Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water 
• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

Directions

1. Start with the simple syrup. Set a small saucepan over medium heat, add the sugar and water, and stir them together. Once the mixture boils, keep stirring until the sugar has completely melted into the liquid. Refrigerate the syrup until it is cold, or speed things along by nesting the saucepan in a bowl of ice. Expect about 3/4 cup syrup, and set aside the extra since this recipe will not need the full batch. The remainder can stay in the refrigerator for several weeks.
2. Add the strawberries to a blender or food processor with the lemon juice plus 3 tablespoons of simple syrup, then puree until smooth. Taste it, and blend in more simple syrup if you want it sweeter. Pour the mixture into a measuring cup or into a bowl.
3. Put the yogurt in a bowl and whisk until any lumps relax and the texture looks even. If you prefer it sweeter, whisk in honey or simple syrup to taste.
4. To fill the popsicle molds, spoon in alternating layers: about 1 tablespoon of fruit puree, then about 1 tablespoon of yogurt. Repeat with yogurt and berries until each mold is filled to 1/4-inch from the top, leaving that little bit of space for the popsicles to expand as they freeze. Use a skewer or chopstick to reach down into the molds, then gently swirl the fruit and yogurt together. The exact amounts you need will vary with your popsicle molds. If strawberry puree remains, save it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, freeze it for up to 3 months, use it in another batch of popsicles, or spoon it into plain yogurt for breakfast.
5. Freeze the filled molds for 1 hour. Take them out, add the popsicle sticks, and leave about 2 inches of each stick showing above the mold. Put the molds back in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours more, until the pops are solid.
6. To unmold, set the lower part and sides of the mold into a container of hot water, but do not dunk the whole mold; remove it as soon as the edges have thawed just enough for the popsicles to release. Serve them right away, or pack the popsicles into freezer bags and keep them frozen. 3 popsicles fit neatly in a quart-sized freezer bag. If they are too firm straight from the freezer, let them sit out for a few minutes before eating.