A warm Spring day (finally!!) calls for a cool treat for dessert. With fresh organic strawberries finally popping into the market, I couldn't help but buy several pints. And the best way I know to use up strawberries (aside from eating them as-is, of course!) is to make them into a milkshake.
I've always been a strawberry milkshake fan -- I'll order a milkshake with fresh berries over chocolate or vanilla any day. Perhaps I'm just tricking myself into thinking that a milkshake made with fresh fruit must be the healthier option, but strawberry milkshakes are pretty darn delicious regardless.
This recipe calls for the addition of malted milk powder or powered milk to add additional creaminess to the shake. I was a little skeptical, but I definitely detected some extra creaminess in the final product, which was great given that I used lower-fat milk products (skim milk and frozen yogurt) to give my milkshakes a slightly healthier spin.
The Best Strawberry Milkshake (printer-friendly version)
makes 2 large milkshakes
1/2 pound fresh strawberries, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 to 1 cup organic skim milk
1 tablespoon organic non-fat powdered milk (or malted milk powder)
2 cups high-quality vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream (look for brands with the fewest ingredients, I'm a big fan of Blue Bunny, Breyer's, and Häagen-Daz)
1. Rinse, hull, and slice the strawberries. Place the strawberries in a shallow dish and sprinkle with sugar and stir in the vanilla extract. Place the strawberries into the freezer and chill until nearly frozen, about one hour. (Note: you can also let the strawberries freeze for several days, just let them thaw for about 10-15 minutes before using.)
2. Place two pint glasses into the freezer to chill.
3. Add the strawberries and their juices into the blender with 3/4 cup milk. Blend until the strawberries are completely pureed. No large chunks should remain.
4. Add in the powdered milk and blend to combine.
5. Add in the frozen yogurt (or ice cream) and use a rubber spatula to incorporate it by hand into the strawberry and milk mixture.
6. Then blend completely. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add in additional milk as necessary. Pour the milkshake into the chilled glasses and garnish with a fresh strawberry. Serve immediately.
(adapted from this recipe from The Kitchn)
makes 2 large milkshakes
1/2 pound fresh strawberries, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 to 1 cup organic skim milk
1 tablespoon organic non-fat powdered milk (or malted milk powder)
2 cups high-quality vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream (look for brands with the fewest ingredients, I'm a big fan of Blue Bunny, Breyer's, and Häagen-Daz)
1. Rinse, hull, and slice the strawberries. Place the strawberries in a shallow dish and sprinkle with sugar and stir in the vanilla extract. Place the strawberries into the freezer and chill until nearly frozen, about one hour. (Note: you can also let the strawberries freeze for several days, just let them thaw for about 10-15 minutes before using.)
2. Place two pint glasses into the freezer to chill.
3. Add the strawberries and their juices into the blender with 3/4 cup milk. Blend until the strawberries are completely pureed. No large chunks should remain.
4. Add in the powdered milk and blend to combine.
5. Add in the frozen yogurt (or ice cream) and use a rubber spatula to incorporate it by hand into the strawberry and milk mixture.
6. Then blend completely. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add in additional milk as necessary. Pour the milkshake into the chilled glasses and garnish with a fresh strawberry. Serve immediately.
(adapted from this recipe from The Kitchn)