Frrrozen Hot Chocolate

On our first Valentine’s Day together, Malcolm made me a giant poster board heart with the letter “J” done in glittery macaroni. It was sweet and silly and totally perfect for our first year of dating, which mostly consisted of hanging out in his dorm room on a thrifted, threadbare couch watching “The Practice” and driving around New Haven listening to Sublime and being weird. For our third Valentine’s Day together, we took a trip to Florida; we went to the bar where the Bogart/Bacall movie Key Largo was filmed and drove to Key West along The Overseas Highway, stopping intermittently to wade into the cool blue Atlantic waters.

Later, there were more grown-up date type dates at fancy restaurants – splashy Indian, intimate Italian, the Villa Maria in Merida, Mexico, where we were married. In 2008, Malcolm and Jillian went to Cancun. It was a three hour drive through the jungle from our house. We rode jet skis and did that thing where you are parachute-suspended from the back of a speedboat. It is dangerous. Do not do it.

Last year, we went out for the first time alone together after having Violet. We sat at the tiny bar of the best restaurant in Brunswick and I got light-headed from one glass of champagne. I’m not sure we made much conversation beyond smiling dreamily and musing about what the one-month-old was doing back at home. Such a cliche.

It’s not about fancy presents or outsize romantic overtures. We’re always just exactly ourselves. College sweethearts, twenty-something jerks, newlyweds, exhausted parents. It’s been a good ride so far.

This frozen hot chocolate, based on the famous frosty treat from New York’s most adorable ice cream shop is perfect for sharing with your one true love.

Frrrozen Hot Chocolate
Adapted from a recipe by Serendipity 3

Ingredients:

• 1 3.5 oz bar milk chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk, divided
• 3 cups ice
• Whipped cream
• Chocolate shavings

Method:

In a double boiler, melt all the chocolate, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 cup milk. Add ice, remaining milk, and cooled chocolate mixture to a blender. Whiz until frothy. Pour into a tall glass, and top with whipped cream. Garnish with chocolate shavings.

Notes: I used organic milk chocolate with a hint of hazelnut, and made my own unsweetened whipped cream with a dash of vanilla extract.

Tagged as: chocolate, dessert

About the Author: Jillian Bedell

Jillian grew up in Connecticut, went to university in Boston, college in New Haven, did some post-grad soul searching in New York, exiled herself to Mexico, married her longtime sweetheart, and lived in a house on the ocean. She suspected Maine might be the perfect place to raise a family, so she came back home to New England two years ago. Now a mom to Violet Maeve and living in Rockland, where she hopes to settle for a good, long while, Jillian reads, writes, walks, and practices Nia, when not watching Malcolm photograph sandwiches.