Chocolate Chile Popsicles
It’s finally here. Hatch Chile Season. It’s that wonderful time of year when Hatch Chiles start showing up at your local farmers markets and certain grocery stores. I know it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, but when I tell you the Hatch season is only about 6 weeks long, you can understand why I’m so excited about it.
I’ve been enjoying Hatch Chiles ever since Melissa’s Produce introduced them to me two years ago. This came as a huge surprise to me because I am not a fan of spice. I don’t know why, but I can’t stand spicy foods. Seriously, whenever I see chile listed in anything I shy away. So, you can understand why I was a little nervous when I first heard about the Hatch. But Melissa’s made me a fan. See, unlike most chiles out there, the Hatch come in three different temperatures: mild, medium and hot. I was thrilled when I made this discovery because I love the chile flavor, I just don’t want the super spiciness that usually accompanies it. While the hot, is waaaaaay to spicy for me, the mild is perfect and even the medium is tolerable… in small doses.
What’s all this Hatch Chile talk got to do with fudgesicles? Well, although I’m not a huge fan of spice, there is one place I like to add a little bite: chocolate. If you follow this blog regularly, you know my go to chocolate spice is cinnamon. I add it to almost everything from my morning mocha to brownies. But it’s been blistering hot here in So. Cal, so my sons and I have been filling up on popsicles. We’ve been having everything from your basic juice popsicle to yogurt pops. But last week I was craving chocolate, and I knew fudgesicles would scratch that itch. But who wants a plain, ordinary fudgesicle? Not me! I want a spicy fudgesicle. Thankfully I had plenty of cinnamon and Hatch Chile powder on hand. Next thing you know I’ve got some spicy dark chocolate fudgesicles chilling in the freezer. The Hatch Chile powder made making these icy treats super easy, and the result absolutely quelled my chocolate craving.
While it’s true that the Hatch Chile powder I used to make these fudgesicles is available year round, the fresh Hatch chiles are great for many other recipes and are absolutely not to be missed. The good news is there’s still time to get some. While you can get plain or roasted chiles, the benefit with roasted is that you can freeze those chiles to use long after the season has ended. Don’t know where to get fresh, roasted chiles? Don’t fret. The folks at Melissa’s were nice enough to list all the stores in the country that are hosting roasts. There’s probably one near you, so take advantage. Like I said, you only have a few weeks before the fresh chiles disappear, and trust me, you don’t want to miss out. Speaking from experience, it sucks waiting a whole year for fresh Hatch Chiles.
Chocolate Chile Popsicles
Ingredients:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup non-fat milk
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
- 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1-2 teaspoons Mild Hatch Chile powder
Directions:
- Whisk together heavy cream, milk and cocoa in a large sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue whisking until cocoa dissolves.
- Place the chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the milk mixture over the chocolate chips. Whisk until the chocolate is completely melted. Mix in the cinnamon and chile powder until combined.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into popsicle molds. Place in freezer and freeze until solid enough to add popsicle sticks. Add the sticks and continue freezing for another 3-4 hours or until solid. When ready to eat, remove popsicle from mold and enjoy.
