Coconut Café de Olla Popsicles with a Butterscotch Magic Shell (2024)

It’s #PopsicleWeek!

I’m really excited because it’s Billy’s 5^th year putting this on, but my very first year participating!

We were both living in Eureka, on our last semesters of College when he hosted his first Popsicle Week, and I’m so proud to see how far he’s come with this popsicle lovefest. This year Billy was given a spread in the summer issue of AllRecipes Magazine for popsicle week, and he also did a Facebook Live with AllRecipes where he made these really goodginger piña colada and blueberry cobbler popsicles.

If you’re interested in seeing what else everyone contributed, head here. There are over 120+ contributors this year!

There were a few ideas I had in mind for popsicle week. My initial idea was to make these paletasde vainilla which have become an icon in Colima. Unfortunately, I was only able to find the specific popsicle molds in industrial sizes so I’m going to have to wait until I go back to Mexico to look for said molds. My second idea was to create a café de ollapopsicle, which is what we’re making today. If you’re not familiar with café de olla, you’re missing out. It’s one of my favorite things to have for breakfast whenever we’re in Mexico, especially when we’re dining at one of our favorite spots in Comala,Los Portales de Suchitlan, who happen to package their own fresh coffee on-site!

It’s an al-fresco setting and you basically dine in the middle of coffee trees and other greenery, and it makes you feel like you’re eatingin the middle of a jungle. Depending on who’s making yourcafé de olla, it’ll betypically made by brewing coffee with really good piloncillo, Mexican cinnamon and in certain places people will also include a bit of orange peel for aromatics.I decided to leave out the orange peel out of the popsicles because I’ve never been a huge fan, and I think I have those bitter strips of candied citrus peel on the rosca de reyes to blame.

Coconut Cafe de Olla Popsicles with a Butterscotch Sea Salt Magic Shell

Makes 10 3oz popsicles. This is the mold I used.

Course Popsicles

Calories 0kcal

Author Esteban Castillo

Ingredients

For the popsicles:
1 cup shredded coconut
2 14 oz cans full fat coconut milk check weight
2 7.5 oz. cans table cream*
1 cup of coffee beans crushed roughly with a heavy pot or rolling pin
2 2 ” Mexican cinnamon sticks each broken into quarters
7 oz piloncillo grated, about 1 cup (from 1 ½ 5oz piloncillo cones)
½ tsp. Mexican Vanilla
*If you can't find the can of table cream you can just use 2 cups of half n half or make it vegan and use another 14oz can of coconut milk
For the Magic shell:
12. oz cup butterscotch chips
2 tbsp coconut oil
Sea Salt optional

Instructions

For the Popsicles
Start by toasting the coconut in a dry medium sized saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently to make sure it doesn't burn. Once the coconut is a light golden brown add the coconut milk and table cream (or alternatives).
Bring this mixture to a simmer then add the crushed coffee beans, cinnamon and piloncillo and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the piloncillo has dissolved. Set the pot aside for 15-20 minutes to let the mixture steep then pour it through a very fine mesh strainer (reusable coffee filters are good for this) into a large measuring cup, add the vanilla extract, and set aside to cool completely
Fill your molds and freeze for 1 hour then insert the popsicle sticks and freeze for at least 4 hours.
For the Magic Shell:
Add the butterscotch chips and coconut oil to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in intervals of 30 seconds until the chips have completely melted, stirring after each interval. Once it's melted remove popsicles from the mold one at a time and spoon the magic shell over each one, (optional) topping with a pinch of sea salt and serving.