This summer isn't proving to be a washout at all. Blue cloudless skies, strong sunshine rather than a few meagre watery rays, and public transport that is a festering sweat box. I love the sunshine if I am lounging by the pool, wandering along a beach, or glued to my picnic blanket in the park. If I actually need to achieve anything productive, it does become a challenge. I have the solution to revive you, cool you down and almost instantly restore your summer spirit: ice pops. You can't fail to feel summery with one of these in your sweaty paws. 

Not just any ice pops. Ice pops with some quite grown up flavours that can be magicked up from the contents of most fridge. 

I bring you (clockwise, from left) Vietnamese coffee; gin and bitter lemon; chai tea with lemon and honey; and elderflower cordial with flowers. I resisted the urge to just tip a bottle of wine into all four of the moulds and chose grown up flavours that were refreshing without being too sweet and which took minutes to make. The higher the sugar content, the longer they took to freeze but all were ready within hours. In hindsight I would have watered down the mixes slightly to make them a little less punchy - particularly the coffee which could have done with a bit more of the evaporated milk to sweeten it. The slices of lemon and lime seem a bit odd but are pleasantly chewy once they have been frozen. 

The permutations are endless and next on the hit list are greek yoghurt and honey, mescal and lime, a Bloody Mary and definitely something with dulce de leche. Winner.