The "Serendipity" Recipe Jackie Wanted But Could Never Get Has Been Revealed

This recipe from Stephen Bruce, Serendipity 3, New York, New York.

Montezuma, emperor of the Aztecs, poured his liquid chocolate over bowls of snow from nearby mountaintops before whipping the mixture into a chilled froth. Five centuries later, a trio of adventurous New York City restaurateurs concocted an icy, wickedly rich confection, keeping its formula a well-guarded secret and thus guaranteeing a faithful following for the legendary dessert. Stephen Bruce, who founded Serendipity 3 with two partners in 1954, was badgered and begged for his recipe, but for decades he refused to budge - not even for the first lady Jackie Kennedy, who wanted to serve the dessert at a White House function. On the occasion of Serendipity's fiftieth anniversary, however, he finally spilled the beans. Frozen Hot Chocolate, it turns out, gets its complex flavor from a dozen different cocoas that are blended with crushed ice to the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. While an authentic reproduction would call for assembling 1/2 ounce of all twelve cocoas, this version is a little more user-friendly. Whether sipped through a straw or eaten with a spoon, it's a sweet invitation to childhood.

Ingredients:

Ganache: 3 ounces unsweetened cocoa 3 ounces sweetened cocoa 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1/2 cup whole milk
Hot Chocolate: 1 cup whole milk 2 cups crushed ice basic whipped cream chocolate shavings for serving

Instructions:

Makes 1 Large Serving
To make the ganache, in the top of a double boiler over boiling water, combine the cocoas, sugar, and butter and melt until it forms a smooth paste. Slowly drizzle the milk into the chocolate mixture, stirring constantly until thoroughly blended and smooth as silk. Cool to room temperature.

To make the drink, combine 1/2 cup of the ganache with the milk and crushed ice in a blender and blend on high speed until the mixture if the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Pour into a large goblet, top with a mound of whipped cream, and sprinkle with chocolate shavings. Serve with 2 straws for sipping and an iced tea spoon for devouring.

What Is Jackie Doing Here???

I've always been intrigued by this photo of Jackie. What was she doing? It almost looks like she's directing a photo shoot.....and reminds me of her quote in her "Vogue" essay about wanting to be "an art director of the 20th century, hanging from an invisible chair." She certainly looks great casually reclining in a gorgeous ivory outfit. Does anyone know the story behind this photo? BTW, if you click on the photo, you will see a larger version with more detail.....

Remembering Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Jackie's relationships with the other Kennedy women didn't start out on the right note (they made fun of her "babykins" voice, large feet and caviar and wine picnic lunches). With time, however, they grew closer and their grief at Jackie's death as captured in photos taken the day of her funeral is palpable. Remembering her sister-in-law, Eunice Kennedy Shriver spoke these words: “For us-and to my wonderful and big, extended family-Jackie always reminded us that loyalty to one another was to be fiercely practiced and protected. To America, she embodied the beauty of art, of music, of design, and, more than anything, the beauty of family. These were her gifts to us and to the world...”

Eunice Shriver died early this morning surrounded by her husband, children and grandchildren. I hadn't really thought much about it before but she was one of the last three living children of Joe and Rose Kennedy. Now, only Jean Kennedy Smith and Senator Ted Kennedy remain along with a handful of surviving spouses--Ethel (Bobby), Sargent (Eunice), Joan and Victoria (Ted).

Barbara Gibson, Rose Kennedy's secretary, profiled Eunice in her book "Life with Rose Kennedy" and I think parts of it are worth sharing: "Eunice was the one most like her mother and they were very close. Eunice's need to stay active every waking moment of her life struck others as obsessive. It was as if she were competing not really with others, but with something inside herself; it seemed she was trying to prove something to herself all the time.....Nonetheless, she was always a devoted daughter and excellent mother who was never fazed by life. When she was running late one Sunday morning and Rose left for Mass without her, Eunice walked out onto Ocean Boulevard (this was in West Palm Beach) and stopped traffic until she found a ride. The driver who took her to church was dumbfounded; Eunice didn't give it a second thought."

Anzu Cards

Every once in awhile, someone comes a long and goes the extra mile! A couple weeks ago, I posted about the company Anzu and their "So Jackie O" cards. I wrote to Anzu, telling them how in love with their designs I was. In response, they sent me a selection of "So Jackie O" cards and even a journal!



These are the most BEAUTIFUL cards ever. I am so sad they are only available in the UK to purchase or I would buy the store out!



Thank you so much Anzu!



To visit Anzu's site, CLICK HERE!

You Write the Caption: Jackie Hanging Out in a Store Window

What on earth is Jackie doing? Only caption that came to my mind was "how much is that Jackie in the window?" I'm hoping one of you will be able to come up with something better! Give it a try.......

Jackie and Lee Wearing Same (or Very Similar) Outfits

Sisters with similar styles from childhood on....... "In Her Sister's Shadow: An Intimate Portrait of Lee Radziwill" is a very good read, by the way. Has anyone else read it? If so, what did you think of the way the sisters were portrayed?

Jacqueline Kennedy Coat Worn at Swearing In Ceremony

While recuperating from John's birth, Jacqueline Kennedy and designer Oleg Cassini conspired to create an outfit that would really stand out at President Kennedy's swearing in ceremony. Cassini later said "she knew that most of the ladies would be wearing fur coats and didn't want to blend in." They also felt wearing a fabric coat would be more youthful and au courant. By the way, the official color for this coat was "greige," which would later become one of Jacqueline Kennedy's favorite hues--a mix of grey and beige.

Jackie did indeed capture the nations' attention by donning a greige wool dress with matching coat. The coat had a small sable fur collar, and a matching sable fur muff was chosen to help keep the First Lady's hands warm during the ceremony. She wore the muff over long kidskin gloves and, on her feet, wore black heels which she later changed to fur trimmed boots better suited for walking in the snow on that bitterly cold day-- a -7 wind chill was reported at the time of the ceremony. A woman who saw this outfit in the exhibit "Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years," reported that what surprised her the most was how thin the material on the coat was when she saw it on display, saying "she must have been freezing!"