In truth, this recipe contest had Dani and I written all over it. Well documented has been my love for all things spice and Danielle’s love for all things ice cream. Could we really go wrong? I was so happy when we got our chile shipment that I immediately broke them open and did the first thing I could think of – stuck them into a small bottle of vodka. That’s right – oneAji Panco Peruvian chile, for it’s fruity taste, and 5-6 dried Wild Tepin Peppers, for a spicy kick, into a vodka bottle for 2 days.

While my spicy concoction was percolating to perfection, I prepared the sweet surprise of our limoncello pops – candied lemon slices. Thanks to Danielle’s epic research of Martha Stewart, we found a great, and easy recipe for them.

And then it came to making our limoncello. Lots of lemons, sugar, and some peppers soaked until they reached the spiciness that I craved. Freezing it only iced in all that goodness and decreased the intense spice level you may have expected. These pops are for adults only; but if you have a spicy-loving kid (like I was), omit the pepper vodka and let the peppers soak in the limoncello mixture just a little bit longer. It will preserve the heat but keep everything legal!

Sweet and Spicy Limoncello Pops
Serves: 12 (1 pop each)
Peppery Vodka
1 Aji Panco Peruvian Chile
5-6 Dried Wild Tepin Peppers
8 ounces vodka

Candied Lemon Slices (adapted from Martha Stewart)
1 large lemon
1 cup sugar
2 cups water, divided
2 mint leaves

Limoncello Pops
4 cups water, divided
1 cup sugar
1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 New Mexico Chilies
2 Thai Chiles
1/4 cup Pepper Vodka
12 Candied Lemon Slices

Pepper Vodka: Poke holes in the peppers. Combine vodka, and chile peppers in the vodka. Let sit overnight.

Candied Lemon Slices: Wash lemon thoroughly and then thinly slice the lemon. Bring 1 cup water to a boil over high heat. Add lemon slices and cook 1 minute, until softened. Remove and place into an ice bath. Combine remaining water, sugar, and mint in a large skillet and bring to a boil. Add lemon slices and cook for 40-50 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. When the lemon rinds appear translucent remove the slices and place on tin foil until ready to make pops.

Limoncello Pops: Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a skillet. Bring to a boil until the sugar has fully dissolved. Pour into a large bowl and add remaining water and lemon juice. Poke holes into the New Mexico Chilies and Thai Chilies. Add to the bowl and let stand for 2-4 hours (depending on your spicy tastes) in the refrigerator. Remove peppers and mix in vodka. In the popsicle cups, place a candied lemon slice in each. Pour the Limoncello over the candied lemon slice dividing evenly between the popsicles. Add the popsicle toppers and freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

These are so refreshing even Danielle couldn’t stop eating them! That’s when you know I’ve done good!