I scream, you scream…what better way to enjoy ice cream than on a stick! As a kid, we all have memories of hearing the sound of an ice cream truck, jingling down the street, as we scrambled over our siblings to ask Mom for change to buy something cold and sweet.
Frozen desserts are found in many cultures, and lucky for us, some have an extra kick for the adult crowd, using wine, spirits, or liqueurs to add flavor and depth to the recipe. A traditional Mexican fresh-fruit ice called a Paleta was originally made in a small town, in the state of Michoacán, where agaves grow for both tequila and mescal production. Today, paleterias are found all over Mexico, arranged in row after row of brightly colored frozen goodness, melting every so slightly before they’re snatched up by hungry visitors, looking for a refreshing way to cool down.
The recipe below is a twist on the Paleta, or Traditional Mexican Wine Pops, and has many of the same ingredients as one would find in a sangria. Feel free to play with it, and make it your own. In our house, we love mango, but you might prefer blueberries, strawberries, or even grapes. Just have fun, experiment, and we’d love to hear what you created in the comments below!
PS: If you don’t have a traditional Mexican paleta mold, just use popsicle molds, or paper cups-anything that isn’t too wide for the stick to hold.
Tropical Paleta Sangria Pops
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 ½ cups mixed chopped fruit (bananas, peaches, mango, pineapple)
- ¾ cup orange banana juice
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- 3 tbs lemon juice
- 3 oz simple syrup
Combine the wine and the fruit in a bowl and allow to macerate for at least 20 minutes. Strain the fruit, reserve both fruit and wine, and set aside.
Combine both juices in a pitcher. Stir in the wine into the juice mixture, along with the lemon juice and simple syrup. Divide the fruit evenly into the molds, and pour in the liquid, leaving a little room at the top.
Freeze until your traditional Mexican wine pops are completely set, at least several hours.