Matcha-avocado popsicles

These icy poles freeze to be quite solid, and melt rather slowly, so they're surprisingly transportable (and picnic-friendly). You couldn't exactly cross the Nullarbor with them... but they’ll hold for a good hour when packed in an esky with frozen cooler pads in place.

Credit: Leanne Kitchen

• makes

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 large, ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 300 ml milk
• 125 ml (½ cup) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tbsp matcha powder (see Note), or to taste
• 125 ml (½ cup) pouring cream
• 300 g (2 cups) white chocolate melts
• 250 g pistachios, chopped

Freezing time 7 hours

Instructions

Combine the avocado, milk, condensed milk and matcha powder in a food processor and process until completely smooth, adding a little more matcha to taste if desired. Divide the mixture among six 100 ml popsicle moulds. Freeze for 3 hours or until semi-frozen. Push plastic or wooden sticks into the semi-frozen mixture then freeze for another 4 hours or overnight, or until completely firm. 

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Half fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Combine cream and white chocolate buttons in a bowl large enough to fit snugly over the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium then stand the bowl over the water for about 10 minutes or until the chocolate has melted. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Place chopped pistachios on a plate.

Dip each popsicle mould briefly in a bowl of hot water to loosen popsicles. Working with one popsicle at a time and working quickly, dip each popsicle into the white chocolate mixture and use a large, flat-bladed knife to spread the mixture evenly over, to coat. Immediately dip into the pistachios, turning to coat and pressing pistachios onto the coating. Place on a baking tray then freeze until the chocolate mixture is firm then serve. Popsicles will keep, frozen, for up to 4 days.

Note

• Matcha powder comes in a variety of grades; the more expensive ones are made using earlier picked leaves and the flavour is more delicate. Cheaper matcha is made using mature leaves and the taste is more astringent. “Kitchen” or “culinary” grade matcha (it’s usually labelled as such) tends to be slightly lower grade, but feel free to experiment to find the matcha for cooking you most like the taste of. Matcha is available from Japanese or more general Asian grocery stores.

Photography by Leanne Kitchen. Styling by Sarah O’Brien. Food preparation by Dixie Elliott.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.