Chocolate Chocolate and More!

Welcome to my baking adventures.

Caramel Popsicle Recipe from The Dairy Good Cookbook

Caramel Popsicle-a simple custard made with milk and sugar is the base for this sweet summer treat!

Caramel Popsicle Recipe-a simple custard made with milk and sugar are the base for these sweet summer treats!

Did you know June is National Dairy Month? My kids go through at least a gallon of milk a day. I always tease them: we should just get a few cows and put them in the back yard. It’s not realistic, I know. We can’t have hooved animals where we live anyway. More than that, it’s a lot of work to raise dairy cows.  A Lot. Unlike any other farming, it’s a daily chore. The cows have to be milked every day. There’s no lazy Saturday or Sunday mornings. The cows are waiting. Reading through The Dairy Good Cookbook brought so many memories back for me. You see, my Grandparents had a dairy farm.

The Dairy Good Cookbook National Dairy Council

I remember visiting as a kid, getting up before the sun, the cows were there, ready and waiting. Breakfast happened after the cows were tended to. Dairy farming isn’t just cows, there are also the crops, hay, corn, and rotating the pastures. 200 acres is a lot to keep up with. Oh, and it was freezing cold in the winter and hot in the summer. With 40 milking cows, and 25-30 calfs and heifers, there was constantly work to be done. Charlie July 1950 001ccc This is my dad back in 1950. My family had the black and white cows, Holsteins. Dairy farming is more than just one person working the farm. It takes a family. The kids will help out before school and after. Spouses work side by side. It’s 365 days a year focused on the cows and the milk they produce. As Julie Lourenzo of Sliver Streams Jerseys farm in Tillamook, Oregon writes in The Dairy Good Cookbook, “The kids always have chores to do, they may not like them, but they do them anyway.” She and husband Shannon “plan their whole day around what each of them are doing on the farm.” Flipping through the pages, the gorgeous photography,

The-Dairy-Good-Cookbook-92c

the family stories, the love of the land, the cows, the products they produce…and the recipes! It’s not just a cookbook, but also a book to read. Milk is just the start: Cheese, Butter, Yogurt, Cream, Sour Cream, Cottage Cheese, Cream Cheese (I can’t imagine eating a bagel without it!) oh, and Ice Cream. We have it all because of these dedicated farmers. the family stories, the love of the land, the cows, the products they produce…and the recipes! It’s not just a cookbook, but also a book to read. Milk is just the start: Cheese, Butter, Yogurt, Cream, Sour Cream, Cottage Cheese, Cream Cheese (I can’t imagine eating a bagel without it!) oh, and Ice Cream. We have it all because of these dedicated farmers. The Dairy Good Cookbook: Everyday Comfort Food from America’s Dairy Farm Families features over 100 recipes created by and for America’s 47,000 dairy farm families. From Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, there are also Snacks, Desserts, and Holiday recipes.  I can’t wait to make the Fresh Berry Stuffed French Toast with a Vanilla Yogurt Sauce and I know my kids will love the Slow Cooked Beef Stroganoff. Since it’s almost summer (it really feels like it is summer!) I thought I’d share a popsicle recipe from this cookbook. Simple to make, the creamy milk mixture is swirled with caramel sauce.  

Pudding-base-15c

When cooking your milk mixture, you know it’s ready when it sticks to a wooden spoon. To make transferring your swirled mixture to popsicle molds, I prefer using a plastic bag.

Fill-plastic-bag-49c

Then cut the corner.

Use-plastic-bag-for-easy-filling-of-small-spaces-57c

So much easier than trying to spoon it into those tiny openings. Add your popsicle stick, freeze then enjoy on a hot day.

Caramel Popsicle Recipe

Connect with Chocolate, Chocolate and More!   Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Pinterest | instagram  

This Caramel Popsicle Recipe appears as Caramelicious Milksicles in The Dairy Good Cookbook on page 124.

Yield: 4-6 popsicles

Caramel Popsicle Recipe

Caramel Popsicle Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping, room temperature

Instructions

  1. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Over low heat, whisk in milk until combined. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 2 minutes, until thickened.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
  3. Transfer to a shallow container or bowl. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 40 minutes to cool.
  4. Add caramel topping, placing spoonfuls on top of chilled milk mixture, then lightly swirling with a knife.
  5. Transfer swirled mixture to popsicle molds and freeze until firm, 4-6 hours or overnight.

Notes

This Caramel Popsicle Recipe appears as Caramelicious Milksicles in The Dairy Good Cookbook on page 124.

© Gail Dickinson
The perfect “After Chores” treat! Caramel Popsicle Recipe-a simple custard made with milk and sugar is the base for this sweet summer treat!

You can find The Dairy Good Cookbook wherever books and e-books are sold – Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Indie Bound. 

This recipe is used with permission from The Dairy Good Cookbook, Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC.

This article is sponsored by Dairy Good. The opinions and text are my own.

Through The Dairy Good Cookbook, dairy farmers share their secret (and not so secret) stories, traditions, and family recipes that have been passed down through generations. For a chance to win a copy of The Dairy Good Cookbook and a $75 gift card, share a recipe or dish that celebrates your love of dairy (meaning that the recipe or dish must include cow’s milk, cheese and/or yogurt) as well as a story of how that recipe or dish has been passed down through the generations in your family, or is tied to a special tradition or occasion meaningful to you. 

Entry Instructions:

You may receive (1) total entry by selecting from the following entry methods:

1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 6/2/2015 – 6/30/2015

Be sure to visit The Dairy Good Cookbook’s brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

Don’t Miss a Post! Get Updates By Email:

Get all of these delicious recipes delivered directly to your inbox.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lasagna and Baked Ziti celebrate my love of dairy. My dad’s side of the family is Italian and he always made these dishes for our occasions. I now make these dishes for our special events because they are delicious and feed a lot of people.

  3. My Mom made the best Hush Puppies when I was growing up. She got the recipe from her Mom, and I also made them when I was growing up, and now make them with my daughter! We use buttermilk in my Hush Puppies, and they are so delicious!

  5. We make our own homemade ice cream shakes every Sunday in the summer here in Wisconsin.

  6. Home made ice cream and home made whipped cream is a terrific comfort food. You always feel super special when someone goes through the trouble making it for you.

  7. Growing up, my grandma lived in Georgia and when I was little, the first recipe she taught me to make was cheesy mashed potatoes with whole milk. We make these potatoes every Christmas in honor of her. Over the years, our family has modified the recipe by adding bacon or garlic to the potatoes, but they are still as cheesy as ever. We now call these potatoes Granny Potatoes!

  9. My dad also milked Holsteins years ago. I have quite an appreciation for the whole family working to make the farm work. And, where would we be without all the amazing dairy… This cookbook sounds wonderful!

  13. Ahh, dairy. I love it so much! My great-grandparents also owned a dairy, but it closed before my mom was born, but I have many fond memories of exploring the abandoned barns! My family drinks milk like crazy-we go through a gallon of milk a day too! I adore cheese of (almost) every kind, we like 3 blocks from Rumiano Cheese, our local cheese factory. We frequent it a LOT, sometimes more than twice a week! It’s kind of embarrassing how much dairy we consume! My favorite form though is desert: Cheesecake and ice cream to be specific!

  14. My favorite dairy dish to make is lasagna. I got the recipe from a neighbor years ago & it never fails to please!

  16. My mom’s turkey meat lasagna is a recipe that we’ve enjoyed for years. When I got married, she included the recipe in a box for me to try out in my new home.

  18. We love making potato and cheese pierogies in my family, we make them every holiday, have been since i was a child.

  23. One of our family favorite recipes is stuffed pasta shells. I got this recipe clear back in high school in a food service class and to this day the whole family still makes them.
    cshell090869 at aol dot com

  25. I make a cake with a cream puff crust, pudding and cream cheese filling and whipped topping and drizzled with milk chocolate

  27. This recipe celebrates our love for dairy and includes cows milk and cheese. We found it online and we love to have it on Sunday mornings a few times a month. These breakfast meals are meaningful to us because we enjoy a wonderful meal together and great family time. bacon and eggs casserole recipe
    Ingredients
    4 bacon strips
    18 eggs
    1 cup milk
    1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
    1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
    1/4 cup sliced green onions
    1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
    1/2 teaspoon pepper
    Directions
    In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towel to drain.
    In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, cheese, sour cream, onions, salt and pepper.
    Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Crumble bacon and sprinkle on top. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes. Yield: 8-10 servings.

  28. We always have sweet potato gratin for holiday get-together. It is a family tradition dish that has been passed down through the generations. I still remember being a little helper working on this dish in the kitchen with my grandmother.
    tcarolinep at gmail dot com

  30. we love making cheesecake , my mom also used to make,it’s just like our family traditions

  32. A dish that has meaning for me is cauliflower au gratin. It was the first recipe I ever made by myself, and my parents loved it!

  33. My Aunt make this decadent custard tart every year at our Christmas family gathering. The silky custard is made with whole milks, eggs, sugar; all baked in a buttery crust. I now make it for my kids from time to time at home. It’s probably my favorite dessert to enjoy.

    amy [at] utry [dot] it

  35. When my husband and I were first married close to 20 years ago he gave me a cookbook as he put it to “save our marriage” I didn’t know how to cook,but was a voracious reader so I read the cookbook all the way through and the first recipe I tried was lasagna which had lots of cheese in it! Well it was an instant hit and I still make it till this day.

  36. A recipe that has been passed down to me in my family is ham & cheese crepes, they are just so delicious and can be frozen!
    Recipe as follows
    • 2/3 cup cold water
    • 2/3 cup plus 4 to 6 tablespoons cold milk, divided
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/4 cup butter, melted
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    •
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
    • 8 thin slices deli ham
    • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
    •
    • • In a blender, combine the water, 2/3 cup of milk, flour, eggs, butter and salt. Cover and process until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Add remaining milk if batter is too thick.
    • • Heat a lightly greased 8-in. nonstick skillet over medium heat; pour 3 tablespoons batter into the center of skillet. Lift and tilt pan to coat bottom evenly. Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Remove to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet as needed. When cool, stack crepes with waxed paper or paper towels in between. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Yield: 16 crepes.
    • • To use frozen crepes: Thaw 8 crepes in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Spread each with mustard; top with a slice of ham and sprinkle with cheese. Roll up tightly.
    • • Place in a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 10-14 minutes or until heated through.

  39. I love to make strawberries and cream Popsicles with my sweet boy! While my recipe is very much improvised (blend some cream and condensed milk and strawberries and freeze), I look forward to my trying out this recipe. I bet it will be a hit!!

  40. We have a cream cheese pound cake recipe that has become a family standard and favorite. My dad was first to make it and I also make it on occasion. This super rich cake has a whopping 6 eggs in it and 2 full sticks of butter! As kids, my siblings and I loved this cake and now our chilren have grown to love it as well to the point that they fight over who’s going to get the last piece.
    sazzyfrazz at gmail dot com

  43. When I want to do something nice for my hubby, I whip up a chocolate pudding pie. Homemade pudding and a graham cracker crust — easy but he loves it! My mom always made it, too.

  44. When I was a kid, I used to help my grandma cook and bake a lot. I learned so much from her! One of her best, and my favorite, recipes was for her creamy wild rice soup. Heavy cream and milk made it so creamy and delicious!

  46. I make a peanut butter cream pie every holiday, family loves it and looks forward to having it.

  48. My favorite would have to be my mom’s pumpkin cheesecake! She includes it at every holiday meal, and it is something everyone looks forward to.

    Thanks for the chance to win!
    wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com

  52. I have a delicious recipe for ham and potato soup that a friend gave to me. It is very easy and the great thing about it is that you can add additional ingredients, more ham, potatoes, etc and it still turns out great.

    Combine 3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes, 1/3 cup diced celery, 1/3 cup finely chopped onion, 3/4 cup diced cooked ham and 3 1/4 cups water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules, salt and pepper to taste. In a separate saucepan, melt 5 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in 5 tablespoons all purpose flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in 2 cups milk as not to allow lumps. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

  54. We always grew tomatoes in the garden and one of mom’s favorite ways to use them was to make cream of tomato soup. I still make it in August and September when local tomatoes or plentiful.

  57. We have a meal that is called white sauce meal that we have passed down through generations.

  58. It has to be my mother-in-laws homemade macaroni and cheese. Its a hit at holiday dinners. I always enjoy making this dish.

  60. My mom cooked the basics for my dad…meat and potatoes, nothing special or fancy. At some point as I got older, I became the mashed potato maker at thanksgiving. Everyone said how they liked my potatoes (perhaps in was the work involved in peeling and mashing that no one else wanted to do, or perhaps it was the addition of just the right amount of milk and butter. So, still nothing fancy and for about 40 years now, my specialty remains mashed potatoes.

  61. For every special occasion my family requests my mini chocolate cheesecakes with cherries. I taught my daughter-in-law how to make them and now her family requests them also.

  62. We love to make cheesecake and the recipe has been passed down from my great grand mother through the generations.

  63. Mac and cheese is recipe we all love and will be enjoyed by my children and their children.

  64. my favorite dairy recipe that is passed down from my family is my grandma’s creamy cottage cheese and we make this every fourth of July for breakfast

  65. Creamy chicken tortilla soup is a favorite in my family. It actually didn’t get passed down, but rather passed up. (My parents started making it after they tasted mine!)

  67. We love to make homemade cheesecake my grandmother used to make and pass it on to us

  68. My cajun chicken pasta is my favorite and it started with me and will definitely be handed down

  70. my kids fav recipe is a taco dip that they love to eat as a meal, its made with cottage cheese and cream cheese

  71. I made a cherry cheese pie one year for Thanksgiving….now it is a must-have at all family gatherings & friends’ potlucks.

  73. It’s always tradition for thanksgiving for my grandmother to prepare homemade macaroni and cheese using different cheeses shredded and grated and milk

    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

  75. One of our family’s favorite recipes is great-grandma’s champurrado (mexican hot chocolate). It’s tradition to drink it during Christmas time

  79. My son’s favorite food is mac & cheese. I found a recipe for mac & cheese & chicken muffins that I modified to make into JUST mac & cheese. Very simple, very delicious, and according to my son “even better than Applebees!” Here it is – 8 oz macaroni cooked and drained, 1 T butter melted, whisk in 1 T flour and a 1 t. salt. Cook 1 min. Whisk in 1.5 cups of whole milk, bring to boil and simmer 3 minutes. Turn off heat and mix in 1 cup of shredded or cubed white cheddar and .25 cup of shredded parm. I like to add steamed broccoli but it’s perfect without it too.

  81. One of my fondest memories is making homemade fudge with my mom during Christmas. It was the one time of year she used real butter and sweet cream! LOL She still makes it to this day and every time I take a bite I am a kid again mentally.

  82. My mother’s homemade baked macaroni and cheese topped with whole plum tomatoes that I loved while growing and now is our family favorite.