice, yogurt, honey & vanilla. puree until smooth.
  • fill the remaining half of the popsicle molds with the mixture, add in the popsicle sticks & freeze until solid.
  • remove from molds & enjoy!

like what you see? get it here. popsicle maker | bowls | linen | flatware

this post was created in partnership with aiya matcha! you can find the cooking grade matcha powder that i used here. 

salted caramel peach funnel cakes

 

happy AUGUST!? summer is flying by fast as always. i hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend, even if you were hit with a big thunderstorm like we were. i enjoyed staying inside & baking loads of zucchini bread + zucchini fritters [check out NOM for that recipe] until the sun was ready to come out! last weekend justin's work had a "christmas in july" party that was full of food trucks & deep fried food galore. fresh donuts, deep fried oreo's, pizza rolls & you guessed it.. funnel cakes! instead of coming home that night thinking i ate wayyyy too much fried food, i woke up craving another funnel cake. however, because it is hard to compete with fair funnel cakes & food truck versions i thought topping it with salted caramel would make this at home version a hit. to make it "healthy" i served it with freshly sliced peaches, instead of that pre-made pie topping it is usually served with. plus, when you make them at home you can serve them up in fancy mauviel copper pans & porcelain paper plates;)

ingredients

for the funnel cakes

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups milk
  • 2 peaches, thinly sliced
  • 1 batch salted caramel sauce, recipe below or store bought
  • 1 cup of sweet whipped cream
  • 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, for dusting
  • canola oil, for frying

for the salted caramel sauce

  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

directions

for the funnel cakes

  • in a large skillet heat two inches of oil over medium heat.
  • in a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt & sugar.
  • in a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla & milk. pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients.
  • mix until the batter is smooth & lump free. transfer batter to a piping bag.
  • once the oil is hot, pipe batter into the skillet in a messy circular motion creating the classic funnel cake shape.
  • cook on each side for about 30 seconds.
  • transfer onto a paper towel lined plate to allow any of the excess oil to drain.
  • top with powdered sugar, freshly sliced peaches, salted caramel & whipped cream.

for the salted caramel sauce

  • in a saucepot add the sugar and water. bring the pan to a boil while wiping down the crystals that form on the sides of the pan using a pastry brush (do not stir, i repeat, do NOT stir).
  • continue to boil until the mixture turns to a deep amber colour, approximately 5 minutes. be sure not to burn the caramel! it will go from a deep amber to burnt sugar VERY quickly.
  • remove from heat and immediately whisk in the butter, cream & salt. cool to room temperature before serving.

like what you see? get it here. copper pan | pinch bowl | flatware | linen | porcelain paper plates

banana + coconut cream pie jars

 

i feel like i have gone through a bit of a baking lull these past couple weeks. the weather has been so insanely hot that i don't even wanna step outside, let alone think about turning on the oven to bake! but then i thought hey! why not make a dessert that doesn't involve the oven (popsicles, i'll get back to you next week)!? cue: banana coconut cream pie jars.

i couldn't decide between a no bake coconut cream pie or a banana cream pie, so i did both! a coconut + banana mash up layered in cute mason jars. these mason jar desserts are perfect for summer entertaining. whip them up in advance, store them in the fridge & serve them when ready. not even a plate is required! plus you get to see all the delicious layers of graham cracker crust, coconut custard, sliced bananas, sweet whipped cream & toasted coconut.

p.s. for the toasted coconut, i simply put a scoop of coconut in a dry frying pan over medium heat & occasionally tossed it around until it was brown & toasty. be sure to watch the coconut constantly when toasting it, as it will burn quickly. oh the amount of times i have gotten distracted & torched my sweet coconut.

ingredients (makes 6 jars)

for the graham cracker crust

  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

for the coconut banana cream filling

  • 2 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup whipped cream (see recipe below)
  • 2 ripe bananas, sliced

for the whipped cream

  • 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • toasted coconut, for sprinkling

directions

for the graham cracker crust

  • in a mixing bowl add the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, salt & vanilla extract. mix until the butter is evenly distributed.
  • place a generous spoonful of the mixture in each mason jar. press it down to shape the curves of the glass & form a crust.
  • set aside until ready to layer.

for the coconut banana cream filling

  • in a saucepan over medium heat add the milk & coconut. stir while bringing to a gentle simmer.
  • in a separate bowl whisk the sugar, cornstarch & eggs.
  • once the milk is heated, temper some into the egg mixture & pour it back into the saucepan.
  • whisk constantly until the custard has thickened, about 5 minutes.
  • pull from heat & stir in vanilla extract. let mixture come to room temperature.
  • once the mixture has cooled fold in the reserved whipped cream.
  • start layering the jar with a scoop of the coconut cream filling, followed by a layer of freshly sliced bananas & finished off with another layer of coconut cream filling.

for the whipped cream

  • in a mixing bowl whisk the cream until soft peaks are formed.
  • add in the sugar & vanilla extract. whisk until stiff peaks are formed.
  • set one cup aside for the filling & place the remainder of the whipped cream into a piping bag.
  • finish off the jar layers by piping a layer of whipped cream & sprinkeling it with the toasted coconut.

like what you see? get it here. wood dessert spoons | sweet gum wood scoop | copper saucepan | linen