Honey Mango, Nectarine & Pineapple Sage Ice Lollies

We’re having a heat wave in the UK at the moment. The temperatures we are experiencing may well be common place in some parts of the world at this time of year, but we are not used to it being this hot.

My skin and the sun do not get on. In fact, my skin takes one look at the blazing sun, shrieks and turns red with fright before returning to its usual pale freckly state. Suncream doesn’t seem to help it cope any better.

Needless to say, I don’t go out in it much.

However, amidst the blazing heat and the tennis, I did venture to my local asian supermarket, where I found these:

Honey Mangos.

They are sooooo good. Like a mango only easier to peel, with a smaller stone and much, much sweeter. I could have eaten the whole blender full of puree on its own.

So on a day when it is already 25 degrees celsius by 9.30 in the morning, you want something cool and refreshing. Something that is like fruit and a drink all in one. Something like an ice lolly. And preferably one without anything artificial or a truck load of sugar.

These mangos are so sweet that you really don’t need to add any other form of sweetener or sugar. Trust me. However, if you can’t get hold of honey mangos, then by all means use a very ripe ordinary mango, but be aware that you may have to add a touch of sugar or honey to make it a little sweeter (it’s up to you).

In order to make the lollies a little more ‘tropical’ I added a nectarine, a splash of lime juice and some pineapple sage.

Pineapple sage looks like normal sage but gently rub the leaves and the aroma is all pineapple. It’s amazing.

I was given mine (at a local street market I had cake left over so I gave some to the lady opposite me who was selling herbs, she let me pick a plant in return. It was hard to choose because she had so many amazing varieties that I hadn’t heard of or seen before. I may have to go back and get a tangerine sage), but you can also find them at good garden centres.

If you can’t get hold of pineapple sage, then I suggest leaving it out. Normal sage is not a good substitute. Or basil may work. It depends how adventurous you are feeling!

Honey Mango, Nectarine & Pineapple Sage Ice Lollies

Makes 4 average sized lollies.

Ingredients:

• 1 honey mango
• 1 nectarine
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 3/4 cup of water
• 4 good-sized pineapple sage leaves

Method:

1. Peel and remove the stones from the honey mango and the nectarine.
2. Place into a blender along with the rest of ingredients.
3. Blend until you have a smooth liquid.
4. Pour into your lolly mould.
5. Freeze. If you are using wooden sticks rather than the plastic lids that come with your mould, then freeze the mixture for about 45 minutes and then insert the wooden sticks before leaving to freeze completely. This way you won’t get wonky sticks.