Serendipity (noun): finding the
pleasantly unexpected by chance...
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| Serendipity 3 cafe - photo by Ben W courtesy Wikimedia Commons |
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| Serendipity 3 Frozen Hot Chocoalte By Tduk Alex Lozupone, courtesy Wikipedia Commons |
The trendiest of avant-garde types were soon packing the place, including Andy Warhol, who declared it his favorite sweet shop. (As legend has it, he paid his checks with drawings.)
These days, Serendipity is as far from the avant garde as you can get. The Tiffany lamp-decked ice cream parlor primarily attracts families, couples looking for nostalgic romance, and kids celebrating birthdays.
Five decades may divide Serendipity’s then from its now, but one delicious bridge closes all gaps—chocolate! Frozen hot chocolate to be exact. Serendipity is world famous for it.
Although you may not have this legendary café in your town, today I’m going to show you how to make a simple, inexpensive home version of their famous frozen hot chocolate. How’s that for serendipity?
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Cleo Coyle has a partner in
crime-writing—her husband.
Learn about their books
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A Note from Cleo
Some recipes for frozen hot chocolate make no sense to me. Heat up milk and cool it again? Use 3 cups of ice, which dilutes the chocolate flavor?
There is a better way. This version of the icy chocolate drink is much simpler yet still quite tasty. It cooled me off nicely enough during our recent 100-degree "real feel" heat wave in New York City (and I never had to fire up my stove, a very good thing indeed).
This recipe also is a great way to use up your hot cocoa before winter rolls back around. You don’t want all that hot chocolate mix to go stale on you, do you? Put it to good use now…
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Frozen Hot Chocolate
by Cleo Coyle
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 one-ounce packets of your favorite hot chocolate or cocoa mix*
2 cups milk (skim or whole)
1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped or grated*
Whipped cream (optional)
*In the case of the hot chocolate mix and the chocolate, the higher the quality of the products, the better your drink will taste.
Directions:
Step 1 – Make "Hot" Chocolate Milk: Whisk one packet of hot chocolate mix into one cup of cold milk. If you’re using loose hot chocolate powder instead of packets, then simply measure out enough powder to make the equivalent of one six- to eight-ounce serving.
Note: No need to heat the milk as some recipes direct. Simply whisk the milk and hot chocolate mix for 30 to 60 seconds until the powder is dissolved. Be sure to use a real whisk, not a spoon or fork. You’re finished when the liquid resembles smooth chocolate milk with no sign of powder or granules.
Step 2 – Make "Hot Chocolate" Ice Cubes: Pour the chocolate milk mixture into an ice cube tray. Chill in your freezer until solidly frozen. NOTE: When ready to use, if the frozen chocolate cubes stick to the ice tray, simply set the bottom of the tray in a warm water bath and use a knife to carefully dislodge the cubes.
Step 3 – Repeat and Blend: Repeat Step 1, using your second packet of hot chocolate to create another cup of chocolate milk. Place this milk in your blender with the "hot chocolate" ice cubes. Pulse the blender to chop the frozen cubes into fine particles. You can create a slushy drink with small ice chips (like a frozen margarita) or you can run the blender full speed until the mixture is completely liquefied yet still cold and frothy. But first...
Step 4 – Choco-fication: Add most of the finely chopped (or grated) semi-sweet chocolate into the blender with the hot chocolate slushy (holding back some of the semi-sweet chocolate for garnish). Pulse once or twice to mix. Pour into cups or mugs. Finish with whipped cream, then a final sprinkling of grated chocolate and…
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Drink (and read) with joy!
~ Cleo Coyle
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