Minty Pea Pops

The Washington Post, May 21, 2008

• • Course: Dessert
• • Features: Kid-Friendly

Summary:

These taste like mint chocolate chip ice cream. For best results, let them freeze overnight.

Makes 6 to 8 cube-shaped pops

Ingredients:

• • 8 ounces low-fat cream cheese (not nonfat), at room temperature
• • 1/2 cup frozen petite green peas, defrosted (preferably unsalted)
• • 1/4 cup sugar (scant)
• • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• • 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate mini morsels

Directions:

Have ready 6 to 8 popsicle or wooden craft sticks and a clean ice cube tray or mini muffin pan.

Combine the cream cheese, peas and sugar in a food processor or blender. Pulse/puree until smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed and add the peppermint extract; pulse or puree to mix well. Add the mini chocolate morsels by hand, stirring to combine.

Transfer the mixture to a resealable plastic food storage bag; cut off 1/2 inch from a bottom corner of the bag and squeeze the mixture into the wells of the ice cube tray or muffin pan. Insert a popsicle/wooden stick into the center of each. Freeze the tray/pan for at least 1 hour or until firm (depending on the freezer, that might take as long as 4 hours).

When the pops are frozen, remove them from the molds and freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Recipe Source:

Adapted from "The Toddler Cafe," by Jennifer Carden (Chronicle, 2008).

109 calories, 6g fat, 4g saturated fat, 16mg cholesterol, 94mg sodium, 11g carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, n/a sugar, 4g protein.