Ice Pops

Basil gives the blueberries an herbal edge that you’ll notice immediately. The Basil Simple Syrup is doing two jobs at once: flavoring and structuring. Sugar lowers the freezing point of water, which is why a properly sweetened ice pop is pleasantly yielding rather than glassy. Any extra syrup is lovely in a summer cocktail.

Cool, bright, and slightly grown-up, these ice pops have a couple of rules: Steep the mint with the lid on (so the menthol stays in the syrup instead of evaporating) and blend the mixture for a full minute on high—because a smooth base makes a smoother, silkier ice pop. Also, taste your strawberries before committing to all the lemon juice—a peak July berry needs less help than an underripe one.

Buttermilk ice pops eat like soft-serve ice cream. The fat from the heavy cream, sour cream, and buttermilk gets in the way of ice crystals forming, so instead of an icy pop, you get this silky-smooth, slightly tangy pop. Two rules to keep in mind: Heat the cream and sugar together first to dissolve every granule of sugar and then add the buttermilk only after the mixture has cooled—too much heat and it will curdle.