Zoku Quick Popsicle Maker

[heathpack]

Ok, people give me kitchen gadgets of all kinds, I guess because I enthusiastically use them. I got this Zoku Popsicle maker for Christmas & it's pretty nifty. You put the whole thing in the freezer for 24 hours. Then you put your sticks in place, mix up your (very simple) popsicle solution, pour it into the Zoku base, wait 9 minutes, and voila! you have a popsicle fully frozen & ready to eat. This 3-pop base can make 6 popsicles before it needs to be refrozen.

Here is a photo:

So far I have made 3 types of popsicles- pumpkin pie (layers of modified pumpkin pie filling, vanilla and gingerbread cookie crumbs), Oroblanco (world's best grapefruit variety), and tonight chocolate-covered mint. They were all very good. Ingredients must generally be low in fat, too much fat and the pops won't freeze properly. Other than the vanilla layer of the pumpkin pie pops (which is doctored vanilla pudding cup), there are no franken-ingredients. Just things like milk, juice, homemade gingerbread cookies, canned pumpkin, spices/extracts, sugar, chocolate, coconut oil (for the chocolate coating).

Here is a photo of the Pumpkin Pie popsicle:

And here is a photo of the chocolate covered mint pop:

Popsicles so far are fitting better with my dietary recovery from the holidays than are mini-pies!

H

 

[pjrose]

Ha Ha - A few days ago I remembered that you had posted another cool gadget recently, and went searching your threads to find the Zoku popsicle maker!

Your pie maker certainly started a fun discussion and I know got at least a few of us to buy one (or a knockoff). Does the Zoku have its own freezing ability so it doesn't have to go in the freezer? How long does it take? Can you put in a bigger tub and make ice cream instead?

 

[heathpack]

Ha Ha - A few days ago I remembered that you had posted another cool gadget recently, and went searching your threads to find the Zoku popsicle maker!

Your pie maker certainly started a fun discussion and I know got at least a few of me to buy one (or a knockoff). Does the Zoku have its own freezing ability so it doesn't have to go in the freezer? How long does it take? Can you put in a bigger tub and make ice cream instead?

No, it must go in the freezer. It is maybe 6 inches by 8 inches by 10 inches, so not huge.

The pops take 7-9 minutes per batch.

You can't make ice cream in the Zoku, the fat in it is too soft and the pops won't pull out of the molds properly. There is a recipe which calls for melted ice cream mixed with milk, so if you have some favorite ice cream flavor, you could use that. But it seems inherently illogical to buy ice cream, melt it, them refreeze it as a popsicle- why not just eat the ice cream, lol.

The texture of these pops is very similar to popsicles you'd buy at the grocery store. I do have a traditional pop mold, the kind in which you pour in the popsicle mixture and stick it in the freezer, then wait 4-6 hours. The slow-freezing pops are good, but the texture is different from the Zoku pops. The slow pops freeze with a more grainy ice texture. You know how when you look at the just-bitten edge of a Popsicle and there is almost a sunburst pattern? well the Zoku pops are just like that.

H

 

[rickandcindy23]

You can leave some of those in the freezer for me in March! Just kidding...

I love gadgets too, and my favorite is this little egg cooker because I can make deviled eggs without getting out a pan, and they are easier to peel. It's small enough to pack, if we happen to travel somewhere without a kitchen.

 

[heathpack]

You can leave some of those in the freezer for me in March! Just kidding...

It just might happen....

 

[pjrose]

You can leave some of those in the freezer for me in March! Just kidding...

I love gadgets too, and my favorite is this little egg cooker because I can make deviled eggs without getting out a pan, and they are easier to peel. It's small enough to pack, if we happen to travel somewhere without a kitchen.

It just might happen....

Are we having a gadget party at HeathPack's in March???

Let's see....when is Spring Break.....

 

[Twinkstarr]

Heathpack needs to back away from the Williams-Sonoma catalog and website.

I too love kitchen stuff, I was eyeballing that new Cuisinart crock pot in the last catalog I got. DH looked at me funny because I'm not really a crockpot user. But wow it had so many features, I'm sure I could use it!

Have to watch it since I did buy a bigger stand mixer, one of those 6qt professional Kitchen Aid ones. You know I couldn't give my standard size one away? People looked at me funny "You use a stand mixer?" Took it to Goodwill was thanked many times as the manager said one of the local food kitchens was looking for one.

I also love the King Arthur Flour catalog too!

 

[heathpack]

Meyer Lemon Popscicles

Here in SoCal it is almost guaranteed you will know someone with a Meyer lemon tree. Which is good news, because people with Meyer lemon trees seem to always have way more lemons than they need.

4 Meyer lemons, sectioned and seeded and then the pulp squeezed to extract juice
1 lime, sectioned and seeded and then the pulp squeezed to extract juice
Simple syrup, made of equal parts sugar and water, heated to melt sugar and then chilled

Pulse lemon and lime briefly in blender to yield a pulpy mixture. Mix with simple syrup to taste (I used 6T water and 6T sugar). Pour into Zoku and freeze.

Next time: Lemon Creamsicles or maybe Lemon Coconutsicles.

H

 

[MuranoJo]

Heathpack needs to back away from the Williams-Sonoma catalog and website.

I too love kitchen stuff, I was eyeballing that new Cuisinart crock pot in the last catalog I got. DH looked at me funny because I'm not really a crockpot user. But wow it had so many features, I'm sure I could use it!

Have to watch it since I did buy a bigger stand mixer, one of those 6qt professional Kitchen Aid ones. You know I couldn't give my standard size one away? People looked at me funny "You use a stand mixer?" Took it to Goodwill was thanked many times as the manager said one of the local food kitchens was looking for one.

I also love the King Arthur Flour catalog!

I am another who gets a kick out of HeathPack's gadgets. They are fun.
Wow, hard to imagine how anyone can NOT appreciate a stand mixer, and you had to give yours away? Those things go for ~$300, and they are built to last! We have had ours for over 10 years and it's still going strong.

Your donation went to a good cause though.

 

[heathpack]

I am another who gets a kick out of HeathPack's gadgets. They are fun.
Wow, hard to imagine how anyone can NOT appreciate a stand mixer, and you had to give yours away? Those things go for ~$300, and they are built to last! We have had ours for over 10 years and it's still going strong.

Your donation went to a good cause though.

I was thinking the same thing. Even though I have one (butter yellow), I would have taken it. The thought of a homeless gadget makes me blue.

H

 

[pjrose]

Heathpack needs to back away from the Williams-Sonoma catalog and website.

I too love kitchen stuff, I was eyeballing that new Cuisinart crock pot in the last catalog I got. DH looked at me funny because I'm not really a crockpot user. But wow it had so many features, I'm sure I could use it!

Have to watch it since I did buy a bigger stand mixer, one of those 6qt professional Kitchen Aid ones. You know I couldn't give my standard size one away? People looked at me funny "You use a stand mixer?" Took it to Goodwill was thanked many times as the manager said one of the local food kitchens was looking for one.

I also love the King Arthur Flour catalog too!

This is funny; I have my father's 1930s (?) Hamilton Beach model G stand mixer complete with the white porcelain(?) bowls and lots and lots of attachments. It's the only one I've ever used, starting at probably age 10 when he would occasionally allow me in the kitchen

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ham...s=63&clkid=5457579715595375434#ht_2263wt_1086

My sister just bought herself a big new Kitchen Aid, and gave me her old 1980s one....I am happy with my Hamilton Beach and don't know if I'll ever use the Kitchen Aid, but couldn't resist LOL. She says all the attachments are somewhere in the basement....probably never to be seen again.

 

[glypnirsgirl]

Both Ian and I had complete households when we married. As a result we had duplicates of almost every imaginable kitchen appliance, tool, gadget, etc. One of my favorite memories was a week or two after we married, when we had a kitchen appliance showdown.

For each category of item, we would have a match-up. Ian usually won:

kitchenaid stand mixer vs. sunbeam stand mixer = obvious
Cuisinart DC 7 v. Cuisinart DC 10 = DC 10 (it had more attachments)
garlic presses, toasters, hand mixers, blenders,etc.

One of the surprising wins to me at the time was on a juicer. I had an electric one that would spin a reamer when you pressed down on it. Ian had a large Hamilton Beach manual juicer ---- the manual juicer was much better because when you squeezed, you would get the citrus oil from the peel of what you are squeezing. It makes wonderful orange juice. It also is great for squeezing lemons and limes for fresh juice when cooking.

It was fun having a juice-off.

elaine

 

[m61376]

Heathpack needs to back away from the Williams-Sonoma catalog and website.

:hysterical:
My husband feels that way too :rofl:
Their holiday sale did me in. After all, while the outlet has great buys, there were a few things that they don't carry, and I've never seen a 10%/20%/30% off sale at their regular store on everything, depending upon how much you bought...need I say more?

Can't resist a good deal The very adept salesperson introduced me to Sous Vide cooking and I must say it is amazing!!

Problem is I need more storage room for all my goodies. A new kitchen would be nice

 

[Twinkstarr]

I was totally shocked that no one wants the mixer, I even set it up at my sister's neighborhood garage sale at a competitive price. No one even wanted to haggle price on it!

Got my Chef's Catalog yesterday, that Cuisinart crock pot I was eyeballing was only $199(W-S had it for $250) and free shipping!


Since I am in the company of fellow kitchen gadget lovers, I need a new mandoline. Any suggestions?

 

[heathpack]

Coconut-Macadamia Nut Popsicles

We are just back from Hawaii, we made these pops to take us back, just a little...

Mix together 7 oz coconut milk, 2 oz low fat milk, 3 T + 1t sugar, 3 T water. Stir until smooth.

1 recipe chocolate shell
Shredded dried sweetened coconut
Chopped Mac nuts

Pour a little coconut base into the zoku, sprinkle in a little shredded coconut, pour in a little more coconut base, then some chopped Mac nuts. Repeat until zoku is filled. Freeze 9 minutes, unmold and then dip into chocolate shell.

Mmmm. Tasty.

H

 

[pjrose]

. . .
Since I am in the company of fellow kitchen gadget lovers, I need a new mandoline. Any suggestions?

No suggestion for a full-size one, but this little guy works really well for very thin garlic slices - then chop for a few seconds if you want it really minced, or leave as is.
http://www.amazon.com/MIU-France-Stainless-Garlic-Truffle/dp/B000UY2FK4

 

[pjrose]

We are just back from Hawaii, we made these pops to take us back, just a little...

Mix together 7 oz coconut milk, 2 oz low fat milk, 3 T + 1t sugar, 3 T water. Stir until smooth.

1 recipe chocolate shell
Shredded dried sweetened coconut
Chopped Mac nuts

Pour a little coconut base into the zoku, sprinkle in a little shredded coconut, pour in a little more coconut base, then some chopped Mac nuts. Repeat until zoku is filled. Freeze 9 minutes, unmold and then dip into chocolate shell.

Mmmm. Tasty.

H

Mmmmm that sounds and looks so good.

 

[Twinkstarr]

No suggestion for a full-size one, but this little guy works really well for very thin garlic slices - then chop for a few seconds if you want it really minced, or leave as is.
http://www.amazon.com/MIU-France-Stainless-Garlic-Truffle/dp/B000UY2FK4

I went ahead and bought a OXO, wanted a full size one. Want to slice onions and cucumbers etc.

Picked up Cook's Illustrated Slow Cooker Revolution magazine the other week. I've never been a fan of the usual just dump stuff in a crock pot recipes, but wow I did their Loaded Baked Potato Soup last weekend. Yum. Kids liked it.

Upgraded to the new programmable Crock Pot($99 on Amazon, list price $129 plus I had a gift cert from Xmas). It's CI's #1 rated slow cooker.

Going to try the beef brisket this weekend. I might end up getting the Slow Cooker Revolution cook book.

I just love Cook's Illustrated.

 

[heathpack]

Mexican Chocolate Paletas

One of my favorite places to eats in the LA area is a great Mexican place called Cacao Mexicatessan. Up by the cash register, they sell discs of Mexican chocolate to make hot chocolate or just eat. The chocolate is flavored with sugar and various spices. I picked up a traditional (cinnamon) package and made one disc to make these pops.

Makes 9 paletas

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
1 Mexican Chocolate disc
1 cup water
1 cup half & half
4 tablespoons condensed milk
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste

Toast the pine nuts, cool, and then chop finely or grind in a mortar and pestle.

In a saucepan over low heat melt the chocolate in the water. Stir with a whisk to help chocolate melt evenly. Do not let boil.

Add the half & half, condensed milk, cayenne and pine nuts until well combined.

Freeze as usual.

 

[Janette]

I bought this for my son's family for Christmas. They love it!