Sweet Tea Peach Popsicles

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Hey all, this is Heather from girlichef.com (where all roads lead to the kitchen), and I want to thank you so much for welcoming me here at Mrs Happy Homemaker. Today I’m sharing a recipe that will help carry us through the rest of this hot summer. I’ve combined refreshing sweet tea with ripe, juicy peaches to bring you these popsicles that everybody will love—or add a little peach bourbon for an adults-only option!

I wanted to develop a recipe that was a little bit personal to my connection to Crystal and Michael. I’ve only met Crystal twice in real life (and Michael once), but this world of food blogging has a way of bringing people together and making it seem like you’ve known somebody for years.

It seems unreal that only two months ago Crystal was introducing me to her husband when we found ourselves in the same part of the country (for food-related reasons, of course) and now he’s gone. 

I was preparing to walk from our hotel to Louisville’s Historic Whiskey Row to check out the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, a tour that focused on the history of Evan Williams and concluded with a whiskey tasting. Crystal asked if I’d like some company.

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The three of us joined a handful of other people to get a brief glimpse into this fascinating piece of American history. After we tasted three of Evan Williams offerings, we spent a little time in the gift shop.

Our tour guide mentioned the whiskey liqueurs during our tasting, so named because once you add flavoring and other ingredients to whiskey, it’s no longer just whiskey; they make Honey, Fire, Cherry, and Peach varieties.

Crystal asked if she and I could get a taste of the peach variety. I prefer a straight whiskey if it comes down to it, but I’ll admit it was pretty tasty. All I could think was how perfect it would be in a glass of sweet tea.

Crystal, however, prefers something sweet, so this was right up her alley.

 

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Our gates were right next to each other at the airport the next day, and we parted with a promise to meet again and enjoy another tour and tasting experience. It’s hard to believe that in a span of two months, someone’s life can be flipped upside down.

I developed these popsicles with that memory in mind, thoughts drifting back to that beautiful day in Louisville. Plus, to know Crystal is to know her addiction to sweet tea.

These frozen treats are a great way to help anybody beat the heat, but when infused with the peach whiskey liqueur, popsicles make the perfect boozy treat for adults on a sultry summer evening.

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Notes:

Leave the bourbon out to make Sweet Tea Peach Popsicles anybody can enjoy!

You will have extra sweet tea, that’s yours for sippin’.

Sweet Tea Peach Popsicles

Ingredients

  • For the sweet tea:
  • 2 cups 32 ounces water
  • 8 black & green tea bags or just plain black
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon
  • 1/4 cup 2 ounces Evan Williams Peach Bourbon, optional
  • For peach stripes:
  • 3 ripe peaches pitted
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions

Make the sweet tea:

  • Bring water to a boil then add the sugar and stir until just dissolved. Remove from heat and add tea bags; allow to steep for 20-30 minutes.
  • Strain tea into a pitcher and stir in the lemon juice. Add 3 cups cold water. Pour 2 cups of the sweet tea into a large measuring cup with spout; stir in peach bourbon, if using. Refrigerate the remaining sweet tea, and drink it when you get hot (spike it with an extra shot of the Peach Bourbon for a refreshing adult beverage).

Make the peach stripes:

  • Combine pitted peaches and powdered sugar in a small food processor or blender and puree until smooth.

Turn them into popsicles:

  • Fill popsicle molds almost 1/3 full with cooled, spiked tea. Freeze until firm, 60-90 minutes. Pour ~1 tablespoon of the peach mixture in to make a thin stripe. Add popsicle sticks now; freeze until firm, at least 60 minutes.
  • Repeat sweet tea layer, return to freezer for 60-90 minutes. Repeat peach layer, return to freezer for 60 minutes.
  • Fill molds the rest of the way with sweet tea, leaving about 1/2-inch of headspace. Freeze until solid.