Saturday, June 26, 2010

Mark Bittman's Frozen Hot Chocolate--A Frosty, Chocolaty Simple Saturday Sipper

It's all about Summer Lovin' at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week, and although I already posted Bittman's Shredded Chicken & Veggie Wraps, I was craving something sweet and decided to make his Frozen Hot Chocolate too. I just made a half batch of this rich, frosty treat and I think I got a bit carried away with the blending--getting it a little smoother than intended, but it was thick, cold and delicious, and perfect for a summertime Simple Saturday Sipper.


Frozen Hot Chocolate

"Serve this with biscotti or other not-too-sweet cookies."

Melt six ounces of good dark chocolate with a quarter cup of cream or half-and-half, being careful not to boil. Once the chocolate is melted, taste and add a little sugar if you like, Put it in the blender with three cups of ice and pulse until an even consistency is reached. Serve in small bowls or cups.


Notes/Results: Very cold, rich, chocolaty and very good. I used a 74% dark chocolate bar from Theo, which made it very decadent and I think a quality dark chocolate is essential here. I didn't end up adding any sugar, which the recipe said was optional, and I used heavy cream (it calls for just a small amount). I did over-blend it slightly--being too impatient to pulse the blender, but it was still very thick and frosty and a small cup was the perfect amount. You could fancy it up with whipped cream and chocolate shavings to make it pretty, but I couldn't be bothered to whip some cream ;-) and I found it sweet enough on its own, especially when paired with a dark chocolate Lu cookie. This is a fun little treat and it would make an easy dessert for a summer's evening. (It would be fun to add some Bailey's or Kahlua to the mix for an adult version too). I would make this again.


You can check out the Summer Lovin' treats the other IHCC participants made by going to the site (here) and following the links.

Happy weekend!

19 comments:

  1. ooh that looks so good and I love LU biscuits :)

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  2. Never too much Bittman, especially if it involves chocolate. This sound so decadent!

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  3. Oh yes, sign me up for the adult version ;) . It's a drizzly morning here...but still pretty darn warm...this sounds like a delicious way to start my day! BUT, I suppose I'll stick with the coffe I'm already drinking. A girl can dream, right!? ;)

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  4. This recipe has definitely caught me eye! It looks delicious. It's like the perfect little pick me up :)

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  5. Oooo! This is looks like quite a comforting decadent treat with a summer twist. It's good to know that this recipe relies on the quality of the chocolate.

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  6. That looks positively heavenly! I could use one right now - it's so humid here that I'm melting...

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  7. That looks amazing! Especially with some booze in it.

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  8. I've been waiting for this ever since you mentioned it! It lives up to all my dreams!

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  9. This sounds decadent and those gorgeous photos make it impossible to resist. It's a good thing an ocean separates us. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  10. What a fabulous treat...sounds like it might take care of my chocolate fix :)

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  11. Cold chocolate in the summer heat.Oh my can't go wrong with that! I am going to try this one as a dessert at my soon dinner under the stars!

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  12. This looks so good and I have been looking for a good frozen hot chocolate recipe. We will be giving this one a try!

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  13. Hi, Deb. Great photo and fun post. I wonder if this is like the Frozen Hot Chocolate a place on the Upper East Side of NYC used to serve (Serendipity)? I always enjoyed visiting and having that as a break from NY busy-ness.

    Congrats on FB Top 9, too!

    Thanks,

    Dan

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  14. This looks better than Serendipity 3! Reminds me of a hot chocolate I had in Italy last year, frozen is so much better in the summer. I am definitely making this!

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  15. This looks great! I have Mark Bittmans How to Cook Everything, and all of his recipes are so good. Thanks for sharing!

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  16. This sounds wonderful for a hot summer! I love the idea of adding a little baileys or something to make it an adult beverage. :)

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  17. Your photos are gorgeous! I have to give this one a try.

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  18. How easy is this!! I love your presentation also. Oh, and those chocolate coated biscuits you have photographed with your treat are yummy too. lol. I buy those when I want to spoil myself a little.

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