Frozen Hot Chocolate

One of the ways our family celebrates Labor Day is by making a summery treat as a last farewell to summer. I always let my children pick the treat, and this year, they wanted frozen hot chocolate like we had at a little cafe while we were on vacation. I did some researching, and found a recipe by Paula Deen that sounded promising. I made a few little tweaks (added more chocolate, reduced the amount of sugar), and the recipe turned out great. My kids asked me to make it again sometime soon, which is always the sign of a good recipe at our house.

Frozen Hot Chocolate

• 3.5 oz good quality chocolate
• 3 tsp store bought hot chocolate mix (I would recommend a good quality hot chocolate that comes in a can, rather than the little envelopes)
• 1/2 TBS sugar
• 1 1/2 C milk
• 3 C ice
• Homemade Whipped Cream
• Chocolate shavings for garnish

Chop chocolate into small pieces and melt in the top of a double boiler. Stir occasionally until fully melted. Add hot chocolate mix and sugar, and stir until fully mixed.

Remove from heat and slowly add 1/2 C milk, stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

In a blender, add remaining milk, chocolate mixture, and ice. Blend on high speed until smooth. Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings to serve.