Halo-Halo Ice Pops

Looking at the Filipino dessert halo-halo, it seems like a crazy mishmash of evaporated milk, shaved ice, ube ice cream, sweet palm fruit, coconut, jackfruit, mung beans, corn, and coconut gelatin, to name a few ingredients. Unable to fit all of that into our pops, we just picked a handful of add-ins, but be as creative as you want!

Special equipment: You will need freezer pop molds for this recipe. If yours don’t come with sticks that attach securely, you can buy wooden sticks and insert them about 1 1/2 hours into the freezing time.

What to buy: You can find frozen grated ube at well-stocked Asian markets or online.

Game plan: You will need to thaw the ube in the refrigerator before starting the recipe.

This recipe was featured as part of our 7 Ice Pops That Break the Mold.

• 1/2 cup frozen grated ube (purple yam; about 2 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 3/4 cup small-dice ripe mango, ripe banana, sweetened jackfruit, coconut gelatin, and whole boiled red mung beans or corn (use all of these or a combination of two or three to total 3/4 cup)

1. 1Place the ube, cream, milk, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender. Purée until smooth, removing the small cap from the blender lid (the pour lid) and covering the space with a kitchen towel (this allows steam to escape and prevents the blender lid from popping off).
2. 2Pour the mixture into a heatproof measuring cup and stir in the vanilla. Divide the mixture among the pop molds, filling them halfway. Place in the freezer until almost completely solid, about 2 hours.
3. 3When the frozen ube is ready, prepare the coconut milk–fruit mixture. Place the coconut milk in a small bowl and add the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stir in the fruit or other add-ins, if using; set aside.
4. 4Remove the molds from the freezer, stir the coconut milk–fruit mixture again, and, using a spoon, evenly divide the mixture among the molds. Insert the sticks and freeze until solid, at least 6 hours.