Homemade ice blocks
How I love a homemade ice block! They’re such a treat and you can get as creative as you like with flavours. The only trick is to make sure you use a sugar syrup – or similar – to ensure that you get an ice block that is juicy and suck-able, not just a block of flavoured ice!
Sugar syrup
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved.
Pineapple and vanilla crush
½ fresh pineapple, juiced (or 250ml juice)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup water
¼ cup sugar syrup
Blend all ingredients and fill ice-block moulds.
Freeze for at least 6 hours. For choc tops, melt some chocolate over a double boiler (or in the microwave) and dip or brush the chocolate onto the frozen ice blocks.
Blackberries and cream
Makes 6-8
1 cup blackberries, some chopped and squashed
1 cup cream, lightly whipped
1 tbsp plain yoghurt
¼ cup sugar syrup, cooled
Mix all the ingredients together and fill the ice-block moulds.
Freeze for at least 6 hours.
Watermelon and lime
Makes 6-8
3 cups fresh chopped watermelon, pips removed
¼ cup lime juice
½ cup water
¼ cup sugar syrup
Blend all the ingredients and fill the ice-block moulds.
Freeze for at least 6 hours.
Nici’s tip
If you don’t own an ice-block mould, use small jars or glasses. Place them on a tray, fill, then cover with foil and poke the sticks through the foil and into the iceblock so they stay upright during freezing.
This first appeared in New Zealand Woman’s Weekly.
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