Spiced popsicles (Meghli popsicles)

July 9, 2010  •  Category:

 

My brother Michel who is established in San Fransisco, California, just had a baby, Salim Antonio, his first; Michel requested that a batch of meghli be made at our end here in Lebanon to celebrate the birth. I REALLY wanted to honor the birth of my little nephew, but I just felt like meghli (which means boiled in Arabic) is better suited for the winter season.


Meghli is a pudding based on rice flour and spiced with anise, caraway and cinnamon; tradition dictates that  a large batch of meghli be distributed to friends, relatives and neighbors  following the birth of a baby boy; the meghli pudding  is  decorated with shredded coconut, pistachios and almonds.

I decided to turn it into a meghlipopsicle instead.

NOTE:Meghlimixes are available at all middle-eastern stores; if you have had the real thing, it is the difference between a cake mix and one made from scratch, minus the aftertaste of cakes from a box.

For the traditional meghli pudding recipe, click here.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 Tablespoon of ground caraway
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground anise
  • 2 cups of water
  • 100 g of rice flour
  • 1 can of sweetened condensed milk (about 12 ounces)

METHOD:

  1. Boil the spices in water for 10 minutes; add the rice flour and stir the mixture continuously until it thickens; if desired one can soak the rice in the water for a few hours previously.
  2. Add the sweetened condensed milk slowly, stirring; when the mixture is thick and homogenous, pour into small popsicles molds and freeze.

Fast method:

  1. Use one envelope of ice cream powder, vanilla- flavored; follow the directions on the package, adding the spices with the liquid.

NOTE: The blue coating on the popsicle is colored sugar crystals; I dipped the frozen popsicle in very hot water for one split second, then in the blue sugar then in the coconut.


Comments

43 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. Cherine says:

    Those popsicles are perfect. Look very summery and delicious!!

  2. SYLVIA says:

    Congratulations, to your newest member of your family, I am sure he is beautiful beyond words, and Doctor Michel is overjoyed to have become a father. If only baby Salim Antonio, knew how talented and creative his aunt was.
    Joumana, this is a wonderful and fun summer recipe, what is that blue coating on the meghli Popsicle?

  3. T.W. Barritt says:

    I love it! An adult popsicle! Congratulations!

  4. Suman singh says:

    Congratulations to your brother..god bless the baby…

    Popsicles looks amazing…how did you get that blue color on top?..thanks for such unique and delicious recipe!

  5. Sook says:

    Those popsicles look so cute and colorful!

  6. peter says:

    Congrats on the birth of your nephew. Please have a blue popsicle for me.

  7. Marla says:

    I love this twist! Just had a baby on June 7 and my mother has also been preparing meghli for us. We’ve been greatly enjoying your website since I discovered it a few months ago. It’s a treasure for all of us! p.s. We’ve especially enjoyed reading your entries since you’ve been in Lebanon – brings all of us home.

  8. Katerina says:

    My son would love them. They are very cute.

  9. Priya says:

    Beautiful and interesting pops..

  10. Grapefruit says:

    The recipe is not much unlike one for ‘kheer’ – the sout asian pudding.
    Looks nice and summery! What a lovely idea to turn it into a popsicle.
    Btw – I just tagged you for an award over on my blog. Please check it out.

  11. kim says:

    Congratulations! These little popsicles reminds me of kulfi. Here in NYC, we are getting more and more artisan popsicle vendors that creat exotic flavors and even themes (one ties the flavor to politics because the founders majored in social science or something). Anyway, who cares as look as they’re delicious. Yours look so festive and elegant!

  12. Claudia says:

    What a sweet celebration! Congratulations on the birth of your nephew. How lovely for your brother. This is the sweetest way to welcome a baby into the world. I love how you made it a summer treat. Maybe you have started a new trend. If wishing were having … I’d have one right now.

  13. Susan says:

    They look wonderful! I’d love to be biting into one and looking at that gorgeous view!

  14. peanutts says:

    wow, interesting popsicle. spices and condensed milk

  15. Devaki says:

    Congratulations on the new addition to your family, Joumana! Your modern updated interpretation of age old recipes is your signature style and once again you’ve pulled it off with style!

    Lovely ingredients and such a lovely way to celebrate glad tidings 🙂

    Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

  16. Hélène (Cannes) says:

    Encore une jolie recette ! J’adore cette cuisine, qui me dépayse totalement !
    Bisous
    Hélène

  17. Ann says:

    Can you help? I am trying to practice baking Marquq (? mountain bread?) according to a hand written recipe. I learned to bake this bread as a young girl from a grandparent, but it has been many years since I have done it. I am wondering if you have any tips or can guide me to some resources? I am struggling with getting the dough handkerchief thin and keeping it flat when putting it on the oven floor. Also, I am not sure what temp the oven should be or how long to bake it (that was left off the recipe).

    Thank you for your interesting recipes and the historical background explaining the traditions! I am learning so much and enjoying it tremendously. My grandparents both immigrated to America from Lebanon and I grew up learning to cook and bake some Lebanese foods. I feel I am learning more about Lebanese culture through your blog. Many thanks! Ann

  18. Jojo says:

    You should retail meghli popsicles! Yum!!!

  19. Joanne says:

    Congrats to your brother! That is incredibly awesome!

    I love the idea of turning pudding into popsicles…creamy and delicious! Especially with all of these spices.

  20. Doc says:

    Too cool! Love the popsicle/pudding treats and the spiced flavors. yet another well done, my friend!

  21. Sommer says:

    Congratulations to your brother! These little pops are so intriguing. I’ve never heard of meghli before, and will have to look around for it!

  22. elra says:

    that popsicles look beautiful and delicious Joumana.

  23. Jean says:

    Congrats on your new nephew! How exciting for your family.

    Love your creativity, adapting your meghli to be more suitable for the warm weather. It looks great!

  24. Lentil Breakdown says:

    So glad you created these pops for the new pop. You’re a very clever girl!

  25. anncoo says:

    Those popsicle looks so beautiful and interesting.

  26. Jen_from_NJ says:

    Congratulations! Your blue popsicles are perfect!

  27. doggybloggy says:

    congratulations and WOW what a cool popsicle….I am going to get me some meghli now thanks to you….

  28. Magdalena says:

    First of all, congratulations for your brother. He must be happy.
    As regards the recipe – something completely new for me. – I have never tried meghli.I always find something interesting at you blog. I hope you are having a relaxing weekend.

  29. FOODESSA says:

    What a great tradition. I just learnt something new and in your case blue too LOL.

    Congrats to becoming a aunty and may he be blessed to one day have you feeding him with your lovely treats ;0)

    Ciao for now,
    Claudia

  30. Kerstin says:

    Congrats to your brother!
    What yummy little treats – I’d love to try one!

  31. Marc @ NoRecipes says:

    Wow that blue sugar looks stunning! Congratulations on your nephew:-)

  32. grace says:

    caraway and cinnamon, eh? what an interesting spice combination! these little treats are unique and pretty and completely nifty–thanks for sharing!

  33. oum mouncifrayan says:

    un travail de pro!!! bravo jumana

  34. Jamie says:

    Congratulations to all! And what a clever twist on a traditional sweet. Very cool!

  35. PJ says:

    The blue color to the Popsicle looks so pretty and I ‘m sure it would taste great too!!!!

  36. OysterCulture says:

    Wow, this just sounds so interesting and I love the color. What a great way to celebrate such a momentous occasion.

  37. Mathai says:

    Congratulations to your brother! Those are some really nice popsicles

  38. Faith says:

    I absolutely love these! They sound delicious and the blue sprinkles really are the perfect touch!

  39. Amy @ cookbookmaniac says:

    Oh Wow. How interesting. They looks awesome!

  40. Amber @Almost Vegan says:

    Yum! It sounds a bit like kulfi; does it taste like that at all?

  41. Alice Accad says:

    Oh god. Turns away in horror at the photo of me…

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