It was a tradition. Once every summer, my mother made “Grandma Ida’s Chocolate Snowballs.” I learned later that this frozen treat is as frugal and easy to make as it is delicious. I also learned the origin of this family recipe. When I pressed my mother about it, she admitted that her mother had copied it from a magazine. Although the childhood fantasy I had cultivated of my babushka-clad great-grandmother tucking this recipe in the pocket of her worn overcoat as she traveled the rough seas from the old country vanished (and, really, the Hershey’s Syrup should have been a clue), the recipe lives on and it’s as sweet and refreshing as ever.
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
2 cups cool water
1 quart milk
1 16-ounce can Hershey’s syrup (1 1/2 cups)
Mix sugar and boiling water. Add cool water, milk, and Hershey’s Syrup. Mix well. Pour into 13-by-9-inch pan. Put pan in freezer. As it freezes, occasionally scrape and break up frozen parts.
Photo by Jody Mace. All rights reserved.
