Buttermilk Blackberry Crumble Popsicles

Today I'm joining a slew of fine bloggers in capping off POPSICLE WEEK! That's right, y'all! Billy of the oh-so-delightful Wit & Vinegar rounded up a posse of 26 bloggers from around the blogosphere to get their popsicle on. Y'know, 'cause it's August and we're trying to squeak in as much summer celebration as we can and, I mean, who doesn't like a popsicle? Genius idea, Billy.

As your uncle hails from the Pacific Northwest, it seemed only fitting that I should go with something blackberry. This time of year it is not at all uncommon to see people in questionable casual sportswear picking blackberries on the roadside like vagrants or people who just emerged after being lost in the woods in a vain attempt to find Bigfoot. In any event, if you happen to witness this spectacle just go with it.

So, yeah, I rounded up a bushel o' blackberries a la roadside and got to creating my POPSICLE WEEK offering - Buttermilk Blackberry Crumble Popsicles. Y'know, something light and healthy to go with my active Pacific Northwest lifestyle. Or not. These beauties are layers of tangy, creamy buttermilk ice cream studded with fresh, wild blackberries, graham cracker crumble, and a moody ribbon of blackberry ice. Rowr! Rowr? Okay, probably more homey than sexy but let's just go with it.

BUTTERMILK BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE POPSICLES
makes 10 (11ish) popsicles

Buttermilk Ice Cream
adapted from Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones (A cookbook I highly recommend!)

5 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

• In a heatproof bowl whisk together the egg yolks and half of the sugar (6 tablespoons) and set aside.
• Combine cream and the remaining half of the sugar in a nonreactive saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Allow to heat to barely a simmer, stirring occasionally, and then reduce the heat to medium.
• Carefully remove a small amount (ladle full) of the cream mixture and add to the egg yolks while whisking continuously. Continue this step a few times to bring the yolks to temperature and then add remaining cream mixture and whisk to combine.
• Return this base mixture to the pan and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened and can hold a clear line when you run your finger through it on the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. (For a temperature you can bring it to about 160ºF on an instant-read thermometer.)
• Remove from heat and run through a fine-mesh strainer (to remove any egg bits) into a clean container. Place the container into an ice-water bath and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours or overnight. (If the custard base is not completely chilled it can cause the ice cream mixture to break when adding the buttermilk. So don't get hasty!)
• Once fully chilled, add the cup of buttermilk and vanilla to the custard base and mix until completely combined.

Blackberry Ice

1 1/2 cups blackberries
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons sugar
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

• In a small nonreactive saucepan, combine all the ingredients and cook over medium-high heat until the fruit has broken down and the mixture has thickened slightly (10-15 minutes). 
• Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a small heatproof container, cover, and chill completely.

Graham Cracker Crumble

1/4 graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sugar
Dash of salt

• Melt butter and combine with graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a small bowl. Salt to taste.
• Completely chill graham cracker mixture in the refrigerator.

Okay, ready to make popsicles? You know you are!

To assemble Buttermilk Blackberry Crumble Popsicles:

Buttermilk Ice Cream Base
Blackberry Ice Base
Fresh Blackberries (approximately 1/2 cup or more)
Graham Cracker Crumble

• In a popsicle mold, place a small amount of the buttermilk ice cream base in the bottom of each mold. Add two or three fresh blackberries. Sprinkle with some of the graham cracker crumble and top with a little more of the buttermilk ice cream base. Freeze.
• Once that layer is frozen, add a layer of the blackberry ice mixture, a few more blackberries, and freeze completely.
• Finally, add a little more of the crumble and top off each mold until full with the buttermilk ice cream base and freeze.

Once your popsicles are fully frozen, to remove, simply dunk your mold/s into a hot water bath a few times until you can pull the popsicle out by the stick. Voila!