Hibiscus, Rhubarb + Yogurt Ice Pops {plus a cookbook giveaway + edible flower potluck}

These popsicles get layers of color and flavor from hibiscus honeyed rhubarb puree and vanilla maple yogurt. Tart and refreshing, and adapted from The 52 New Foods Challenge by Jennifer Tyler Lee.

When I started this blog nearly six years ago, I never in a million years would have guessed the many doors it would open, new friends it would make, or personal satisfaction it would give. I'm astounded, on a daily basis, what unexpected things come my way because of this little slice of the interwebs. 

For instance, a month or so ago I was invited to attend a friend's book launch at Williams Sonoma. Jennifer Tyler Lee, author of The 52 New Foods Challenge, made it a game to get her kiddos excited about trying new foods, and her sweet cookbook is a gem full of recipes designed to be cooked with kids, each featuring a weekly new ingredient. The book revolves around the seasons and the recipes are simple enough that Jennifer welcomes adding your own creative flair. The evening was aimed at mom bloggers but Jennifer assured me that being a mom only to a feline was a-ok. (Though for the record, Catamus is a much pickier eater than most human children.)

I wasn't expecting much from kid-friendly food, but when Jennifer and the team at Williams Sonoma served up course after course of recipes from her book, I was hooked. Forget about the kids, I wanted to eat her food for every meal.

Between delectable bites of brussels sprouts chips, fried brown rice, quinoa cakes, caprese salad, roasted asparagus, and avocado chocolate mousse that tasted much better than it should have (i.e. I thought about it for days afterward) I got to chat with fellow bloggers (including this rad lady), swill wine, and geek out on photography. It was a night to remember.

When we scored a veritable bucket of rhubarb from Jay's mom's yard last weekend, I turned to Jennifer's rhubarb ice pops as a vehicle to use up the pretty red stalks. Hibiscus is a favorite addition to rhubarb as it ups the tart/floral notes and adds an extra pop of color. I layered the magenta puree with some excellent sheep milk yogurt courtesy of Garden Variety and flecked with vanilla bean. The sweetness in the recipe comes from honey and maple syrup making these free from refined sugar and extra-flavorful.

I love the look of layered popsicles, so I adapted these to accommodate. The rhubarb part stays soft and sorbet-like from the honey, and the yogurt turns icily refreshing. Heavenly on a warm day.

I highly recommend this book as a Mother's Day gift for any mamas with young'uns. And hey, we're giving away a copy to a lucky winner. Just leave a note below about your favorite new-to-you food, drink or flavor combination. (I'll start: black garlic. I had some on scallion pancakes at Rich Table this time last year and it blew my mind.)

This post is also a part of an edible flower potluck put together by the lovely Renee. Check out the other floral offerings below:

A Brown Table | Flourless Chocolate Cake with Orange Blossom Water and Strawberry Champagne sauce

For More Popsicle Recipes:

• Blueberry Chèvre Cheesecake Popsicles
• Matcha Mint Chip Popsicles {vegan}
• Creamy Vegan Mint Chocolate Popsicles
• Tayberry, Rose Geranium + Buttermilk Popsicles

*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this ice pop recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

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Hibiscus, Rhubarb + Yogurt Ice Pops

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These popsicles get layers of color and flavor from hibiscus honeyed rhubarb puree and vanilla maple yogurt.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Servings: 10 popsicles

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons loosely packed hibiscus blossoms
• 3 cups chopped rhubarb in 1/2" pieces (340g)
• 1/2 cup honey (180g)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (30 ml)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
• 1 1/4 cups plain, whole milk yogurt (I used sheeps's milk)

Instructions

• Steep the hibiscus and boiling water together in a heat-proof vessel for 10 minutes. Strain, pressing on the solids to extract the good stuff. Add the hibiscus infusion to a medium saucepan along with the prepared rhubarb and honey. Bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is tender and broken down, 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Add the lemon juice, transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor, and puree smooth. Transfer to a pitcher.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and vanilla bean seeds to combine, then whisk in the yogurt.
• Layer the two mixtures in 10 popsicle molds, beginning and ending with the rhubarb and freeze according to your popsicle maker instructions. The popsicles will keep, frozen, for up to 1 month.

Notes

Adapted from The 52 New Foods Challenge by Jennifer Tyler Lee.

These icy popsicles are a snap to make. Feel free to skip the layers and puree everything together in the blender as per the original recipe. And if you have a bit of yogurt and rhubarb puree left over after making these popsicles (as I did because I expanded the recipe to more than fill my molds), throw them in a blender with some frozen fruit, a bit of banana and some almond milk and get your smoothie on. Yum.

Do be sure to trim away the rhubarb leaves as they are toxic. 

Nutritional values are based on one of ten popsicles.

Nutrition

Calories: 102kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 18mgPotassium: 180mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 75IUVitamin C: 4.9mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 0.4mg

Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

Hibiscus, Rhubarb + Yogurt Ice Pops

Adapted from The 52 New Foods Challenge by Jennifer Tyler Lee

These icy popsicles are a snap to make. Feel free to skip the layers and puree everything together in the blender as per the original recipe. And if you have a bit of yogurt and rhubarb puree left over after making these popsicles (as I did because I expanded the recipe to more than fill my molds), throw them in a blender with some frozen fruit, a bit of banana and some almond milk and get your smoothie on. Yum. Do be sure to trim away the rhubarb leaves as they are toxic. 

Makes 10 popsicles

1/2 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons loosely packed hibiscus blossoms
3 cups (340 g) chopped rhubarb in 1/2" pieces
1/2 cup (180 g) honey
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
1 1/4 cups plain, whole milk yogurt (I used sheeps's milk)

Steep the hibiscus and boiling water together in a heat-proof vessel for 10 minutes. Strain, pressing on the solids to extract the good stuff. Add the hibiscus infusion to a medium saucepan along with the prepared rhubarb and honey. Bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is tender and broken down, 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Add the lemon juice, transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor, and puree smooth. Transfer to a pitcher.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and vanilla bean seeds to combine, then whisk in the yogurt.

Layer the two mixtures in 10 popsicle molds, beginning and ending with the rhubarb and freeze according to your popsicle maker instructions. The popsicles will keep, frozen, for up to 1 month.