The Chef Series: PB&J Ice Pops
/One of the questions I get asked the most when I am talking with customers at markets, shows or even in-store sampling days is this "How would I use this product". I always answer with one of the many ways that I integrate my products into my cooking and recipes, but decided to reach out to some very talented chefs and creators that I know to see what they would come up with if they were given the product to spend some time with.
For the first post in this series, I reached out to Sanober Motiwala. Some of you may already know Sanober, but for those of you meeting her virtually for the first time, you may want to bookmark this page because you are going to want to taste her fabulous creations this summer. She is the owner and ice cream magician behind the company Sweet Sammies. And I speak from first hand experience when I say her sammies are wonderful. They were my breakfast at almost every Withrow Park Farmer's Market last summer (she says as she shamefully hides her face in her hands).
PB&J Ice Pops - guest post by Sanober Motiwala
Photo courtesy of: Sanober Motiwala
I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Manning Canning last summer at a couple of local farmers’ markets where both of us sold our wares. I quickly became a fan of Christine’s products, especially the rotating selection of jams and jellies. Imagine my delight when one day she casually suggested collaborating to prepare a Sweet Sammies product utilizing her jams. The result was our bestselling PB&J ice cream sandwich – two slices of vanilla buttermilk cake with a peanut butter ice cream and swirls of Manning Canning jam in between.
This ice pop is an adaption designed to be made at home with pantry essentials. The best part: no specialty equipment required!
Photo courtesy of: Sanober Motiwala
Ingredients
• 1/4 cup Manning Canning Grape Jam
• 1/3 cup Peanut Butter (smooth or crunchy, whatever strikes your fancy)
• 1 & 1/3 cup Whole Milk (can be substituted with cream or skim milk depending on desired richness)
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Water
Recipe
• Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat until all the sugar has dissolved.
• Blend together the “simple syrup” (sugar-water mix you just made) with the PB and 3/4 cup milk. Pour up to a third of the way into popsicle molds, using up half of the PB mix. Small reusable plastic food containers, drinking glasses, and cups work well as alternatives to popsicle molds. Freeze for about one hour. Place the remaining PB mix in the refrigerator.
• Whisk together the remaining milk with the grape jam.
• Remove the molds from the freezer, and pour the grape jam mix in next, about two-
thirds of the way up in the molds. This is a good time to insert a popsicle stick or chopstick in, anchoring it in the semi-frozen PB mix so it stays upright. Freeze again for about one hour.
• Remove the molds from the freezer and top up with the remaining PB mix. Freeze for at least four hours.
• To unmold the ice pops, remove the molds from the freezer. Run them under hot water. Slowly pull the popsicle stick or chopstick out of the mold, and the ice pop should slide out with it. If you used a cup or glass without a popsicle stick, serve the dessert in that cup with a spoon.
Makes 5 ice pops
Photo courtesy of: Sanober Motiwala
