Mint Fudgcicles

On Sunday at the church nursery, my daughter somehow cut her gum right under her top lip. I recognized her cry before we got to the counter to pick her up, and when we spotted her, blood was starting to pool in her mouth. The cut was in a spot that made sucking a pacifier painful. 

No morning nap + busted up mouth + no pacifier = unhappy little girl. Her cut reopened during her afternoon nap, making an even fussier little girl. She wouldn't take ice chips, her sippy cup, or any other distractions that we could think of. 

But, she did take a fudgcicle. Typically, we don't give LE sweets. If you give your own pre-toddler sweets, that's your prerogative; I'm not here to tell you not to. 

This was an exception to our no-sweets rule, though. She needed something to soothe her mouth-- something cold. She sat outside on our driveway and ate the whole thing without stopping and without smiling. She was on a mission, and the fudgcicle really helped her forget that she was supposed to be unhappy.

John likes fudgcicles a lot, probably because fudgcicles are essentially just frozen pudding. I, on the other hand, fall in the take-it-or-leave-it category. Sure, pudding is ok, but I prefer a much richer, sweeter dessert route, and fudgcicles just don't go there.

I tried out the recipe on Smitten Kitchen's site, and they turned out creamy, smooth, and not at all icy. Even John liked them, and he's kind of picky when it comes to fudgcicles. 

If you're restricting your sugar intake, try subbing out the sugar for Truvia. Try reducing the fat by opting for 2% milk (though you risk it becoming a little too icy). Add a different flavor extract. 

The second time I made these, I increased the chocolate just a tad and added mint extract to make mint fudgcicles. These were my favorite of the two.

The beauty of these is that they are budget-friendly and simple. You can get a sweet, cold treat using common ingredients that most of you already have in your pantry. I didn't have to go buy anything for these.

You can find popsicle molds everywhere these days. Michaels has them for $1. I used a silicone mold (brand/source unknown) that my mother-in-law gave me when she was clearing out some of her baking goods. You could also use small cups or ice cube trays for mini popsicles, perfect for toddlers. Cut popsicle sticks in half, wait for 30 minutes into the freezing time, and insert the sticks into the middle of each cube.


Fudgcicles
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from On A Stick

Makes 4 standard popsicles

Ingredients
2 1/2 tablespoons (approx 25 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips (choc chips vary so much in size, I weigh mine)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetend cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups whole milk
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extra (or sub out with a different flavor, like I did; mint is delicious!)
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter

Over very low heat, melt the chocolate chips in a medium saucepan, stirring constantly. Stir in the sugar, cornstarch, and cocoa powder. To prevent lumps, add just a splash of the milk, continuing to stir constantly so that the chocolate mixture combines with the milk. Add the rest of the milk to the pan, and increase the heat to medium. Cook the mixture for 5-10 minutes, until the mixture coats the spoon well and turns to a thin pudding consistency.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the vanilla extract (or other extract) and butter. Stir to combine, and then pour into your molds. Wait until it's fully frozen, at least 3 hours, before enjoying!


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