Watermelon Popsicles

This is a great use for watermelon, and, unlike fresh watermelon, these stay good for weeks.

Watermelon Popsicles
 (adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop)

4 cups watermelon purée, divided
2/3 cup sugar
Big pinch of salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1–2 tablespoons vodka, optional 
2 tablespoons mini-semisweet chocolate chips (I just chopped up regular chocolate chips)

In a small saucepan, heat about 1/2 cup of the watermelon purée with the sugar and salt, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir the sweetened purée into the remaining watermelon and add the lime juice and vodka. Chill, then freeze in your ice cream maker. Stir in the chocolate chips, then pour in popsicle molds and freeze.

Makes 8–12 popsicles, depending on the size of your molds.

Note: You could probably make these without an ice cream maker. Just be sure to add the vodka (or even extra vodka) so they don’t freeze too hard. If you add the smaller amount, don’t worry about kids’ having it–they’re barely getting more alcohol per popsicle than they’d get from the vanilla in a chocolate chip cookie.