Oh Canada Pops

This month's Food Network Canada's Cooking Club Challenge was to use at least one of five featured PC products in a dish. Because I am on a bit of a popsicle kick AND it's Canada Day weekend coming up how could I not choose to make a popsicle with a nice Canadian theme. It doesn't get more Canadian than maple syrup, local strawberries and they are a very canuck red and white stripe. The cream/yogurt layer is a bit decadent but they can't all be healthy treats, can they and although I love the thickness of no fat greek yogurt, it can feeze with a grainy texture that I didn't want in this popsicle. I really had no choice but to mix it with some heavy cream - I might even try going the whole hog with whipping cream the next time to see how that turns out. Thankfully, the tartness of the pureed berries give a really nice break from that richness mid way through the pop and I am glad that I used the maple syrup instead of my standard honey as the sweetening agent because the maple flavour really shines through. Oh Canada indeed!

Oh Canada Pops
1 cup of 18% cream
1/4 cup PC greek yogurt
3 tbls PC maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 dozen ripe Ontario strawberries
1 tsp PC maple syrup

Mix the cream, yogurt, 3 tbls maple syrup and vanilla really well - I used my bullet but a blender would be great. Set aside

Puree the strawberries and mix in the maple syrup

Pour the cream/yogurt mixture into popsicle molds until they are just a hair under half full. Put the molds in the freezer for about 20 to 30 minutes until the cream is set. Pour a thin layer of the strawberry mixture in each mold and return to the freezer for another 20 minutes. Take the molds out of the freezer and fill to the top with the cream/yogurt and add the sticks in. Return them to the freezer one last time and let them freeze until they are good and solid, at least 4 or 5 hours.

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