Baking with Olivia and Caroline

Summertime is officially upon us! Our recipe idea for this month was born while shopping in one of our favorite grocery stores. I love collaborating with Caroline on these recipes. It’s not just the making of them; it’s the behind-the-scenes shopping and preparing for each recipe we create. 

We were together one evening at Adams in Kingston, and Caroline picked up a bag of key limes. Neither she nor I had had the fortune of seeing them in a supermarket. She excitedly said, “Mom, we should totally make key lime pie.” I agreed, but as we were walking through the store grabbing other ingredients, we decided to make popsicles instead. 

When the weather is warm, we love frozen treats, and we always have popsicles on hand to cool off on a summer day. These creamsicles combine all the best elements of key lime pie and are just so darn delicious. We’ve had numerous taste testers for these and everyone agrees that, “holy smokes these are so good.” It’s almost unbelievable how good they are. After finishing one you immediately want another. One tester said, “I could eat a million of these.” I guess we’ll need a bigger freezer. We hope you enjoy.

Ingredients

• 20+ key limes or ½ cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp lime zest
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• Graham cracker crumbs

Instructions

Zest and juice the limes. We used a bag of 20+ key limes to measure about a 1/2 cup of lime juice. Key limes are difficult to find, but regular limes work just fine too. Regular limes are tarter, and key limes are more floral and sweeter.

Whip the cream and vanilla until soft peaks form. 

Mix the lime zest, lime juice, and sweetened condensed milk together. Once combined, fold in the whipped cream. 

Pour a little bit of the creamsicle mixture into each popsicle mold and layer with Graham cracker crumbs being sure to avoid big clumps in the center (if there is too much Graham cracker in the center, the popsicles won’t freeze to the sticks).

Place in the freezer for about an hour to set before inserting popsicle sticks. Put the sticks in and continue to freeze for at least three to four more hours before serving. 

To remove creamsicles from the molds, run under warm water for about 30 seconds. Makes six to ten creamsicles, depending on the mold you use. 

Note: we tried multiple molds and had a very difficult time removing the popsicles from our silicone mold. Stainless steel would work best but hard plastic worked just fine. And if you don’t have a popsicle mold and don’t want to purchase one, you can use a muffin tin with liners and cut the sticks a little shorter. •

Olivia and Caroline are enthusiastic foodies and bakers who are constantly in the kitchen, as well as explorers who create their own adventures in our area – and did we mention they are mother and daughter? Follow Olivia on Instagram to see her many creations at @oliviawvalentine.