“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” – Henry James

I couldn’t agree with Mr. James more. Summer brings us back to life, as we lose ourselves in early mornings in the garden, breakfast on the patio, warm afternoons at the beach, and strolls and bike rides in the cooling evening. Popsicles are always a welcome treat throughout the day, and we like them both very simple and a little complicated. These strawberry and cream pops take a bit more work, but are worth the extra time.

This recipe is adapted from the People’s Pops book, one of the best little popsicle books I’ve seen. I highly recommend it.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup sugar ( I used organic cane sugar, but regular, granulated will also work)
• 2/3 cup water
• 4 cups strawberries, hulled and coarsely chopped
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla
• A good pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ¼ cup heavy cream

Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is transparent. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.

Puree the strawberries in a food processor (you should have about 2 cups of puree). Transfer the berries to a measuring pitcher with a spout and add ¾ cups of the cooled sugar mixture, vanilla, salt, and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Add the heavy cream and mix gently (swirls are nice here).

Pour the mixture into your ice pop molds, leaving a bit of room at the top for expansion. Insert the pop sticks and freeze the popsicles until they are solid, 4-5 hours. Unmold the pops and transfer to a plastic bag for storage, or serve at once. Makes about 6 pops.

Enjoy!