Not long after I went on a mission to make beautiful ice pops without a Zoku, Indiana’s Family of Farmers was kind enough to present me with one as part of the July Table Talk.
I’ll be honest, I’m super grateful to Indiana’s Family of Farmers, because it’s a great tool to have in the kitchen and I really do love my Zoku Duo, but it brought back Rice Krispie Treat-making flashbacks.
Let me explain… while I can whip up homemade tortillas or Chicken-Stuffed Portabella Mushroom, I can’t make Rice Krispie Treats. It’s embarrassing, because I’ve seen young kids make them with ease, but I always end up with a Rice Krispie glob.
My Zoku ice pop making went along the same lines and I learned some valuable lessons.
1. A watched Zoku Pop never freezes (and I may lack some serious patience). When I made ice pops without a Zoku, of course they took A LOT of time, but I could do so much in between tasks. Zoku pops are suppose to be instant (or quick in the very least). They are. How else could you get a ice pop in 6-8 minutes? However, pouring ingredients to make lines and designs took extra time. It wasn’t enough time to do anything else, but watching that Zoku pop freeze… well, it was the longest 6-8 minutes of my life.
2. Picking my least favorite kid is hard. My Zoku Ice Pop Maker is a Zoku Duo, which makes 2 ice pops at a time and I have 3 kids. Do you see the dilemma? I quickly learned not to enjoy them instantly, otherwise one kid sat for the 6 minutes or more waiting and watching their siblings enjoy their ice pops. Instead, I made them early, then stuck them in sandwich bags in the freezer to give to all three kids at once.
3. Sugar will solve all of your problems. We should all know this by now. Maybe isn’t not the best lesson to learn, but I’ll admit I’m definitely guilty of trying to overcome troubling times with delicious, sweet foods. Zoku reinforces the belief that sugar will make things better, since half of the things that could go wrong with your ice pop are a result of not enough sugar. I’m not going to admit how many ice pops we ate in a bowl with a spoon after prying them out of the Zoku with a knife.
4. When all else fails, start drinking. With a Zoku, you have to be fast, because while you’re making beautiful ice pops, it’s thawing. We started making extravagant ice pops with lines and designs, but quickly learned that if we took too much time, the second set wouldn’t freeze enough to pull out properly. Since many of the recipes made 6 ice pops and we could barely get out 4, it’s quite possible we finally gave in and started just drinking the left over ice pop mix. It’s pretty good.
5. Everything tastes better frozen. Almost anything you drink, with the exception of soda and water, can be poured into the Zoku and made into an ice pop. After a while, we got creative, by pouring our smoothies into it and enjoying them frozen for breakfast. My kids loved popsicles for breakfast! My 5-year-old even turned her chocolate milk into a ice pop and it was pretty delicious.
6. There’s nothing a Zoku can make that a regular ice pop mold can not. When it comes to quick treats for the kids made from simple one-liquid, I’ll definitely be pulling out my Zoku. But, I’m going to leave any extravagant ice pop making to my old-fashion ice pop molds, which I used to pop out 28 ice pops in 11 hours without standing there while each one froze. The Zoku could never do that.
While it is wonderful to have, don’t let those beautiful photos on Pinterest convince you that you have to have one, especially if it’s not quite in your price range or you prefer healthier ice pops without so much sugar!
Do you have a Zoku? Do you love it? Or did you struggle like I did?
Chocolate Chip Malted Milk Ice Pops Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Whole Milk
- 1/2 Cup Vanilla Pudding
- 1/3 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/3 Cup Malt Mix
- 1 1/2 tsp Agave Nectar
- 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips
Directions
1. Whisk all ingredients together until well blended.
2. Pour into your Zoku or regular ice pop molds. While pouring, drop a few chocolate chips in here or there.
3. Add more chocolate chips to the bottom.
4. Freeze regular molds in the freezer until thoroughly frozen or pour into your Zoku and wait 6-8 minutes until frozen.
Craving more? Browse the recipe index for more easy recipes.
In Good Cents is a Table Talk Contributor, sponsored by the Indiana Family of Farmers. While I was not compensated for this post, I was provided with tools to enjoy some delicious summer food for inspiration. All opinions are 100% my own. For more information, please read our terms & conditions and disclosure policy.
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