People's Pops 55 Recipes for Ice Pops, Shave Ice, and Boozy Pops from Brooklyn's Coolest Pop Shop
A flavor-packed collection of 65 recipes from the trio behind the premier pops stand in the country, People’s Pops
In 2008, three old friends had a hunch that the world deserved a better ice pop. Every summer since, New York City’s been taken by storm with out-of-the-box flavors like Raspberries & Basil, Peach & Bourbon, and Cantaloupe & Tarragon from People’s Pops. Now, the People behind the phenomenon share their DIY ethos in a breezy cookbook that teaches how to pair ingredients, balance sweetness, and explore fruits (and vegetables and herbs!)–in simple recipes that work with standard ice pop molds or improvised ones. With a chapter devoted to shave ice plus recipes for grownup boozy pops sprinkled throughout, People’s Pops proves itself top of the pops.
Joel Horowitz has a background in advertising and design. He founded People’s Pops in 2008, along with Nathalie Jordi and David Carrell.
David Carrell worked for David Letterman, Good Morning America, and CNBC before turning his attention to ice pops. He founded People’s Pops in 2008, along with Nathalie Jordi and Joel Horowitz.
Nathalie Jordi has written on food and travel for the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, and Saveur, among others. She also lived in Ireland to work on Darina Allen’s Forgotten Skills of Cooking. She founded People’s Pops in 2008, along with David Carrell and Joel Horowitz.
“All you need is an ice-pop mold and sticks, a food processor and some simple syrup, and your summer will thank you.”
—New York Times Book Review
“Power to the People’s Pop! These ice pops are my favorite food on a stick.”
—Rachael Ray
RECIPES: BLUEBERRY MOONSHINE, RASPBERRIES & CREAM, WATER MELLON & PARSLEY, and SIMPLE SYRUP
BLUEBERRY MOONSHINE
MAKES 10 POPS
1 pound 6 ounces (43/4 cups) blueberries
2/3 cup (5 fl oz) simple syrup
2 tablespoons (1 fl oz) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup (3 fl oz) moonshine
Pick out any stems or leaves from the blueberries and purée them in a food processor. You should have about 21/4 cups (18 fl oz) of purée.
Combine the puréed blueberries, simple syrup, and lemon juice in a bowl or measuring pitcher with a pouring spout. Taste; the precise amount of simple syrup and lemon juice needed will depend on how sweet the berries were to begin with. Be aware that blueberries are one of the rare fruits that you don’t want to over-sweeten because they tend to get sweeter as they freeze. Stir in the moonshine.
If you wish, now is the time to strain out the skins by pressing the gloppy blueberry mixture though a colander or sieve using a wooden spoon, a rubber spatula, or your fist (blueberries stain skin, so those choosing the third route might want to wear gloves). Or don’t, and leave them in.
Pour the mixture into your ice pop molds, leaving a little bit of room at the top for the mixture to expand. Insert sticks and freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours. Unmold and transfer to plastic bags for storage or serve at once.
SIMPLE SYRUP
2/3 cup (5 oz) organic cane sugar
2/3 cup (5 fl oz) water
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is transparent. Turn off the heat and let cool. Add any spices before the mixture starts to simmer; add any herbs only after you’ve turned off the heat. Store plain and infused syrups in sealed containers in the fridge.
makes 1 cup (8 fl oz)
RASPBERRIES & CREAM
MAKES 10 POPS
1 pound (4 cups) raspberries
2/3 cup (5 fl oz) simple syrup (see recipe above)
1/2 cup (4 fl oz) heavy cream
Purée the raspberries in a food processor or smash with a potato masher. Transfer them to a bowl or measuring pitcher with a pouring spout and add the simple syrup. Stir well and taste; significant seasonal variation in raspberries means the sweetness of your mixture may need tweaking. Add the cream and stir very, very minimally. The swirl effect in the finished pop is an aesthetic (and gustatory) effect really worth trying to achieve, and the act of pouring the cream into the molds will do a lot to homogenize the mixture, so don’t overmix it.
Pour the mixture into your ice pop molds, leaving a little bit of room at the top for the mixture to expand. Insert sticks and freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours. Unmold and transfer to plastic bags for storage or serve at once.
WATER MELLON & PARSLEY
MAKES 10 POPS
12/3 pounds whole watermelon (about 1/2 of a bowling ball–sized watermelon)
3/4 cup (6 fl oz) simple syrup (see recipe above), or more if needed
20 leaves fresh flat-leaf parsley
Peel and coarsely chop the watermelon. You should have about a quart of watermelon pieces. Purée the watermelon, leaving chunks if you like, as long as they’re small enough to pour into the molds. You should have about 21/4 cups (18 fl oz) of purée.
Transfer the puréed watermelon to a bowl or measuring pitcher with a pouring spout. Mix the simple syrup into the puréed watermelon until it tastes quite sweet. Chop the parsley very finely and add it to the mixture.
Pour the mixture into your ice pop molds, leaving a little bit of room at the top for the mixture to expand. Insert sticks and freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours. Unmold and transfer to plastic bags for storage or serve at once.
Reprinted with permission from People’s Pops: 55 Recipes for Ice Pops, Shave Ice, and Boozy Pops from Brooklyn’s Coolest Pop Shop by Nathalie Jordi, David Carrell, and Joel Horowitz, copyright © 2012. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group.