Cocktail Pops & Spike Frozen Treats From Jeanne Benedict

STUDIO CITY (CBSLA.com) — Change up traditional dessert options this holiday with tasty treats from Jeanne Benedict!

Benedict, author of Cocktail Pops and Spike Frozen Treats, visited the KCAL9 studios Friday to show off her brand new book of frosty recipes on a stick great for any party.

Kiwi Pomegranate Champagne Pops

1 pomegranate
1 cup bottled pomegranate juice
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup simple syrup (recipe below)
2 tablespoons Champagne
2 kiwi, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices

Peel open pomegranate and remove seeds. Add 10 seeds each into 6 (2 oz.) plastic pop molds.
Mix together pomegranate juice, water, simple syrup, and Champagne. Fill pop molds 3/4 full with mixture and freeze until slushy; reserve remaining mixture. Insert pop sticks when mixture is a firm slush and freeze completely.

To get a "window pane" look with kiwi slices, unmold pops and place in freezer to keep firm. Re-fill each mold with 1 tablespoon of reserved mixture. Coat kiwi slices in sugar glue (recipe below) and adhere to pops. Submerge pops back in molds so mixture in bottom comes up around kiwi and is level with top surface; freeze completely. Remove pops from molds and serve on ice in a large bowl.

Makes 6 (2 oz.) pops

Simple Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water

Stir sugar and water together in a small saucepan until sugar is moistened. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture boils and sugar dissolves; about 5 minutes. Cool completely and transfer to a cruet or container with a spout. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Sugar Glue for Garnishes
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water

Stir sugar and water together in a small saucepan until sugar is moistened. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture boils and sugar dissolves; about 5 - 8 minutes. Cool completely and transfer to a cruet or a container with a spout. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Sonic Gin and Tonic "Glow in the Dark" Pops

1 1/2 cup cups tonic water
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup simple syrup (recipe below)
6 teaspoons gin
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 (50 mg) B2 or Riboflavin capsule
12 lime peel slivers

Mix together tonic water, water, simple syrup, gin, and lime juice. Open B2 capsule and empty powdered contents into mixture; stir to incorporate. Pour mixture into cavities of a Tovolo King Ice Cubes silicone mold and freeze until slushy. I used tongue depressors cut in half for the pop sticks. Be sure to sand cut end of sticks and then wash them to ensure clean, smooth tips.

When mixture is a firm slush, add lime slivers down into the molds, pressing them against the sides so they are visible when pops are unmolded. Then, insert pop sticks and freeze completely.
Unmold pops and serve on ice in a large bowl.

Makes 6 (4 oz.) pops

Simple Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water

Stir sugar and water together in a small saucepan until sugar is moistened. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture boils and sugar dissolves; about 5 minutes. Cool completely and transfer to a cruet or container with a spout. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Mimosa Blackberry Peach "Heart" Push Pops

Peach Mimosa Push Pops
1 (15 oz.) can peaches in heavy syrup (drained)
1/2 cup Champagne
3 tablespoons corn syrup

Blackberry Brandy Syrup Swirl
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
2 tablespoons blackberry brandy
2 teaspoons corn syrup

To make Peach Mimosa mixture, puree ingredients in a food processor, and transfer to a plastic airtight container; freeze.

To make Blackberry Brandy Syrup Swirl, add sugar, blackberries, and brandy into a small saucepan. Mash blackberries with a fork to release their juices; stir mixture to combine. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until sugar dissolves. Strain mixture into a small bowl to remove blackberry seeds. Stir in corn syrup, cover, and allow to thicken overnight. (I added the corn syrup after the cooking process, because I found that it gave the blackberry swirl a richer color, and the texture was easier to spread in the mold.)

Use a pop stick to spread blackberry syrup swirl in a whimsical design inside the push pop containers. Freeze for 10 minutes. Then, spoon frozen peach mixture into molds. Finish off the push pops with a swirl of blackberry syrup on top. Put pops back in the freezer until firm.
Serve pops on ice in a bowl or ice bucket.

Makes 6 (4 oz.) push pops

New Year's Eve Raspberry Pop Swizzle Sticks for Champagne or Sparkling Cider

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon Chambord liqueur (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar
16 plastic swizzle sticks
Champagne and/or Sparkling Cider

Puree raspberries, water, (optional: Chambord liqueur), and sugar in a blender until smooth. Transfer into an airtight plastic container and freeze overnight until firm. Prepare a metal or foil-lined tray for pops to set up. And, clear a space in your freezer for the tray, allowing for the height of the swizzle sticks.

Form balls from raspberry mixture using a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon. Insert swizzle sticks into raspberry balls, reforming balls if necessary to compact them around sticks. Place on prepared tray and keep tray in freezer while making new pop swizzle sticks. Freeze pops until solid.

When ready to serve, place pops on ice in a bowl next to bottles of Champagne or Sparkling Cider and glass flutes. Invite guests to pour sparkling beverages into their flutes and stir with a raspberry pop swizzle stick.

Makes 16 swizzle stick pops