Spiced Peachy Paletas

 Hello out there! Welcome to my blog!

What I hope to do with this space is just share some of my culinary adventures as a chef and a mommy with anyone interested. I have posted my meals on FB from time to time and I get emailed a LOT for the recipes, so I thought this would be a fun way to share my world of food with you all!

  Just to tell you a teeny bit about me: I am a professional chef, however, I think of myself as the "home cook" who happens to make money doing it. I have a stunning 14 month old baby girl, Lana and an amazing husband, Chris who are my whole world. I have a very close relationship with my family and we are all a bunch of food nerds! (We even have cooking competitions against each other. Just had our 5th Annual Burger Battle on Memorial Day) So food is literally my life. After we eat lunch, we are talking about what we are going to do for dinner...ha! (no joke. scary, huh??)

(told you she's stunning)

 I like to share. These recipes are all going to be super yummy creations that I make at home for my family. I don't make overly complicated recipes at home. I just love to make sure that every meal we eat at home is fresh, delicious, beautiful and nutritious (for the most part- sometimes you gotta indulge!)

 One thing you have to know about me is that I get very bored with the same foods over & over. I do a lot of recipe testing and experimenting at home and I love to share what I create to anyone who will listen to me blab about it. My sister is a proclaimed foodie as well and we are always calling each other up and exchanging our latest "OMG" meal. (that's the silly red head below :) ) 

I also LOVE to bake. Shhhhh...don't tell anyone, but I almost love it more than savory cooking. And as a matter of fact, that's exactly what we are going to start with- PALATAS!

For those of you that are thinking..."what the heck is that??" Let me explain. It's a Mexican ice pop...a popsicle! (pretty simple, huh?) Paletas come in a wide variety of flavors and are super simple to make! A few traditional types are: Tamarind, Lime, Coconut, Watermelon & Avocado (yes, avocado is actually pretty tasty), fresh fruit, even peppers, herbs, nuts, vegetables and booze! (like jalapeno, tomato, tequila, almond or hibiscus)

 Just to give you a super quick fact about paletas: Paleta derives from the word palo, meaning "stick", which is obviously how they are eaten. (sorry, had to throw that in there to show respect)

 Here is a wonderful book I picked up that has inspired me to create my Spiced Peach Paletas. Paletas by Fany Gerson and she does a fantastic job creating some amazing combinations and makes you feel confident to just get out there and make some tasty paletas ASAP!

So let's get down to business. I like to make it as simple as possible. Here is what speciality equipment you will need:

 

       - Popcicle Molds (I love this type below because of the shape...very classic!) Here is where you can get them and they are under $10! Score!)

  

       - Popsicle Sticks (the molds come with a few, but here are some more...cuz you will be a paleta making machine after this!) Get them Here

 

 That's it!

THE GOODS:

Spiced Peach Paletas (makes 8-10 paletas)

4-5 medium peaches, (ripe!)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar (you may need more if your peaches aren't sweet enough)

1 Tsp Mexican cinnamon (you can use regular cinnamon as well) 

pinch of kosher (or sea) salt



Start by making sure your peaches are ripe, pitted and peeled. If they are ripe enough, you can cut the peach in quarters and the skin will easily peel right off. I found these heavenly peaches at my local farmers market and honestly it was hard not to just eat this whole pile! SOOO YUMMY!

 Dice one peach into bite sized pieces and set aside.

 Puree the rest of the peaches until smooth. (I just use my mini food processor- my favorite appliance ever) This should give you about 1 1/2 cups of puree. If it gives you more, that's great too!

Next, combine the peach puree with the cream and milk. Whisk in the cinnamon and salt. That's it for the mixture! (easy, right??) Your dreamy golden paleta liquid is ready for it's next stop. The mold!

Pour your peach mixture into each mold- leaving a bit more than 1/4 inch to the top. (remember liquids expand when frozen plus we need some room for those lovely diced peaches you set aside)

Next, evenly distribute the peach pieces onto each mold. You may need a knife or chopstick to push the pieces down into the liquid because it is somewhat thick.

 Top the mold with the lid (pictured below, right side of the pic) or if you have another type of mold, put the tops on. If you have a mold like mine, do not put the sticks in yet (sorry this picture was taken after they are already frozen...don't mean to confuse you)

 Head to the freezer! In 1 1/2 to 2 hours, insert the popsicle sticks (they should be semi-frozen and firm enough to hold the sticks in place). They take about 4-5 hours to be frozen through and ready to eat.

 





To release the popsicles, I dunk the mold in some warm water real quick (don't leave them in there...you don't want them to melt too much). I used a rectangular tupperware (below) Worked perfect!

Gently yank those babies out of there and look at what you created....Taaaa dahhhhhh!

Couldn't resist....had to taste IMMEDIATELY! Soo yummy!! Cold, creamy, peachy, cinnamony (my new word) goodness. Perfect for any day.

You can of course use any fruit or combination you like.I just happened to have peaches around and I was eager to use my new mold so this is what I made.  I found that you need at least 3 cups of liquid to fill the 8-10 molds. A bit extra if you aren't putting fruit bits into your paletas. This recipe is completely made out of my head and you can do the same! This almost tastes like peach cobbler a la mode. Especially if you rolled it in crush up toasted pie crust. Hey! Great idea for next time! So good on it's own though.

 Well, I hope you enjoy these tasty treats or it at least inspires you to try your hand at paletas!

 Cheers!! 

Spiced Peach Paletas (makes 8-10 paletas)

4-5 medium peaches, (ripe!)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar (you may need more if your peaches aren't sweet enough)

1 Tsp Mexican cinnamon (you can use regular cinnamon as well)

pinch of kosher (or sea) salt



Start by making sure your peaches are ripe, pitted and peeled. If they are ripe enough, you can cut the peach in quarters and the skin will easily peel right off.

Dice one peach into bite sized pieces and set aside. Puree the rest of the peaches until smooth.This should give you about 1 1/2 cups of puree. Next, combine the peach puree with the cream and milk. Whisk in the cinnamon and salt.

Pour your peach mixture into each mold- leaving a bit more than 1/4 inch to the top. (remember liquids expand when frozen plus we need some room for those lovely diced peaches you set aside)

Next, evenly distribute the peach pieces onto each mold. You may need a knife or chopstick to push the pieces down into the liquid because it is somewhat thick.

Top the mold with the lid or if you have another type of mold, put the tops on. If you have a mold like mine, do not put the sticks in yet.

 Freeze 1 1/2 to 2 hours, insert the popsicle sticks (they should be semi-frozen and firm enough to hold the sticks in place). Freeze an additional 2-3 hours. They take about 4-5 hours to be frozen through and ready to eat. To release the popsicles, I dunk the mold in some warm water real quick (don't leave them in there...you don't want them to melt too much). Gently remove and enjoy!!