Pear Vanilla Ice Pop Food

COCONUT, CHERRY AND VANILLA BEAN ICE POPS

Steps:

• Bring the cherries, maple syrup, cinnamon and almond extract to a simmer in a small pot over high heat. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the cherries are juicy and soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, and set aside.
• In another small-to-medium pot, bring the coconut milk and vanilla bean seeds and pods to a simmer over high heat, whisking occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in the honey and vanilla extract. Remove and reserve the vanilla bean pod. Pour the mixture into a pitcher or measuring jug and set aside.
• Place a strainer over the blender jar. Add the cooked cherries, and press out the juice. Add 1/3 of the cherry pulp and 1 cup of the coconut milk mixture, and blend until smooth. You should have about 2 cups of liquid. Refrigerate. Divide the remaining coconut milk mixture among ice pop molds, and place them in the freezer until semifrozen, about 1 hour. Remove them from the freezer, and divide the remaining cherry pulp among the molds. Top with the blended cherry-coconut mixture, place the lids on top, add sticks and freeze until solid, at least 8 hours.
• To remove the ice pops, dip the molds in warm water for a few seconds, then carefully pull on the sticks to release.

OLD FASHIONED VANILLA ICE POPS (A.K.A. POP POPS)

Steps:

• Pour cream soda into a bowl and whisk until no longer bubbly; set aside.
• Heat water and sugar in a saucepan over medium high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Stir sugar mixture and vanilla extract into the cream soda.
• Pour mixture into small plastic cups or ice pop molds, then insert wooden ice pop sticks. Freeze until firm.

ROASTED PEARS WITH BROWN SUGAR AND VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Arrange the pears cut side up in an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Whisk the apple juice and sugar in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the butter. Pour the sauce over the pears. Bake until the pears are crisp-tender and beginning to brown, basting occasionally with the juices, about 35 minutes.
• Spoon the pears onto plates. Top with ice cream. Drizzle with any juices and serve.
• The pears can also be served frozen. To do so, cool the pears, then place them in the freezer until frozen solid, about 8 hours.

ROASTED PEARS WITH BROWN SUGAR AND VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Arrange the pears cut side up in an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Whisk the apple juice and sugar in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the butter. Pour the sauce over the pears. Bake until the pears are crisp-tender and beginning to brown, basting occasionally with the juices, about 35 minutes.
• Spoon the pears onto plates. Top with ice cream. Drizzle with any juices and serve.
• The pears can also be served frozen. To do so, cool the pears, then place them in the freezer until frozen solid, about 8 hours.

HONEY ROASTED PEARS WITH BRANDY VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• For the brandy ice cream:.
• Stir together the ice cream and the brandy until well blended. Freeze until serving time.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• For the pears:.
• Halve, peel and core pears. Immediately sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning. In a large, rimmed baking pan, mix the remaining lemon juice with the butter, honey and vanilla. Stir in the orange and lemon zest, and the spices. With a small, sharp knife, score the rounded part of each pear half diagonally in one direction, then the other, to form a diamond pattern. Place pears cut side down in baking pan. Spoon honey mixture over pears.
• Bake pears 40-45 minutes, basting them with pan juices every 10 minutes or so, until the are very soft when pierced. Place one pear half on each plate and place scoops of ice cream around them. Garnish with the lemon and orange slices.

PEARS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Peel the pears, leaving the stalks intact, then take the core out from the bottom of each by using a small sharp knife or a melon baller. Flatten the bottom by slicing off a little bit so that it will sit upright when served. Put the pears into a saucepan with the zests, vanilla pod, sugar, cinnamon, white wine and 600ml water, then bring to the boil. Lower the heat and poach for about 20-25 mins until they are cooked all the way through, but are not so soft that they will fall apart. Leave to cool in the liquid. Can be made and chilled a day ahead.
• When cool, take the pears out, strain out the cinnamon, zest and vanilla pod (keep the pod, allow it to dry, then pop it into a jar of sugar to make vanilla sugar), then pour the syrup back in the pan. Boil until reduced by half to a thin syrup.
• Meanwhile, to make the sauce, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Warm the cream, milk and butter in a heavy based pan. Stir this into the melted chocolate, set aside and keep warm. Can be made and chilled a day ahead. If the sauce cools and thickens too much, warm it again gently over a pan of simmering water or for 30 secs in a microwave. Serve the pears with plenty of syrup, chocolate sauce and good-quality vanilla ice cream.

VANILLA PEAR BREAKFAST POPS

Steps:

• The night before, combine ingredients in a blender or food processor, and with an adult watching, puree on high until smooth. Pour into 3-ounce, ice-pop molds; the mixture will make 7 ice pops. Insert the sticks that come with the molds and freeze overnight.
• The night before, combine ingredients in a blender or food processor, and with an adult watching, purée on high until smooth. Pour into 3-ounce, ice-pop molds; the mixture will make 7 ice pops. Insert the sticks that come with the molds and freeze overnight.
• Servings: 7.
• Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 50; Total fat 0g; Saturated fat 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 20mg; Carbohydrate 11g; Fiber 11g; Protein 1g; Vitamin A 0%DV*; Vitamin C 2%DV; Calcium 4%DV; Iron 2%DV.
• * % Daily Value.