Strawberry/ coconut pops

This summer is about to get really hot, humid and sticky. Actually, it already has but my guess is that it’s about to get worse. I’m a dessert person and it is inconceivable for me not to eat something sweet after a meal. That being said, I do not have air conditioning in my kitchen and the very idea of turning my oven on in this crushing heat is giving me hives.

This summer, I will probably just focus on no-bake desserts and ice creams. I know that this section of the blog is called “Baking” and I probably should have called it “Desserts” for more coherence but I didn’t. I created the blog in the dead of winter, at a time when all I could think about was delicious, hot, freshly baked little cakes. I probably should change the name but chances are that I won’t.

Anyways, on hot summer days like this one, I really like to lazily sit around in the shade while enjoying a cold fruity pop. Since it’s strawberry season, I made a batch of fun and refreshing strawberry/ coconut pops! What’s great about them, aside from being cold and tasty, is that they are super easy to make. The hard part is waiting for them to freeze before being able to enjoy them…

Strawberry / coconut pops

Makes about 10 pops

ingredients

• 1 can coconut milk

• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

• 2 tbsp + 1/4 cup honey

• 1.5 cups fresh or frozen strawberries

directions

1. Mix together the coconut milk, vanilla bean paste and 2 tbsp honey. Set aside.

2. Put strawberries and 1/4 cup honey in a blender and blend until pureed. Add more honey and mix if not sweet enough.

3. Pour some coconut mix into the popsicle molds. Place in the freezer for a few minutes, and pour some of the strawberry mixture on top. Continue alternating coconut and strawberry mixtures until reaching the top of the molds, freezing a little bit after each pour for a detailed layering. Then, insert popsicle sticks and freeze for a few hours, until firm.

4. If you are not that into the layered look or if you prefer not to separate the coconut from the strawberry flavor, you could simply combine the 2 mixtures beforehand and then pour the whole thing into the molds. Freeze for a few hours until firm.

And that’s it! How easy was that? I opted for the layered pops which provided a soft, creamy, coconutty ice cream, alternating with the vibrant, fresh and juicy strawberry flavor, but I must admit that combining the two mixtures offers a fuller, more complete gustatory experience. The coconut milk, by it self, could get a bit overwhelming after a while. Blending the two mixtures together before freezing creates more balanced pops. It all depends on your taste, really.

For the molds, if you are wondering, I used these amazing reusable molds that come with a tray and their own case. Makes it way easier to pour, freeze and store, but most importantly, they help me keep my workstation clean (I tend to be a bit messy and clumsy…)! These molds are quite affordable so I bought 2 sets of 6.

I used strawberries here because they’re in season but you could pretty much go for any fruit. Pick your favorite (any berries, peach, mango, you name it!), puree it and freeze it. The coconut milk adds creaminess but if you do not like it, use vanilla cream or no cream at all!

Add little chunks of fruits inside as well for some texture! The possibilities are pretty much endless.

Enjoy and stay cool!

Easy and versatile chocolate cake

Chocolate cake is the ultimate comfort food, next to ice cream. Feeling down? There’s nothing better to drown your sorrows in than one of those two desserts. Even better, eat a chocolate cake with a scoop of ice cream on top! But I digress.

I have 2 chocolate cake recipes in my arsenal and they are both awesome and super easy to prepare, which is perfect because they allow me to rapidly whip up a dessert in no time, in case of emergency (surprise guests, a birthday I forgot about, or simply because I want to eat something chocolaty). The first recipe is Ina Garten’s Beatty chocolate cake, and like all of Ina Garten’s recipes, it’s strait forward, no-fail and fabulous! My other recipe is coconut milk-based. Though I adore Ina Garten’s chocolate cake, the coconut milk recipe is the one I go back to the most. It depends on what you feel like. If you prefer fluffy and moist chocolate cakes, go for Beatty’s. If you crave something a bit more dense, go for that coconut milk cake. Since I have a preference for denser cakes, I tend to lean towards the second recipe. It’s also very versatile so it allows me to make lots of variations of chocolaty desserts.

Easy and versatile chocolate cake

Makes approx. 12-16 muffin-size cakes or lots of mini cakes

ingredients

• 2 oz dark or semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 3/4 cup boiling water

• 6 tbsp butter, melted

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup coconut milk

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp almond extract

• Optional: 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, chocolate chips and/or nuts

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter muffin pan or line with paper liners.

3. Put chocolate and cocoa powder in a bowl and pour boiling water on top. Let the mixture stand a while, only stirring occasionally. Continue stirring every now and then until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.

4. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

5. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment on, beat butter and sugar until combined, about 2-3 minutes.

6. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

7. Add chocolate mixture and mix well, about 2 minutes.

8. Add the flour and the coconut milk to the mixture in alternative steps, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.

9. If you want to add coconut flakes, chocolates chips and/or nuts, fold them in.

10. Pour batter into prepared pan.

11. Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

12. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool down. Then, carefully remove the cakes from the pan and transfer them on a wire rack so they cool completely.

For the frosting, I almost always opt for chocolate mousse. I have a great recipe that I always use and you can find it here. I find the airy dark chocolate mousse pairs very well with the fudgy and coconutty chocolate cake.

Variations

This chocolate cake is the base for a lot of my other chocolaty desserts: I use it for muffins, loaf cakes and more! It’s so versatile, that you get a whole different dessert with one or two minor changes! How awesome is that?

Chocolate banana bran muffin: I used the coconut milk chocolate cake recipe, added nuts, ripe bananas, 1 cup of rolled oats. Dusted sugar on top of the mixture before putting it in the oven, for a caramelized crunch.

Chocolate loaf cake: basically the above recipe but baked in a loaf pan, with chocolate chips inside and on top.

The “Bounty” cake: the above recipe but with a coconut macaroon center, just like the chocolate bar. Simple chocolate glaze on top to make it more decadent!

I sometimes like to put vanilla frosting on my chocolate cake. My favorite vanilla frosting recipe is made with cream cheese and I find its tartness fits extremely well with the chocolate flavor.

You can simply add ingredients to the chocolate cake mixture and you can get a whole different dessert. So mix it up and have fun!

Enjoy!