Summer is the time for entertaining, and I love to entertain. Especially outside. Trying to come up with new ways to surprise your guests can be a little taxing. These popsicles are the perfect way to delight your guests with the pleasant surprise of the cool ice, with just enough alcohol to make everyone just a bit happier on these extremely warm summer nights. The concept is pretty simple- make your favorite cocktail and freeze in either popsicle molds or paper cups inserted with a stick. Just beware- the cocktail will freeze, but eat them quickly because they tend to melt much faster than non-alcoholic ones. For more interesting ways to delight your guests this summer- check out my article (first one!) in this month’s “Al-Hashulchan” magazine about interesting ways to dress summer fruit up into a fancy dessert.

Ingredients for 8-10 popsicles :
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons tequila
2 tablespoons orange liqueur , such as Grand Marnier
For serving:
2 lemons/limes, sliced
½ cup coarse grained salt, (margarita salt)
½ cup sugar
Preparation:
1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, lemon juice, water,and orange and cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. Transfer to a blender with tequila, orange liqueur and process until smooth. Pour into the cups and cover the top of each cup with foil. Place the popsicle stick in center of cup (down through foil, which will hold it in place).
3. Freeze until hard, preferably overnight. Remove from freezer and run cup under warm water to loosen popsicle. Serve with salt and sugar (according to personal preference) and a lime wedge and serve.