Mango Ice Pops (Mexican Paletas)

Mango paletas are delicious Mexican ice pops that are so easy to make. They're bright, fruity and perfect for summer. Many countries have tasty frozen treats to help everyone cool down on a warm day. You are in for a treat with these colourful, cooling ice pops that are just as easy for kids to make as enjoy. Paletas translate as ice pops in Spanish, but these are not quite the ice pops you may be used to. You won't find artificial colours and flavours in these, and you may be a little surprised by some of the flavours. In Mexico, you'll find carts selling paletas on many street corners as well as small stores dedicated to them. They are a firm favourite, as is ice cream, and it's easy to understand why. Not only are they great to cool you down, but the flavours are varied and in nearly all cases, all natural, meaning they are a relatively healthy treat.

3 cups diced mango, from about 3 yellow mangoes
3 Tbsp. lime juice, freshly squeezed
4 Tbsp. sugar

Assuming you are using fresh mango, remove the mango flesh from the stone by cutting through the mango near the stone, on both sides, then scoring the mango halves. Pop open the mango and remove the cubes from the skin. Trim remaining mango from around the stone.

Put the mango flesh, lime juice and sugar in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into popsicle moulds, leaving a slight gap at the top. Put in the sticks and carefully transfer to freezer, keeping upright. Allow to freeze - at least four hours.

Remove from moulds - put the mould under warm water if they don't come out easily.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's Notes: You can optionally either add a little chili powder (or tajin seasoning) into the mixture or sprinkle a little on after removing from the mould. Around 1 tsp. should be fine, or to taste.