Surviving summer in the south requires a handful of provisions, including but not limited to the following characteristics: icy, boozy, and fruity. One of the easiest ways to achieve this tasty trifecta is through the tried and true popsicle. It's essentially a portable piece of happiness. And for at least five months out of every year, the popsicle replaces an entire food group in the Bloom nutritional pyramid. 

We took advantage of the seasonally ripe fig trees, whole vanilla beans (rather than processed extract), and a half-used, unclaimed bottle of rum that we found in the kitchen. Combine those key ingredients with a few other basic fixings, and you're ready make the pops. Rocket ship popsicle molds are not required, but highly suggested.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c vanilla almond milk
1 1/2 c coconut milk
1/5 c turbinado sugar
1 vanilla bean, or two tsp vanilla extract
5 figs
2 shots of rum, or liquor of choice

Method :

1. Slice the figs so they are rather thick, like the thickness of two quarters.

2. Seed the vanilla bean by pressing it flat against a cutting board and then slicing it in half. Using a butter knife, slide it across the inside of each half, scraping out the seeds.

3. Add the coconut milk, almond milk, vanilla and sugar to a medium sauce pan and warm the mixture over a low heat, just until the sugar is fully dissolved.

4. Transfer the mixture to a large measuring cup and let it cool in the refrigerator for about an hour.

5. Fill each popsicle mold with about an inch of the cream mixture and insert the popsicle sticks. Let set in the freezer for about an hour.

6. Divide the sliced figs amongst the molds and fill with the remaining mixture.

Place popsicles in the freezer until solid.