Who loves margaritas? Raise your hand. Do it. Please. Yesssssssss!
Me too! Me tooooooooooooooo! (I may or may not have dunk into a couple this morning).
Seriously though, how much fun are margaritas? It’s kind of like balls, water floaties, balloons (or me); It’s near god damn impossible to not have fun when they’re around. Anyone who’s grumpy when there’s balls, water floaties, balloons (or me) present just aren’t worth keeping.
Throw em away. Just like the used lime off your margarita. Ain’t no thang.
So right. Margaritas. There’s this restaurant near my house that makes some seriously good lime margaritas on the rocks. So good, that I actually – literally – wake up with cravings for them. They also serve the most amazing salsa and chips (which is free btw), play mariachi music, have tiled floors and tables, the walls are littered with pictures and paintings of Mexican culture and there are twinkle lights and palm trees on the patio. So I go there a lot. Because twinkle lights fall into the same ship as balls, water floaties, balloons and me. They’re there for a good time. Not a long time. Ow ow!
…Did I also happen to mention that it’s stumbling distance from my apartment?
On one of my many stumbles home, it occurred to me that I should make some margaritas myself. Because for sure, if the restaurant can make em that good, I should be able to too. Or at the very least, not fail epically. So I rounded up some limes, a whack ton of ice and a bottle of tequila. Just as I was about to start ‘wheezin the juice, the mailman showed up. With popsicle molds c/o The Tiffan Box and Cuisipro. So obviously, I made margarita popsicles.
I also happen to have a butt load of fresh B.C. Cherries on hand right now because I’m canning the shit outta my bourbon soaked cherries for the year so I threw some of those in a blender, along with the margarita ingredients and bam! Super seasonal Boozy Popsicles: Basil Chocolate Cherry Tequila Pops.
Now, that would have been all fine and good as is. In fact, they were. I slurped half a batch of em just like that. But then I spied some dark chocolate I’d been hoarding for the past few weeks, and genius struck. Melt that sucker down and dip the frozen popsicles in it. Hells yeah. Now we have Boozy Popsicles: Basil Chocolate Cherry Tequila Pops. And life don’t get no better than that.
If you end up with leftover chocolate – and you invariably will because somehow, melted chocolate is always leftover. In the bowl, under my fingernails, behind my elbow and in unmentionable crevices. Take that leftover chocolate and dip extra cherries in it, place on parchment and serve on the side of these margarita pops for an insanely decadent Summer treat.
Cheers my friends. To balls, water floaties, balloons, Summer basil, cherries and the popsicles that make it all worthwhile.
Boozy Popsicles: Basil Chocolate Cherry Tequila Pops
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 6 popsicles
Ingredients
- 4 Oz Half Decent Tequila (Cuervo Gold is fine).
- 1 Lb Cherries, pitted.
- 4 Limes.
- Handful of Fresh Basil.
- 1 1/4 C Good Quality Dark Chocolate (at least 70% cocoa).
- 1 Tbsp Butter.
Instructions
- Chuck everything into a food processor. Puree until smooth.
- Pour into molds, leaving a quarter inch of headroom. Stick in the sticks. If you don't have molds like I do, use ice cube trays and popsicle sticks that you can find in any craft or baking store.
- Place in the freezer and allow to harden - anywhere between 1 to 4 hours, depending on the size of your popsicles and temperature of your freezer.
- Once the pops have set, place a double boiler over medium heat. I set a heat-proof glass bowl over a big pot with a couple inches of water in it. They key is to not let the water touch the bowl when it boils so the chocolate melts slowly and doesn't burn. Add the chocolate and butter to the bowl/double boiler and allow to melt, stirring often. Once the chocolate is about 60% melted, remove the bowl/double boiler from the heat and stir stir stir to complete the melting process.
- Allow to cool for about 5 minutes or so. As it does this, line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Grab your pops from the freezer, remove from the molds and quickly dunk them into the chocolate and then place on the parchment lined tray. Throw em back in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to harden up.
Eat.
Notes
To easily remove your popsicles from their molds, hold the container under warm running water for a few seconds, and gently shimmy it out. It should release very easily.You could omit the chocolate for a simpler, uber delicious popsicle. Both ways are amazing.
Where do you find your happy? Are you a margarita fan? What’s your go-to Summer treat? Spill it!
Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets
August 18, 2014 at 6:31 AMI’ll toast to that. Now pass me a popsicle please. I promise to share my balloons and water toys.
Kristy Gardner
August 18, 2014 at 6:15 PMPassing. As long as we can float on water toys and inhale helium. (floaties sound like poops, don’t they?)
Melissa @ Step Into My Kitchen
August 18, 2014 at 10:49 AMI totally want one of these RIGHT NOW! Amazing.
Melissa @ Step Into My Kitchen recently published…The Big Sandwich
Kristy Gardner
August 18, 2014 at 6:15 PMAw thanks Melissa!! I’ll share 🙂