5 Ingredients or Fewer

Rojo means “red,” and this syrup gets its name from the vibrant color of fresh pomegranates. Similar ices made with grenadine are found all over Mexico, but grenadine is usually made with artificial flavors and colors. I wanted to include a recipe using fresh pomegranates because it’s really tasty. You can clean an extra pomegranate and sprinkle the seeds on top of each serving for a lovely garnish.

In Mexico, chocolate is mainly used to prepare hot chocolate, so when you hear people say “Mexican chocolate,” or chocolate de mesa, they usually mean chocolate made for this purpose. It’s grainy because it’s basically toasted ground cocoa mixed with sugar, cinnamon, and sometimes vanilla, almonds, or both. I really love the fragrance of Mexican cinnamon, so I like to infuse some in the liquid for this ice pop to add more flavor. I decided to add little bits of chocolate and almonds to these paletas to give another layer of flavor and crunchiness. Who doesn’t love that?

Coconut is one of the most popular paleta flavors, so I decided to include two coconut ice pop recipes in this book. This quick version is very creamy and sure to be a crowd-pleaser. It’s inspired by a coconut paleta I had when I last visited the wonderful state of Campeche. It was a very hot day and I desperately needed to cool off, so I had a coconut paleta. It was an unusual choice for me, but I was convinced because the man selling it said that it had toasted shredded coconut mixed in; I thought the nutty flavor and lovely crunchiness of the toasted coconut went wonderfully with the rich, smooth coconut base.

Sangrita, a spiced tomato drink served as a chaser for tequila, inspired this delicious paleta. For the sweetest and tastiest ice pops, make this recipe when tomatoes are at the peak of their season. To make the tomato puree, just remove the stems from perfectly ripe tomatoes, trim the tomatoes if needed, rinse them, then process in a blender or food processor.

Mexicans can never have enough limes. We put them in everything, so it’s no surprise that this flavor of paleta is one of the top three sellers everywhere. For this recipe, try to use the smaller limes, similar to Key limes, as they’re a little more tart. That said, these ice pops will be delicious with any lime juice as long as it’s freshly squeezed.

These incredibly refreshing paletas are quite easy to make. In Mexico, they typically include the watermelon seeds, which are blended along with the flesh, but feel free to use a seedless melon or remove the seeds if you prefer.

A few hours outside of Mexico City lies the lakeside town of Valle de Bravo. Many people escape there for the weekend to get some fresh air and enjoy the lake and the chilly mornings in the mountains. We had some family friends who had a country house there. What I looked forward to most when we visited were the incredible wild blackberries, bursting with juice and with a slight tartness that I loved. I always had blackberry smoothies for breakfast and as many of these paletas as I could get. In this recipe, the mixture isn’t strained. Part of the awesomeness is enjoying the little seeds in every bite.

My childhood friend, Dan, loves grapefruit paletas and he kept asking me when La Newyorkina would have them available at the market. They did make a short appearance there, but I also promised I would include this recipe in the book. These slightly bitter ice pops are incredibly refreshing. I prefer to use Ruby Red grapefruit juice because it tends to be a bit sweeter and has a prettier color.

This is probably one of the most common paletas—maybe because the flavor is so kid- and adult-friendly. Strawberry paletas have been my brother’s favorite since he was a kid. The best strawberries in Mexico are from Irapuato; they’re a kind of wild strawberry that sweetens the air, and people travel from all over to get big baskets of them. If you are lucky enough to have access to wild strawberries, which are smaller than those that you find at grocery stores but have intensely concentrated sweet flavor, please use them to make these paletas. They are so good and also quite delicate, so they squish easily—perfect for our purposes.

A refreshing and versatile sauce, this pairs nicely with ice cream, cake, fruit, and chocolate desserts. Make a couple of batches and divide into several small freezer storage bags and store frozen for up to 6 months.

This is a wonderful all-purpose topping for cakes, fresh fruit, granola, and more. Though the taste is rich and velvety, it’s actually low fat and packed with protein as an added bonus.

This vegan chocolate crème is a luxurious filling or topping for any cake. It produces a great custardlike quality thanks to the silken tofu. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur to flavor this versatile filling. Try Amaretto, Frangelico, or Grand Marnier, for a special treat.

Sweet cherries are delicious as a cake filling and make a luscious topping for cheesecake.

I try to cut fat and calories wherever I can, so I generally use a combination of cream cheese and Neufchâtel when I prepare this frosting. It’s great on virtually any cake and a perfect match for Sunrise Carrot Muffins (page 7).

Like traditional cream cheese frosting, this vegan version is a wonderful compliment to any spiced cake or cupcake. Spread this frosting on the vegan Gingerbread Cake (page 56)—scrumptious!

This new-fashioned whipped cream makes any dessert just a little bit better. This is a great topping for ice cream treats or for use as a cake frosting or filling. To frost a large cake, increase this recipe by half; to frost and fill a cake, double the recipe.

After a couple of days in the fridge, it may be necessary to whip this frosting with a little soy milk if the consistency is too thick. This will restore a creamy texture.

If you would like to use this ganache as a filling as well as a frosting, double the recipe. You’ll have some left over.

Substituting evaporated skim milk for some of the cream reduces the fat yet maintains the richness of this classic dessert sauce.

The delicately tangy flavor makes a lovely frosting for carrot and banana cakes.