Frozen hot chocolate

Sorry for the lack of deliciousness. Job hunting and the new dog have taken most of my time. I have so many new recipes and things that I want to blog about, but this will have to be the start....

For anyone who knows me, they obviously know that the summer and I don't mix. If you realize I live in Florida, you're probably tilting your head right about now. I love winter! I love the snow, I love the bitter cold temperatures, I love sledding, and most of all, I love hot chocolate. What I don't love is when it's over 100 degrees out and I'm drinking a beverage that's only a few degrees cooler than that, ick. So frozen hot chocolate on a hot summer day? Yes please.

Ingredients

• 1 qt fat-free half & half
• 1 box (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding and pie filling (4-serving size)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
• Garnish: whipped cream and ground cinnamon

Insructions:

1. Have ready a 13 x 9-in. baking pan and eight glass 8-oz Irish coffee mugs or other 8-oz mugs.

2. Whisk half & half, pudding mix and cinnamon in a large bowl 2 minutes. Pour into baking pan; cover and freeze at least 3 hours, or until frozen hard.

3. About 20 minutes before serving: Beat cream, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl with mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted. Refrigerate until ready to use.

4. Put coffee mugs in freezer. Remove mixture from freezer; leave at room temperature 15 minutes, or until it can be cut into large cubes. Place in food processor; pulse until smooth, scraping down sides occasionally. Divide among chilled mugs. Top with whipped cream; sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.

So, next time you're dying of the heat (and if you live in Florida, I guarantee that this week is already almost up to 90 degrees), try this recipe out and I promise you won't be disappointed. Thanks to Woman's Day Kitchen! The full recipe can be viewed here.