Excessive heat for summer in Memphis is not uncommon. In fact it is the norm. However this summer happens to be extra hot earlier than usual. As a result of this torturous heat, turning on my oven to bake must first be justified by how much I want to sweat while enjoying whatever comes out in the end. But then I remembered that there are some recipes which require freezing instead of heating. Now that is a perfect summer recipe.
For this July 4th Holiday Recipe Club we were given the option of working with blueberries, whipped cream, and/or BBQ, which lead me straight to these popsicles. Originally they were created with wine, which sounded fabulous to me but in an effort to make these kid friendly I opted for pomegranate juice instead.
These required a little more work than popsicles I have made in the past, but were completely worth while. They really do taste just like blueberry cheesecake! The blueberry part is definitely the dominant flavor, but then you get a bite of the cheesecake and it’s magical. Everyone, young and old, enjoyed these!
Be sure to check out the rest of today’s recipes, seen at the bottom of this post.
I didn’t get as good of a shot as I had hoped for. Difficult taking pictures away from home sometimes.
One year ago: POM-Berry Ice Pops
BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE POPSICLES
Makes eight 2-1/4 oz. popsicles
Ingredients:
1 pint of blueberries (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup POM 100% pomegranate juice
1/4 cup simple syrup (recipe follows)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup reduced fat cream cheese, softened
4 Tbsp of sugar
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (I used the cinnamon kind)
Directions:
- Place blueberries, juice and simple syrup in a blender or food processor and puree. Set aside.
- Place softened cream cheese into a bowl and beat until light and fluffy; set aside. Place heavy cream into a cold bowl with sugar and, using a hand beater or whisk, beat until soft peaks form. Fold in beaten cream cheese. Portion out 1/4 cup of cream cheese mixture into a separate bowl, add in graham cracker crumbs and whisk to combine. Place each mixture into separate plastic bags and cut off a corner to create a small opening.
- To assemble, pour 1 tablespoon of blueberry mixture into each well. Squeeze half a tablespoon of cheesecake mixture on top of blueberry layer. Squeeze a small dollop, about half a teaspoon, of graham cracker mixture on top of cheesecake mixture. Continue layering and repeating until top of each well is reached.
- Cover top of popsicle form with foil and cut a tiny hole in the center of each well. Place popsicle stick through the hole.
- Place in freezer until frozen. To release popsicles, run hot water over outside of mold for 2-3 seconds
SIMPLE SYRUP
Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
Directions:
- Place water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Cool before using.
Source: Adapted slightly from Bakers Royale.
13 comments
So delicious and I bet absolutely mouthwatering in the heat!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Oh,these look so refreshing and delicious!
These look awesome! I have some blueberries that I need to use up.
These popsicles look and sound so delicious :D
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Erin, these Popsicles look so good. I’m going to need a dozen of these just to cool off here in Baltimore.
Yummy! So pretty too.
ohhh, yum! Your Popsicle look amazing!! I wish I had one!
Mmmm, I want these! Maybe it just feels really hot right now because it’s just the beginning of the summer? In a few weeks we’ll all be like “What? Only 90 degrees today, that’s nothing!” :)
Hahaha oh I haven’t seen 90 in so long. We have been over or around 100 since mid-June it seems. 100s are normal for July/August but June was a bit too soon. I’d prefer it to be never though.
I love the color of these. I need some now for the heat we are having today At least we have a breeze. Happy 4th!
And now I have to find popsicle molds–these look absolutely amazing!
What great idea! It is crazy hot here in Colorado too, these would be a great way to beat the heat!
These sound fabulous! It’s hotter than hades here in Texas too! And these sound perfect!