grape & yoghurt icy poles / popsicles

Grape & yoghurt icy poles.

It's summer in Australia, and it's hot, hot, HOT. Most of my time is spent indoors, trying to stay comfortable. And alive.

Frozen desserts seemed like a good idea, so when I bought a bucket of green grapes from the farmers' market recently, I soon put them to use, pairing them with honeyed yoghurt to create ice cream on a stick. You can use them fresh as well, but I decided to stew my grapes in coconut oil to soften them and concentrate their sweetness.

I indulged myself in these grape and yoghurt icy poles as an invigorating cold snack any time I felt like I needed a pick-me-up, and the truth is, they are so wholesome that you can eat them for breakfast and pat yourself on the back for a pretty tasty well-balanced start to the day.

grape & yoghurt icy poles / popsicles / ice pops
(makes around 5, depending on the size of your ice cream moulds)

1 cup grapes
1 teaspoon coconut oil or olive oil
1 cup unsweetened yoghurt (plain - natural or greek)
1 tablespoon honey 

Slice about a quarter of the grapes in half, leave the rest whole. Cook in coconut oil or olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until soft. Alternatively, you could roast them in the oven.
Mix yoghurt and honey together in a bowl.
You can either stir the grape compote directly into the honeyed yoghurt before spooning it into the ice cream moulds, as I did, or try alternating the mixtures by spooning in the yoghurt and the grapes in turns.
Freeze until solid - this usually takes several hours for me, and I tend to just let them do their thing overnight.
When you would like to eat your grape yoghurt icy poles, run some warm tap water over the moulds to loosen them and gently ease them out.

Yogurt popsicles, studded with grapes.

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ayomo, south melbourne

Banella waffle from Ayomo, with lots of banana and Nutella, served with a dollop of frozen yogurt.

I know, I know. We're in the middle of a chilly Melbourne winter right now. But I don't care. I'm still eating fro-yo (soft serve frozen yoghurt) when the cravings strike.

One of the things I will miss about working in South Melbourne is being in close proximity to Ayomo (226 Clarendon St, South Melbourne). Their cute name is derived from the phrase "A Yoghurt Moment". The people there are always nice and friendly, and they make some tempting fro-yo.

I've been there a few times since I first discovered it last year. They have both their standard natural and signature macadamia yoghurt all-year-round, with other flavours filling in the roster as they see fit. If you're not sure what to get, you can try samples first. And what I really like is that even when I get the small serving (which in my opinion is still quite generously sized), I can opt for more than one flavour in the cup. Awesome!

I've tried the lychee, which was graceful and floral, the young coconut, which was beautifully light with a taste that is more like coconut water than coconut cream. I've also tried the dairy-free mango, and the more indulgent salted caramel. So far, though, their signature macadamia fro-yo trumps all others, for me at least - it's gentle, tangy, just faintly sweet, and wins me over with the subtle, but distinctive nutty taste of macadamia.

The frozen yoghurt here is good enough to enjoy plain by themselves, but Ayomo offers an array of toppings, too, and my favourite is the halva.

There are other items on the menu as well, like the waffles in the picture above. They certainly don't skimp on the ingredients, as you can see from the plentiful slices of banana and lashings of Nutella on mine. Served with a frozen yoghurt of your choice, it makes for a very filling dessert.

Due to my big move, I don't know when I'll next visit Ayomo again. But hey, who knows? I may be back in Melbourne one day, and perhaps I'll even ask them if they have any job openings - it would be pretty cool to work in their Flavour Lab...

Frozen yoghurt from Ayomo with various toppings.

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gelateria primavera (spring st grocer), melbourne cbd

Gelati on a summer day in Melbourne, from Gelateria Primavera / Spring St Grocer.

Gelateria Primavera, out the front of Spring St Grocer (157 Spring St, Melbourne) is one of my favourite gelati places in Melbourne. Their ever-changing seasonal menu is always a delight, with fresh ingredients skilfully handled to create pretty, sensuous flavours.

Gelateria Primavera.

I've been here several times and have tried a number of their offerings. There is the summery brightness of strawberry mint, the delicate elegance of peach basil, the tangy floral loveliness of yoghurt rose cardamom, and the surprisingly rich intensity of the no-dairy choc cashew.

Sometimes there are more unusual creations, like rice pudding with lemon and bergamot, or prickly pear with pomegranate molasses, which I suspect don't come by often.

Then there are the popular items which can often be seen on their board - the beautifully perfumed cardamom-pistachio is usually around, perhaps one time paired with turmeric, another time with saffron.

But for all the fancy combinations, which I appreciate tremendously, my perennial favourite is the simple, yet absolutely luscious fior de latte (translation: "flower of milk"), which I could eat every time. This is an ambassador for the deliciousness of dairy, if there ever was one: pure, creamy perfection. And the cool thing is that, being a "basic" flavour, it's one that seems to be always on their menu. Just how I like it.

Gelati on an autumn day in Melbourne, from Gelateria Primavera / Spring St Grocer.

Also, despite their reputation and popularity, I like that I've yet to experience crazy queues or crowds with Gelateria Primavera, unlike some of the other trendy gelati establishments. Plus, they open till late everyday. What's not to love?

I've popped in to the providore section of Spring St Grocer as well, and it's worth the time to browse their fresh produce or gourmet treats, which you may just decide to take home with you. Additionally, my friends who work in the city tell me they like getting lunch at the "Rolls Ready" sandwich bar located inside. That's going to be my next stop, I think... and of course, I'll follow it up with their tasty gelati for dessert.





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coconut rhubarb ice pops / icy poles (vegan)

coconut rhubarb icy pole / ice pop / popsicle.

In Australia we are lucky to have rhubarb available almost all year round. While I feel I should really have produced an ice cream recipe for summer, it's never too late, especially since it's still only mid-autumn, wouldn't you agree? For those of you on the other side of the world, I believe rhubarb is in season now that it's spring, so I hope this works out to be a timely post for all.

In this ice pop recipe, I combine stewed rhubarb with coconut milk for a nicely tangy, gently creamy result. It's simple but something a little different. Try it and let me know what you think...

fresh rhubarb.

coconut rhubarb ice pops
(makes 4 - 6, depending on size of molds)

180g / 6oz / 1.5 cups chopped rhubarb stalks (leaves and ends removed)
1/4 cup raw sugar (or to taste)
2 tablespoons orange juice (may be substituted with another sweet acidic juice, e.g. apple juice, pineapple juice)
2/3 cup coconut milk (I prefer full-fat)
1/4 cup water

Plonk the rhubarb, sugar and citrus juice (if using) in a saucepan. Cook over a medium high heat until it starts to bubble, then turn the heat down to let it simmer, partially covered, until soft, between 5 - 10 minutes.
Blend the rhubarb mixture together with coconut milk and water together until smooth. Do a taste test and add more sugar if desired - give it another thorough blend if doing so.
Pour the rhubarb ice cream batter into ice pop molds.
Freeze until firm - I usually just freeze overnight and start eating the next day. :)

coconut rhubarb popsicle. i took a bite! and finished the whole thing after taking the photo, of course.

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carrot ice cream / carrot kulfi

It's funny how things change. I never understood the appeal of carrot milk when I lived in Malaysia. My cousin loved it, and would often order it at cafes and mamak stalls. I'd try it and be all, "I don't know, it's still kinda weird to me..." And she'd be taken aback - "Really?! It's so nice and refreshing!"

I could never understand it... but one spring afternoon in Melbourne, I finally did. As you may have guessed, it's not something I would normally make for myself, but I was experimenting with a carrot-flavoured milk recipe for research and work purposes (outside of my full-time job, I freelance as a recipe developer) so it was all in the name of professional shenanigans.

Now, I don't know whether it was because my tastes have changed... or if the ingredients I used were better in quality... or if my version of carrot milk was simply more suited to my palate. Whatever it was, I liked it. After all this time, I finally understood what my cousin was on about: it was so nice and refreshing!

My new-found friendship with carrot milk got my brain ticking, it did. Not surprisingly, it didn't take long for me to take the leap from carrot milk... to carrot ice cream. A little bit sweeter. A tiny bit more decadent. And much, much colder.

yellow-orange kulfi-inspired carrot popsicles.

carrot ice cream / carrot kulfi

200ml pure cream, approx. 45% milk fat* (4/5 cup)
2 medium carrots (200g or just under 1/2 lb), peeled and chopped
200ml water
100g raw sugar (just under 1/4 lb or 1/2 cup)
a pinch of salt

Blend carrots with water. Filter the juice through a sieve/strainer. Reserve both the carrot juice and the carrot pulp.
In a saucepan, simmer together carrot pulp, raw sugar and salt until carrots are soft and no longer gritty**, stirring and adding a little water if necessary to keep it from completely drying out. Let it cool slightly.
Blend the carrot juice, sweetened carrot pulp and cream until thoroughly smooth and well-combined.
Freeze until firm in your choice of ice cream moulds.

*Pure cream in Australia is similar to double cream in UK and Europe, and heavy cream in North America.
**The softer the carrots, the smoother the texture of the ice cream.

sweet and creamy carrot ice pops, anyone?

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vegan coconut mocha ice cream. pure bliss.

Are you in need of a chocolate fix? I was, the other night. I cursed my empty cupboards. I cursed the absence of a secret chocolate stash. I cursed and I sulked and I craved and I yearned... and then I remembered I had this glorious tub of vegan coconut mocha ice cream sweetly tucked away in the freezer.

How could I have forgotten? But I remember now. I remember licking that sensational batter off the spoon. I remember swiping my fingers all round the insides of the saucepan and the blender, savouring every last glossy, clinging remnant. I remember hoping that the wonderful batter would turn into an even more wonderful ice cream. And now, here it is. Here it is, perfectly frozen, perfectly ready to satisfy me... perfectly delicious.

a half-eaten tub of fabulous homemade vegan coconut mocha ice cream.

Don't be alarmed by the inclusion of avocado in the recipe. You won't even taste it, but it's there alright, weaving a lush buttery magic through the concoction. Then there's the sultriness of the thick, full-fat coconut cream, and the sexy integrity of a good quality organic cocoa powder - even in its frozen state, I get a strong whiff of chocolate whenever I open up this tub of ice cream. Absolute decadence. I never thought I'd say this about a vegan recipe, but this is rich, rich goodness, and not for the faint of heart.

This makes only a very small portion of ice cream, so feel free to multiply the quantities for a bigger batch.

vegan coconut mocha ice cream

1/2 cup coconut cream
1/3 cup coarse raw sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
3 tablespoons water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 small ripe avocado (approx. 150g / 1/3 lb)

Warm up coconut cream over low heat and add raw sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, instant coffee granules, water and salt. Stir till all dissolved. Turn off the heat.

Peel avocado and extract the flesh.

Blend mocha coconut mix together with avocado flesh until completely smooth.

Freeze in a container. Take the container out of the freezer to give the mixture a good 30 second whisk every half an hour for the next two hours, then allow it to rest serenely in the freezer until sufficiently frozen for consumption.

*As coffee doesn't always sit well with me, I opted for a more chocolatey mocha with a high ratio of cocoa powder. If you would like the coffee flavour to shine through, feel free to adjust to your taste. If you would like a more mildly sweet ice cream, sugar used can be reduced to 1/4 cup, though the texture of the resulting ice cream might turn out harder.

vegan coconut mocha ice cream: the pretentious version.

In other news, I figured this was as good a time as any for a first attempt at creating ice cream quenelles. Okay, so my quenelle isn't particularly handsome, but at least it's not completely horrendous. Or is it? ... I hurriedly dressed it up with a macadamia nut and a strawberry slice to give it a little more character. I think I just needed some kind of crumble to complete the picture, but this was all I had, and the ice cream was starting to melt, and I was getting tired, and...

Seriously, though, when I'm not trying to take fancy photos for my blog and all that jazz, I just dig in with a spoon. Sometimes - and this is not just my indolent nature speaking - it's the simple things I enjoy most, and eating ice cream straight out of the tub while curled up in bed on a cool breezy night? Bliss at its best.

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fritz gelato, prahran market

After our martial arts training on the weekends, a group of us often end up hanging out in the courtyard of Prahran Market. In summer, for me, that means getting the delightful award-winning frozen concoctions from Fritz Gelato. This invariably garners envious attention from my compatriots, usually with a few succumbing and trotting off to get their own.

The gelati here are made with fresh, organic ingredients, and shies away from artificial flavours and colours. As such, the flavours available can vary according to the season. Festive ones also pop up occasionally. At the moment, as we edge towards Christmas, I received their newsletter informing me of a Plum Pudding ice cream. I'm not even a big fan of plum pudding, but the next time I went to get my gelati fix, my curiosity got the better of me and I opted for a scoop of that, along with a scoop of an oldie but goodie, Very Vanilla.

If you like plum pudding, you'll probably like Fritz Gelato's version, as it does taste rather like the real thing with spice, rum, candied fruits, and even a subtle touch of doughiness. The vanilla is a solid choice, one that I've had before, and I like it because it's, well, very vanilla, and in a good way.

alliteration alert: Plum Pudding and Very Vanilla

As much as I appreciate Fritz Gelato's rich and creamy gelati, I'd probably say I like their refreshing fruit gelati even better. I discovered their beautiful Blood Orange earlier this year and was instantly won over by its authentic flavour and silky-smooth texture. Then there's Forest Berry, a luscious new revelation for me. Intense with the natural sweet-tangy taste of berries, this, too, will be making its way to my rotation list. And that deep reddish-purple colour is just sensational.

Blood Orange and Forest Berry sitting in a tree...

There doesn't seem to be many write-ups on Fritz Gelato, but all the ones I've seen, upon a quick search, are greatly positive. Most recently, Mel from Hot or Not rated it as Hot.

Other notes: Fritz Gelato was founded by Andrea Fritz, a Swiss immigrant. The first Australian store opened in South Melbourne in the 1960s, followed by stores in Richmond and St Kilda, though I've only tried the stall at Prahran Market. Take-home tubs are available. They also do organic donuts, which I like very much as well.



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preserved mandarin sorbet

preserved mandarin sorbet

If you are familiar with Chinese sweets, you may know about preserved mandarin/tangerine peel. It's similar to what some call crack seed snacks. This sweet and salty preserved fruit candy is a childhood favourite of mine. For November's salt-themed International Incident Party hosted by Jeroxie, I decided to go with this preserved mandarin peel idea. I thought about just making the sweet itself, but midway through, changed my mind, skipped the drying process and made a sorbet instead!

The brand of preserved mandarin peel I grew up with is Jiabao, so I had a look at their list of ingredients first to check what I would need to reproduce a similar flavour. I then came up with the following recipe(s)...

mandarin peels in salt solution. this was before the addition of sugar and licorice root powder.

Note: If mandarins aren't in season, oranges should be a serviceable substitute.

preserved mandarin peel

- thin pieces of peel from one big mandarin/tangerine
- 1/2 tablespoon coarse salt (I used coarse sea salt with no additives)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons mandarin juice
- 1 teaspoon licorice root powder

Pack mandarin peel in a small jar. (take care to use jars that won't corrode with acid and salt. I used a glass jar with a plastic lid.)

Add salt to the peels, then mandarin juice. The peels should be all submerged in the liquid. Shake to dissolve some of the salt.

Leave in a cool dark place at room temperature and shake the jar a couple times a day (or more often if you like!).

After a few days, retrieve peel from jar, still leaving the salt solution in the jar.

Bring to boil then simmer the peel in 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon licorice root powder and 1 tablespoon sugar until the liquid is reduced to approximately a quarter, i.e. 1/8 cup or 2 tablespoons of thick syrup.

Add the peel and licorice sugar syrup back to the jar with the salt solution. I let it cool before putting the lid back on and then stored it for several more days in the fridge, letting the flavours seep in.

So that's my very small portion of preserved mandarin peel. You can probably even use the syrup like a cordial and make iced drinks with it. Or, continue on like I did, and make the sorbet!

this refreshing mandarin sorbet will even replenish your electrolytes!

salted mandarin sorbet with preserved mandarin peel

1 + 1/2 cups mandarin juice
1/4 cup caster sugar
the salty-sweet peels and syrup from the recipe above
1 tablespoon triple sec (optional)

In a saucepan combine 1/2 cup mandarin juice and all the sugar and simmer, stirring until all dissolved, and remove from heat. Add to the rest of the mandarin juice.

Blend/process/chop the salty-sweet peels until they are tiny pieces. Add into the sugary mandarin juice.
Add 1 tablespoon triple sec as well, if using.

Slowly add in the salty-sweet preserving syrup, stirring, until the balance of sweet and salty flavours are to your liking - you can use just some of it, or you can use it all.

Freeze the concoction in an ice cream maker, if you have one. I didn't, so went the old-fashion route by beating the mixture up every few hours. I'm yet to perfect the art of making a smooth sorbet without an ice cream maker, as you can see from the pictures. However, I'm still patting myself on the back for this creation. The sorbet does have that preserved mandarin peel flavour to it and it was sweet, salty and refreshing. Mission accomplished!

salted mandarin sorbet with preserved mandarin peel

my fellow salt partiers!


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soy milk + blackstrap molasses: a healthy two-ingredient sorbet

This weekend, I thought I'd celebrate minimalism with a simple sorbet. I remember a friend offered me a few things from her pantry last year when she was moving house, and one of the things I took was a jar of organic blackstrap molasses. Ever since then, I have enjoyed blackstrap molasses with soy milk - this is not only delicious but also apparently advocated as a great natural health remedy. I had a feeling the concoction would be just as awesome in a frozen form, so here we are!

a healthy organic vegan sorbet of soy milk & blackstrap molasses

Ingredients (serves 2):
400ml organic soy milk
approx.1 tablespoon organic blackstrap molasses (adjust according to taste)

The first step is easy. Mix the blackstrap molasses into the soy milk until thoroughly dissolved. As blackstrap molasses are highly viscous, you might want to ease the process by dissolving the blackstrap molasses in just a little hot water (not too much) before adding it into the soy milk. Also, if you are not familiar with blackstrap molasses, add a little at a time until the taste is to your liking.

Then, pour it into an ice cream maker if you have one. As I don't have one, I did it the old-fashioned way by pouring it into a container, and then breaking up and blending the ice crystals every hour or so with the help of a spoon.

The sorbet was just as scrumptious as I thought it would be - the blackstrap molasses imparted a rich, distinctive taste, balanced by the gentleness of the soy milk. It did turn out a little icy - I would probably describe it as the love child of a sorbet and a granita - but I think that can be improved with more practice and experimentation, and I definitely recommend experimenting with the wonderful combination that is soy milk and blackstrap molasses!

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