A nice creamy smoothie is a perfect treat for a summer snack, but it's also a great fresh dessert. This article will tell you how to make a simple and tasty one. It will also give you creative and greedy alternative ideas to modify the classic recipe.
Ingrediants
- 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream
- 60 ml of milk
- Chocolate, strawberry or caramel syrup (optional)
- Vanilla extract (optional)
- Malt powder (optional)
- Frozen fruit (optional)
- 3 crumbled cookies (optional)
- 1 bar of chopped chocolate (optional)
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Making the smoothie
Step 1. Let the ice cream soften to the consistency of a draft ice cream
The ideal temperature for making the smoothie is -7 ° C, while the freezer generally keeps it at -18 ° C. Leave it on the kitchen worktop for a few minutes: it is ready when it becomes soft, easy to take with a spoon and with a consistency similar to that of ice cream on tap. It shouldn't be watery or loose instead.
- If you put the ice cream in the blender when it is particularly cold and hard, you will end up adding too much milk in order to dilute it. The ratio of milk to ice cream is important for making a good milkshake, so overdoing it with milk will make it watery.
- For the same reason, never add ice to your smoothie. It will water it down, also compromising its flavor and creaminess. If you prefer a more diluted smoothie, just add a little more milk instead.
Step 2. Put 3 scoops of ice cream in a classic or professional blender
It is preferable to use a professional blender, as it is more effective for mixing the ingredients and, at the same time, creating a frothy consistency. But if you can't invest in expensive equipment, a classic or hand blender will do.
- If you don't have any tools, use a large bowl and whisk to whisk the ice cream and milk.
- As soon as you start making the smoothie, take the glass you intend to use to serve it and place it in the freezer. When you pour in the ready milkshake, the glass will be nice and fresh.
Step 3. Pour in 60ml of milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and other additional ingredients
At this point, you can turn the vanilla smoothie into a malt, chocolate, strawberry, caramel, cookie, chocolate chip milkshake and so on.
Step 4. Blend the ingredients for about 1 minute
If you use a food processor, it's not enough to just turn it on and let it blend, you also have to mix the mixture manually. Alternate between the 2 movements. This will give you the same effect as a professional blender.
- Whichever method of preparation you use (whisk, hand blender, professional blender), you need to make sure the smoothie stays thick. If you insert a spoon into the mixture and try to pick it up, it should offer some resistance.
- If you prefer a lumpy smoothie, let the ingredients blend for just 30-45 seconds.
- If the smoothie feels too thick, add a few drops of milk.
- If it looks too watery, add another scoop or half scoop of ice cream and blend.
Step 5. Pour the smoothie into the cold glass
If the density and consistency are optimal, you should need a spoon to get it out of the jug and pour it into the glass. If it slips off easily, this means it's too liquid or excessively beaten, so you need to add more ice cream.
- Garnish it with a nice splash of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. You can also use the basic ingredients for the garnish (for example, a fresh strawberry for a strawberry smoothie).
- Serve it with a spoon and a straw.
Part 2 of 3: Choosing the Ingredients
Step 1. Choose a high quality vanilla ice cream
To make a milkshake, you generally have to start with a vanilla ice cream base, even if the smoothie will be chocolate or strawberry. Vanilla ice cream is sweet, but not so sweet that it becomes cloying when mixed with flavored syrups, cookies, or chocolate bars.
- Buy a particularly thick ice cream. Grab 2 packs of different brands of the same size (500g, 1kg, etc.) at the same time. Hold one in each hand. The one that looks heavier will allow you to get a qualitatively better smoothie.
- Lighter, fluffier ice creams contain more air. Even more is introduced during the preparation of the smoothie, so the milkshake will not have that thick and creamy texture that should characterize it. If you use thicker ice cream, you will have less air at the start.
- Of course, you can use any flavor of ice cream you want - if you feel like experimenting, there's no need to use a vanilla base. If you want to make a mint smoothie with chocolate chips, but don't plan to buy and mix the various ingredients, use an ice cream that already tastes like this instead.
Step 2. Choose a high quality milk
Whole one is preferable for a smoothie, as it has a richer taste and helps to get a thicker smoothie. However, if you prefer skim, soy or almond milk, you can use it without any problems. Just remember that these types of milk tend to be more liquid, so you should either pour less or add some ice cream to get a good texture.
If you can, buy locally produced high-quality milk. The better the quality of the ingredients used in the smoothie, the better the final result will be
Part 3 of 3: Variants
Step 1. Make a malt smoothie
Blend 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream, 60 ml of milk and 30 g of powdered malt.
Look for powdered malt, not powdered milk to which malt or liquid malt extract has been added. Powdered malt allows for a more authentic flavor
Step 2. Make a chocolate smoothie
Blend 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream, 60 ml of milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and about 60 ml of chocolate syrup.
For an even tastier result, make some chocolate sauce using high quality cocoa
Step 3. Make a strawberry smoothie
Use 1 cup of stalked strawberries or 60ml strawberry syrup, 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream, 60ml milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Step 4. Make a cookie smoothie
Blend 3 biscuits of your choice (first crumble them lightly with your hand), 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream, 60 ml of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Step 5. Make a smoothie with your favorite chocolate bar
First, measure out the basic ingredients, which are 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream, 60ml of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Before blending, add the chopped bar, or a handful of M & M's or Smarties.
Step 6. Make a smoothie with caramel, pretzel pretzels, and chocolate chips
First, blend the basic ingredients, which are 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream, 60ml of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Then, add some caramel, a handful of crumbled pretzel snacks, and chocolate chips.
Step 7. Make a banana and vanilla smoothie
Blend 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream, 60 ml of milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 banana and ½ sachet of vanilla pudding mix.
