Mojito Popsicles

It’s fiesta time!

This weekend, John and I are hosting our second annual summer blow-out, and the “we’ll be there” RSVPs keep rolling in. There’s nothing like a big event on the calendar to really kick us into high gear with house projects. The house is clean, the weeds are pulled, and the yard looks great. Last year, we hadn’t landscaped yet, so the shindig was mostly held in a dirt lot. John made a huge batch of his famous BBQ chicken, and there was plenty to eat and drink. Here are some photos from last year– it was a blast!

This year, we actually have a deck and plenty of outdoor space to enjoy. Since John would rather spend time with our guests than stuck in front of the grill, we’re keeping it simple with a big “make your own” taco bar, Mexican side dishes, and sangria. We’ll be prepping as much as we can ahead of time so we can enjoy the party, too!

I just hope it won’t be too hot.

No, really. The next 5 days in Salt Lake City will be 100 degrees or above. These are the summer days when, during the decade I lived down in the valley, I’d wistfully look toward the greenish mountains and daydream about what it would be like to live in Park City. It’s generally a solid 15 degrees cooler up here, and this week, I’m thankful that it’s now home.  But it’s still going to be quite warm this weekend.

Sounds like a great reason to make some popsicles, doesn’t it?

I bought a popsicle mold months ago. It’s been sitting on a shelf in my pantry, still in the box, getting dusty. This heat wave- and a recipe for adult frozen treats– changed that. Let’s make Mojito Popsicles!

A mojito is such a refreshing summer cocktail. I made a vodka/lemon version recently, but these popsicles stuck to the traditional flavors of rum, lime, and mint.

The first order of business was to make a mint simple syrup. I put water, sugar, and fresh mint leaves in a pot, turned on the heat, and let it come to a simmer. I stirred the syrup as the sugar dissolved, let it bubble for a couple of minutes, and took it off of the heat. I left the mint leaves in the sugar water to steep while it cooled, then strained them out. The result was a minty syrup that would sweeten up our frozen treats!

I’d opened a bottle of soda water earlier in the day to let it flatten. I squeezed some fresh lime juice and set it aside while I prepared the RUM. The recipe instructed me to bring the alcohol to a boil on the stove for just two minutes. I assume this is to cook off some of the alcohol so that the popsicles will actually freeze.

Now I had my rum, lime juice, minty syrup, and soda water. Sounds like a cocktail to me! I combined them into a thermos, because I thought it would be easier to pour from.

I spilled very little of the mojito mixture while I poured it into the popsicle mold. I did sneak a taste, and I can confirm that boiling the rum for two minutes did NOT get rid of the alcohol content. It was scrumptious, and was going to be even better FROZEN.

After placing the lid over the mold and inserting popsicle sticks, I dug out space in the freezer and left the mojito treats to freeze!

I waited until the next day to take a peek at the final product. I ran a little bit of warm water over the mold, as directed, and slid out the first boozy popsicle. Beautiful! A mojito cocktail on a stick. How refreshing does THAT look on a hot summer day?

Confession: the second popsicle didn’t turn out so lovely. I’m not sure if it didn’t freeze completely, or if the alcohol content was too high in this popsicle. I put the ‘sicle back into the mold and left it in the freezer. Hopefully, it will firm up.

But I’m not above drinking eating my cocktail with a spoon.

Stay tuned for more Summer Fiesta bliss!

Mojito Popsicles (recipe found on The Tiffin Box)

You’ll need:

• A big handful of mint leaves
• 1 cup of water
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 cups white rum
• 1 ½ cups flattened club soda
• ½ cup fresh lime juice

Open a bottle of soda water and pour out the amount you need. Let it flatten for a few hours or overnight.

Place the water, sugar, and mint leaves in a pan on the stove. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let the mixture simmer for 3-4 minutes, then take off of the heat and let the mint leaves steep while the syrup cools. Strain the leaves out.

In another saucepan, bring the rum to a boil. Time it for 2 minutes, then take it off of the heat immediately. Let cool before using.

Combine the prepared rum, flattened soda, infused mint syrup, and lime juice. Pour the mojito into popsicle molds. Top with the sticks and let freeze for at least 24 hours. Have spoons on hand in case the popsicles don’t freeze completely. (Your guests won’t mind.) Yum!

**Check out a full list of recipes on the Food Bliss link above!**