Summer calls for fresh treats that are fruity, cold, and delicious. When it comes to summer fruits, oranges are often overlooked and they don’t deserve the attention they deserve.

Here are two great summer recipes that use oranges for a bright and citrusy flavor. These recipes can be made with or without alcohol, which means that they’re perfect for the entire family.

Sunrise Ice Pops

Ingredients:

• Orange juice
• Pomegranate juice
• Tequila (optional)
• Popsicle sticks
• Popsicle tray

Directions:

Pour orange juice into your popsicle tray.

Pour in about a teaspoon of pomegranate juice per ice pop.  If you are using tequila, add one shot for all the orange juice going into the pops.

Put in the freezer without sticks.  After about twenty minutes, they should be set enough that your sticks will stand up straight when inserted.  Freeze until solid (~3 hours).  Enjoy!

Blue Moon and Orange Cupcakes

(Makes 24 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

• ¾ cups unsalted butter, at room temperatures
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp of orange juice, no pulp
• 1 cup of Blue Moon ale, plus a little for brushing on top (if you choose to brush orange juice on top, the alcohol will have completely cooked out of this cake in the end)
• ¼ cup milk
• A couple drops of neon orange food coloring (optional)

Icing

• 1 container of your favorite cream cheese frosting
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 tbsp orange juice, no pulp

**Orange wedge, zest, or orange-colored sugar for decoration**

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line a muffin tin with muffin cups and spray them lightly with cooking spray.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl (Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt).

Cream the sugar with the butter until fluffy (~2 minutes).  Add the eggs to the creamed mixture one at a time, beating in between.  Add the juice, zest, and vanilla.  Mix in the milk and the beer.

Using a sift, incorporate the dry ingredients.

Fill cupcake cups 2/3 of the way.  Bake at 375 for 18 minutes.  Let cool for five minutes.  Poke holes on top of the cupcakes and brush on either more beer or more orange juice to your preference.

For the frosting, mix all the ingredients together.  You can also make your own cream cheese frosting with 12 oz. of cold cream cheese, 6 tbsp. of butter, and 4 cups of powdered sugar beaten together.  Frost the cupcakes only after they have cooled.  You can get fancy with a piping bag or use your trusty frosting knife.

Garnish with orange zest or an orange wedge.