chocolate covered cherries freeze

This recipe is from my Hungry girl book.  It was sooo tasty.  I actually made 2 versions of it - a diet one which I followed the recipe in her book quite closely so I'm not posting that other than my notes (used 1 50 cal. and 1 20 cal hot cocoa mix and 2 T splenda because I don't have packets.  I also added a couple extra cherries then went with the smaller number of ice cubes.)  It is on page 205 of the book if you want that version.  However, I also made a non diet version for the kids.  That is what I am posting here.  Although the picture I took is of the low cal version (not that they look any different or anything.)  I actually made a triple batch to split between the 4 boys.  I put the ingredients listed as I made them with a single batch ingredients in parenthesis

Ingredients

• 9 Tablespoons (3 T) hot cocoa  (If you have hot cocoa packets, 3 packets.  I just have some canned cocoa from the cannery and 1 serving is 3 T so that is what I used.)
• 3 Tablespoons (1 T) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips 
• 40 frozen pitted dark sweet cherries (12 - I just added more)
• 24 ice cubes (8-10)
• Redi whip

Directions

1. Place cocoa and chocolate chips in a cup.  Add 3/4 cup (1/4 cup) hot water and stir until chips dissolve.  (I only used tap water and it was hot enough to melt the chips.) Add 3/4 cup (1/4 cup) cold water and stir. (I got mine from the fridge door to be a little cooler)
2. Pour into a blender and add cherries and ice.  Blend until smooth.
3. Pour into a glass and top with a squirt of redi whip.