I know you are already giving me a skeptical raise of the eyebrow and thinking to yourself, "those aren't sprinkles, they are crushed pretzels." Okay, okay, but stick with me. "Sprinkles" sounds ever so much prettier than "decimated pretzels."
There are times when being a food blogger seems very glamorous. The days where your egg whites whip with scarcely any coaxing and nearly overflow in billowy clouds, and the sun provides just the right amount of light for capturing their edible magic on camera.
Of course, as with any profession, there are also some not-so-glamorous moments.
Those are the days where you wake up early to begin your shoot and proudly slide a tray of popsicles into the freezer, only to return several hours later to still-liquid pops. You, maintaining your sense of confidence, decide that you must have underestimated the freezing time and opt to return to the project the following day.
After setting up the shoot space three times only to be left with still semi-liquid popsicles, you and your pops have a meltdown together and you call the repairman because you have finally realized that your freezer has...not been freezing.
I was able to salvage only two of these popsicles after my freezer saga - just enough to know that they were truly wonderful.
The lesson here is that if your freezer does not feel as cold as it should be, it is probably not.
I would suggest evaluating the state of your freezer and then grabbing your white chocolate because we are making popsicles!
Cornstarch, sugar, whole milk, vanilla, and a whole lot of white chocolate - the best you can get your hands on.
We are going to thin out our white chocolate pudding with some half & half for extra richness, and to cool down the mixture before pouring it into our popsicle molds.
Drop a handful of blueberries into the bottom of each mold. Frozen blueberries acquire an almost-creamy texture that I love so much. However, if you do not LOVE blueberries, try quartering them beforehand to avoid big bites of blueberry.
The blueberries are going to try to float to the top but you can push them back into their proper places with a popsicle stick.
Oh the anticipation...
After about six hours, your popsicles will be ready to eat!
Hulk smash some pretzels (I like the gluten-free variety because they are extra crunchy), and roll the popsicles in the pretzel "sprinkles" just before serving.
This is a texture fanatic's dream right here.
Wishing you all the most wonderful Independence Day!!
Sincerely,
Pedantic Foodie
White Chocolate Popsicles with Blueberries & Pretzel Sprinkles
makes 10 popsicles
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup good quality white chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups half & half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 10 popsicle sticks
- 2 cups gluten-free pretzels, crushed
Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a 3-quart saucepan. Whisk in milk and place over medium heat. Heat the mixture, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. Boil, continuing to stir, for 1 minute.
Remove the mixture from the heat and slowly whisk in about 1/2 cup of the half & half. Add white chocolate chips and stir until fully melted, then stir in the vanilla extract and remaining half & half.
Cook's Note: It is important that the chocolate be fully melted before you add the remaining half & half, otherwise the cool cream will cause the chocolate to seize up and result in a grainy texture.
Drop several blueberries into each mold and cover with the white chocolate mixture. Use one of the popsicle sticks to dislodge any blueberries that are gathering at the bottom of the molds. Transfer the molds to the freezer and freeze for 1 1/2-2 hours, then insert your popsicle sticks. Freeze for an additional 3-4 hours; until solid.
Remove the popsicles from the molds and roll them in crushed pretzels just before serving. Or, wrap each popsicle (without the pretzel crumbs) in parchment paper and store in zip-top freezer bags for up to two weeks. Enjoy!
