Ah, the milk shake: perhaps the most quintessential summer drink there is. The milk shake is definitely not a thirst quencher. What it is, is your favorite ice cream prepared in a way you can move around enjoying it without having both hands tied up with a bowl and a spoon. That’s right; you can text your friends to let them know what you have and even send them a picture to make them jealous, all without putting your drink down. It’s about the most flavorful way to cool down your insides on a hot summer day.
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“My main point in making a great shake is to make it thick, so use as little milk as possible and … think about how strong the flavors of your different ingredients have so you don’t end up with one over powering taste.”
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Did you know that if you go into an ice cream shop back in New England and ask for a milk shake, it’s very possible you will get a glass of milk and syrup put on the blender to mix it up? It’s true: you have to ask for a frappe if you want ice cream in it.
Milk shakes are one of those things you have to make by sight and feel and so the method of making a great shake is more important than the recipe. If you are using the exact same ice cream and ingredients every time, I guess you could nail down a recipe, but ice creams are all different in density, and will therefore dictate how much milk you use. if you use the same amount of milk with a top-end ice cream like Ben and Jerry’s, as you would Dryer’s, there is not as much air in it so the shake using high-end one will be thicker.
There are only three main ingredients in a milk shake: ice cream, milk and syrup. It seems like no one out here ever puts syrup in a milk shake, but it will add so much more flavor, I will always try to use syrup or maybe a substitute.
Of course, just because I said there were only three main ingredients, that doesn’t mean you can’t add other things. For example: I just made a blueberry shake after talking with Kelly about shakes and how she wanted one but had no ice cream. That’s actually what inspired this article. Anyway, I used about 8 oz. of ice cream and maybe three-quarters of a cup of fresh blueberries. Since I didn’t have any blueberry syrup, I used a spoonful of blueberry preserves. Because of the juice in the berries, I only needed about 3 oz. of milk. It was awesome.
My main point in making a great shake is to make it thick, so use as little milk as possible and to also, like in cooking, think about how strong the flavors of your different ingredients have so you don’t end up with one over powering taste. Keeping that in mind, add whatever ingredients you want.
For a chocolate mint shake, I’ll use three-quarters chocolate ice cream with some chocolate syrup and then add one-quarter peppermint stick ice cream and there is definite mint but not too much as to totally take over the chocolate. That is, by the way, my all-time favorite shake. Whatever your favorite flavors are, make it into a milk shake and enjoy the summer.
Milk Shakes
6-10 oz. of ice cream
4 oz. milk
1-2 oz. syrup
Scoop the ice cream into the blender and push it all the way down onto the blade, but not so tight so the liquids can still get to the bottom. Squirt in the syrup. Add just enough milk to allow the ice cream to blend and then add more milk as needed.
For me, the whole idea of a milk shake is to make it so thick I have to work to suck it through the straw, so I want as little milk as possible. If adding fruit, don’t use as much milk because the juices in the fruit will thin out the shake.
Smitty is a personal chef specializing in dinner parties, cooking classes and special events. Trained under Master Chef Anton Flory at Top Notch Resort in Stowe, Vt., Smitty is known for his creative use of fresh ingredients. To read archived copies of Smitty’s column, visit chefsmitty.com or TheTahoeWeekly.com. Contact him at tmmsmitty@gmail.com or (530) 412-3598.
