I love paletas.
Mexican popsicles.
We don’t have a traditional ice cream man in our neighborhood, we have Latino guys, Paleteros, on bicycles with coolers filled with paletas and bomb pops.
My favorite? That’s easy, mango. Mango with chili.
Jamie and I will be working in the yard, and I’ll hear the bells chiming a few blocks away.
Feverishly, I’ll dig in my pockets for dollar bills, because I need 2 for a paleta.
“Amigo,” (Flawless execution of my 3 years of High School Spanish, BTW) ” Tengas mango con chili?”.
He gives me a knowing smile – because I’m a Weto – and digs one out of the bottom of the cooler. A “weto” is someone who looks white on the outside, but is Mexican inside. (Still unsure if that’s a compliment or not)
Here’s my version of that spicy/sweet paleta…in margarita form. Because everything is better with tequila.
- About 1 Cup of Ripe Mango, Cubed and Frozen
- 1 Cup Orange Juice, Frozen Also
- Juice of 2 Small Limes
- 3 Ounces Silver tequila
- 1 Ounce Triple Sec or Orange Liquor
- Dash of Tabasco
- 1 Tbs Agave Nectar (For Added Sweetness if Needed)
Mangos should be soft, but not squishy. Peel, slice the fruit off the flat pit, and dice into chunks. Freeze them overnight. Add all the ingredients to the blender (with more – or possibly less? – tequila to suit your tastes) and pulse till smooth.
My secret to making easy frozen margaritas is to freeze the liquids first.
6 orange juice ice cubes is just about 1 cup of liquid.
Tabasco may seem like an odd thing to add to a margarita, but trust me on this one…..just a few shakes is all it takes.
To prep the glasses: Rub the rim of each glass with a lime wedge, then rub it in a mixture of equal parts sea salt and chili powder to coat.
Pour your frozen margaritas into the chili/salt rimed glasses and enjoy with a friend. This recipe makes 2 because no one should ever drink margaritas alone.
Spicy/Sweet, Mind = Blown,
I need to make these every weekend.
Or find a push-cart and sell them in our front yard.
Happy Cinco de Mayo, y’all.
THE CAVENDER DIARY 
Sounds amazing! You can’t beat a good margarita! Looking forward to trying it!
They are delish Dawn.
This sounds awesome. I love the mix of sweet and spicy. Thanks!
Yum! Can’t wait to try this .
Looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing the recipe and pics.
Yummmmm! Looks delicious!
They are Kari Anne!!!! Sooooo delicious
OOh these must be good or muy bueno. Perhaps some lime juice instead or with the tequila hum?
Please don’t take the following critique the wrong way and I am open to correcting my correction, but here it goes. Weto could be a new slang term I have not been made aware of but I sort of thought he (the paletero) might of meant “Guero” not Weto. If so this means “blonde” or just “white guy” Guera for a girl. The -Gue-sounds like an English W, and only one “r” sounds like a “d” , So “where-doe” is the sound you hear. Please forgive my next correction too, “Tengas mango con chili?” is perfect except tor Tengas is a verb that needs to be conjugated to Tienes or Tiene depending if you are speaking familiarly or formally respectively.
The next time you see the Paletero, after he calls you a Guero you can call him Prieto (dark skin one, and no it not derogatory) it is an endearing slang term. Then ask him ” Tienes paletas de Mango con Chile?
Here in Tucson we have a local restaurante called El Guero Canelo http://www.elguerocanelo.com
the name of the restaurant means the Cinnamon Blond. Named after the owner who is originally from Mexico and is a white skinned guy with cinnamon blond hair ( I always thought he was more of a redhead but that is just my opinion). They are famous around here for the Sonoran dog. This is a merge between a taco and a hotdog. I highly recommend them. They also have a Very Mucho Burrito too!
Anyway, my critique is made with love as is my recommendation to El Guero Canelo.
You are so sweet. And I assure you that I am never offended by a quick Spanish lesson. My Spanish is borderline embarrassing. I get corrected all the time, but most people are usually flattered that I try to speak their language. Weto is a slang term, and yes it is a mispronunciation of Guero. My Spanish-speaking Texan friends have heard it, but none of my California Spanish-speaking friends have. I even have a friend who named his dog Weto. I do know the term Guero. There’s a Guero’s restaurant in Austin. But Austinites pronounce it with a very heavy “G” sound. When I told the Uber driver in the correct pronunciation, he corrected me with the heavy “G” sound. Oh well. Austinite’s also mispronounce Guadalupe and Llano. Especially on the local news. It’s sad…and weird. We Texans find “Houston” and “Rodeo” mispronunciations offensive. So we just avoid L.A. and New York altogether.
I LOVE Tuscon! I haven’t been in years though. We passed through on a family road-trip decades ago. My brothers and I still talk about the prickly pear ice cream. Your cinnamon Blond restaurant sounds just my speed…I’ll be sure to get a Sonoran dog now that it’s been so highly recommended.
How do I say it again? “Tienes Sonoran Perro?”
Probably not, but I’m sure that I’m close……
Best,
James