Mirtilli Mandorla Pops
Blueberry Grappa Pops
I was inspired to make these pops as I looked through my copy of People’s Pops by Nathalie Jordi, David Carrell and Joel Horowitz. The authors are the owners of New York City’s People’s Pops. They manufacture thousands of Pops per week, but it was not always that way.
Like so many artisanal producers, they started out small using the very same home pop maker I do. Although their equipment has been upgraded, their Pops are the same. They are still made from best quality fresh fruit, vegetables and liquor and sweetened with simple syrup just as they were on Day One.
People’s Pops
Between the covers of People’s Pops you will find a comprehensive guide to home pop making and recipes that are excellent on their own, or that will inspire your own creations. From Rhubarb & Jasmine to Strawberries & Cream to Raspberries & Basil and beyond, there are enough ideas to keep you chilling all summer long.
Right now is the height of blueberry season. Ever popular on American breakfast tables, and de rigeur at our Independence Day picnics, blueberries are an all-American favorite. In the book I came across a recipe for Blueberry Moonshine Pops. Yes, Moonshine. Those of you who have been hanging around for a while know I never miss an opportunity to try something new in the liquor department. I had no moonshine, and I have no still, but the idea of high proof alcohol sent me right for the grappa. And not just any grappa, mind you, but Mandorla from Nardini. I knew its dark cherry notes and bitter almond would be a perfect complement to the blueberries. I adapted the recipe, increasing here, decreasing there and passing the fruit through a food mill rather than the food processor called for by the authors. Just where an adaptation ends and an original begins is a matter of great controversy among food writers. I will be the first to say this is an adaptation from the recipe in People’s Pops. Thanks, guys.
A note on Mandorla
This is a grappa product from one of Italy’s premier distillers, Nardini. Dry and smooth, with a sweet-ish sort of finish, this is a grappa like no other. No firewater here, just the seductive taste of bitter almond and the darkest maraschino cherries. If you are new to grappa, start with Mandorla. One taste and you will wonder what took you so long. I highly recommend that you visit I Love Grappa, Nardini’s site. There you will find information, history, recipes and a downloadable Grappa Handbook. Mandorla is available in Los Angeles at Wally’s Wine.
Mirtilli Mandorla Pops – Blueberry Grappa Pops
makes 10 2 ½ ounce Pops
20 ounces blueberries, rinsed and picked over
1/2 cup simple syrup
3 tablespoons Nardini Mandorla
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pass blueberries through medium disk of food mill. Continue using the mill until all the blueberries and their skins have been processed. Scrape the bottom of the disk to get all the blueberries. You should have 2 1/4 cups puree. Add simple syrup, Mandorla and lemon juice. Stir until combined. Taste, adjusting flavoring as needed keeping in mind blueberries taste quite sweet when frozen. You will have just over 3 cups of blueberry mixture.
Pour into pop molds leaving a bit of headroom – the mixture will expand as it freezes. Insert sticks and freeze 8 hours or overnight.
Pop molds are available at Amazon.
Simple Syrup
makes 1 1/4 cups
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
Over medium heat combine water and sugar in small saucepan. Swirl pan occasionally until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat, transfer to a glass container. Cool, cover and refrigerate up to one week.
Click here to view People’s Pops original recipe for Blueberry Moonshine Pops at Serious Eats.
Note: You can click on any picture to see a slide show!
I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
Sunday, July 1st 2012 at 1:03 pm |
I love it! An adult ice pop. This will get made.
Sunday, July 1st 2012 at 1:09 pm |
Hi Foodie!
Yes, a little booze in a pop can only be a good thing. They are so refreshing, and really pretty easy. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by my site.
Sunday, July 1st 2012 at 3:46 pm |
Adri – I love that you’re introducing me to new Italian liqueurs that I’ve never tried, including this particular grappa. The pops sound like they’d be a big hit after a summer barbeque. And I love the way you composed your photos with that blackboard.
Sunday, July 1st 2012 at 5:06 pm |
Thank you, Linda,
I have to say that when I started this site two years ago, I never dreamed I would write this frequently about liquor. But I find myself continually drawn to the art of the alcoholic beverage maker. I am continually amazed at the nuance and levels of flavor. I think I am getting a rep!
This one is a real stunner, however. So often when people think of grappa, they think of harsh notes. While strong, Mandorla is not harsh. In fact it might be described as strong but gentle – forza e gentile – like the Abruzzese! Nardini is a premium maker. A year ago I wrote about their Acqua di Cedro, and it has replaced Limoncello for me. The finish on the Acqua di Cedro is dry, not sweet like Limoncello, and it makes a great cocktail when mixed with active water and basil simple syrup.
I am so pleased to hear you enjoy “The Liquor Lady!” Stop by for a drink any time.
P.S. I am glad you enjoyed the blackboard. It was a gift from my sister, and when I opened it I said “I think I am going to get a lot of mileage out of this.”
Monday, July 2nd 2012 at 3:57 am |
Hi Adri – Just in time! I had a recipe calling for Grappa and had no idea what to buy! How would you describe the taste? Thanks (as always!) for your very informative articles!
Monday, July 2nd 2012 at 7:43 am |
Hi Irene,
The taste is a combo of bitter almond and dark cherry. Lots of us are not familiar with bitter almond – think of almond essence without any sweetness, no trace of marzipan-type flavor whatsoever. What makes this grappa so extraordinary is the scent and finish of dark cherries. Marasca cherries, originally from Slovenia, are dark, almost black and have an extraordinary perfume and taste when preserved in a syrup of Maraschino liqueur. (This by the way, is the original recipe for Maraschino cherries.) Mandorla marries beautifully with chocolate. In fact I would say the nose has a significant dark chocolate component. Do you remember back in the eighties when we all discovered Valrhona chocolate? How dark and almost “dry” (in the vinous sense) it seemed to us? Once described as smoky, it was the dry component we were sensing; back then it was entirely new to us in chocolate. There is a great deal of that same dryness here. I am spreading the Gospel of Grappa these days! Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope your recipe is a complete success.
Monday, July 2nd 2012 at 4:16 am |
Hi Adri — What a wonderful, cool post. So pretty too! One of my favorite summer activities when I go back to the US in the summer is Blueberry picking in Maine. Have you ever read “Blueberries for Sal?” — that continues to be on my list of top favorite children’s books. Now I will have something else to try with all those blueberries we pick.
Monday, July 2nd 2012 at 7:46 am |
Hi Trisha,
I am so glad you like this. I have never read Blueberries for Sal. Thanks for the tip. These Pops are a wonderful treat for hot summer afternoons; they take the edge right off! You could pick the berries one day and snack on the Pops the next. Enjoy blueberry season! And thank you for stopping by.
Monday, July 2nd 2012 at 11:44 am |
Adri!! My mouth is watering. What a timely and enticing recipe for the blueberries & the grappa.
I’m off to get the ingredients today. This will be great! I love your blog. Pat
Monday, July 2nd 2012 at 4:59 pm |
Hi Pat,
I am so glad this one caught your eye. These Pops are perfect for our hot summer afternoons. You will love this grappa – alone or in a Pop! I love hearing from you, and thanks so much for stopping by my site.
Thursday, July 5th 2012 at 11:22 pm |
Hi Adri:
My “supplier” of Italian liquers in Adelaide is going to wonder what I am running up here in Alice Springs, I am ordering a variety of liquor. I can’t find Amarretto here at the moment. The Nardini Mandorla sounds like another one I will have to try in the pops when the weather gets warmer. We are having the coldest winter in years here and you were right the a warm Punch Abruzzo is perfect on a chilly outback evening,
Aileen
Friday, July 6th 2012 at 7:23 am |
Hi Aileen,
Your liquor guy may visit and “inspect the premises” soon. I swear the variety of these libations is endless. There is surely something for everyone. The Mandorla is wonderful. In fact, everything from Nardini is noteworthy. And as for the Punch Abruzzo – it will surely warm you up! I love to put it in sweetened coffee. Those of us who love it are very pleased to be able to get it here in the states. It used to be that people would bring it home from Italian vacations wrapped in their luggage! Thanks for visiting, and I hope you enjoy the Pops once the weather warms up – which ought to be about the time ours cools down.
Wednesday, July 18th 2012 at 5:21 pm |
Only thing better would be if you served them in a Dorothy Thorpe glass (or plate… or napkin??) GREG
Wednesday, July 18th 2012 at 8:29 pm |
Hi Greg,
Great idea. Pops in Dorothy Thorpe – perfection indeed. Thanks for stopping by!
Saturday, July 20th 2013 at 3:16 am |
Perfect timing – one of our local blueberry growers had their annual Blueberry Blow-out today. Five pounds for $6 – a great buy. Now, hopefully, I can locate this type of grappa, which I’ve never tasted.
Saturday, July 20th 2013 at 7:12 am |
Hi Marie,
You are up in blueberry land, aren’t you? I bet you gets some wonderful ones. Also, I hope you can find this grappa. It really is special. The company distills a variety, and all are wonderful – none of that brutal firewater we joke about. Let me know how the search goes.