These horchata popsicles are a spin on Oaxaca-style horchata, which usually includes diced cantaloupe and red prickly pears that give it it’s signature pink hue. In Oaxaca, this kind of horchata is commonly referred to as horchata con tuna. Some people even like to throw in chopped pecans and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon as a garnish. Horchata has always been one of the most popular recipes on The Other Side of The Tortilla, so I thought I’d share a popsicle version that my family loves to eat.
Mexican Christmas Traditions
...Vegan banana chocolate smoothie
This vegan banana chocolate smoothie recipe is a creation I've been drinking over and over again for the last few weeks. I love experimenting with Mexican ingredients that aren't necessarily always in traditional Mexican dishes. Cacao has been harvested and consumed in its raw state by ancient cultures such as the Aztecs and Mayans in Mexico as well as some other Latin American countries for centuries. Today, it's easy to find a variety of raw cacao powders commercially available and made by different brands; it's often sold in health food stores and it's easy and inexpensive to buy online as well. Raw cacao powder has plenty of health benefits in addition to the rich flavor it provides to any dish. It's packed with antioxidants, and has high amounts of nutrients and minerals such as magnesium, copper and manganese.
This banana chocolate smoothie recipe is vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and has no added sugar, but trust me when I say that you will feel like you're committing a sin while drinking it.
...Mexico City in watercolors
There is so much to love about Mexico City.
I've been traveling to Mexico City—affectionately known as Chilangolandia—several times a year for the better part of a decade to visit my husband's family, and it never ceases to amaze me. From the world-class museums and interesting historic landmarks to the variety of culinary experiences, ranging from street food to haute cuisine, I have a serious love affair with this city that is home to more than 21 million people (including the metro area). You can see and experience everything from fancy, modern skyscrapers to old-school open air markets. At times it can feel like a major metropolis, but at the drop of a hat, you may find yourself in a neighborhood that feels less like the city and more like a pueblo. It's a diverse city with so much culture and history to explore.
Everything about the place calls my name, and each snapshot I take while visiting is a permanent memory embedded in my mind and heart. It's strange, but when I'm away, I sometimes feel homesick for this magical place although it's not where I was born and raised. Having spent so much time there, though, it has become like my second hometown. Recently, I discovered an app called Waterlogue that blew me away with its ability to turn my photos into stunning watercolor painted images. I started sorting through some of my favorite travel photos from Mexico City as well as other places in Mexico that I've visited, and have become addicted to turning my photos into works of art. Here are 10 photos I've taken in Mexico City over the years that I've turned into watercolor images.
A chicharrón vendor on the UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) campus, Cuidad Universitaria
...Carnitas at El Venadito in Mexico City
Basically every carnitas joint in Mexico claims they have the best carnitas. Who can blame them? To somebody, each place DOES have the best carnitas. One of my favorite places in Mexico City, El Venadito, is no exception. This restaurant, which is a neighborhood staple and has no other locations, has been open since 1950. Like many other places, they have a sign that says "super carnitas, las mejores de México." I will say: They are pretty spectacular, and among my top choices when I'm craving carnitas in Mexico City. After all, what place could stay open for more than six decades with signs saying they have the best carnitas if they didn't?
Although there's a restaurant where you can actually sit down in the back, I prefer the charming, tiny curbside taco stand. The only thing separating me from Tomás—the taquero who has been there as long as anyone I know can remember—is a window that's about five feet high with a counter on top, so I can watch my carnitas go from being chopped to tortilla, salivating while I watch.
I always order them the same way: Surtido, which is a mix of white meat, dark meat, other parts, skin and some crunchy bits of chicharron. Top it with fresh, raw salsa verde and it's truly a heavenly taco. If you're squeamish about eating certain parts of the pig, you can always ask for maciza, which is white meat only.
...Paletas de fresas con crema
Fresas con crema are a traditional, popular dessert all over Mexico.
Irapuato, a town in the state of Guanajuato, is particularly known not only for its bountiful strawberry fields, but also its roadside stands where you can get freshly picked berries or an impromptu treat of fresas con crema. Most of the roadside stands keep a cooler with crema on ice for highway travelers hankering for this sweet and simple treat. With only three ingredients—strawberries, cream and sugar—it's easy to fall under this dessert's spell.
You'll love these popsicles so much, you'll want to eat them all spring and summer long until you can't get any more strawberries.
Variations on the traditional fresas con crema mostly come in the choice of the "crema" part of the recipe. Some people like to use crema Mexicana, while others may use a canned version known as media crema table cream. These Mexican strawberries and cream popsicles are made a little less dense—but equally creamy—with a quick homemade whipped cream made from scratch.
Paletas de fresas con crema are one of my absolute favorite desserts for spring and summer, and my friends, family and co-workers all love when I make a big batch of these popsicles to share. During the hottest days of the summer, I suggest freezing them overnight before serving so they aren't quick to melt in the heat.
Supplies I used to make this recipe:
Progressive International Ice Pop Mold
Wooden popsicle sticks
Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus food processor
Paletas de fresas con crema
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 9 hours, 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 3-oz popsicles 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Fresas con crema, a traditional Mexican dessert of strawberries, cream and sugar, gets a warm-weather makeover as popsicles.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ripe strawberries, stems removed
- ½ cup Zulka Morena sugar (a Mexican non-GMO sugar)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3-4 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Wash and dry 1 pound of strawberries, then remove stems.
- Slice strawberries and put them in a deep bowl. Sprinkle ½ cup sugar over the strawberries and stir gently to coat. Allow strawberries and sugar to macerate for 1 hour to draw out the juices.
- While the strawberries are macerating, measure 1 cup heavy whipping cream and put it in the freezer for 1 hour, gently stirring once after 30 minutes so no ice chunks form.
- After 1 hour, add the macerated strawberries to a food processor (I use a Cuisinart mini prep) or a blender and pulse a few times until the strawberries are chopped but not liquified. Add them back to the bowl.
- Clean out your food processor cup or blender and dry thoroughly. Remove the heavy whipping cream from the freezer and add to the food processor cup or the blender. Add 3 tablespoons sugar (or 4 tablespoons if you like your fresas con crema to be very sweet). Run the food processor or blender on high until you have a thick, sweet whipped cream. (Be careful not to overwhip,or you'll end up on your way to making butter.)
- Spoon the whipped cream into the bowl of macerated strawberries with a flexible spatula and gently fold the whipped cream into the berries.
- Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for a minimum of 6-8 hours or overnight.
Notes
Active prep time is 1 hour and 15 minutes; inactive time is for freezing the popsicles until solid.
To loosen the popsicles from the molds, run the bottom of the molds under cool or lukewarm water for a few minutes. They should slide right out.
*If you use processed white sugar for this recipe, you will want to reduce the amount of sugar by ⅓ to ½ and taste along the way to make sure that it's not too sweet for your liking. I prefer not to cook with white sugar and do not keep it in my pantry.
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