Thick Vanilla Malt Milkshake, Soda-Fountain Style

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A real malt, not a milkshake with a bonus ingredient: three tablespoons of malted milk powder dissolved into cold whole milk so it never turns gritty, then blended into barely-softened vanilla ice cream until the spoon stands up on its own. Toasty, faintly savory, cold enough to hurt. Served in a chilled glass with the extra poured into a little side pitcher, the way the counter guy used to.

Ingredients

• 3 cups good vanilla ice cream (about 1 1/2 pints), high butterfat
• 1/2 cup whole milk, very cold
• 3 tablespoons malted milk powder (plain, not chocolate)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch fine sea salt

• 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold
• 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
• 6 malted milk balls, coarsely crushed
• 2 maraschino cherries with stems

Instructions

1. Put two 12- to 16-ounce glasses (and the blender jar, if there's room) in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. A cold glass is the difference between a malt you sip and a malt you race.
2. In a 2-cup measuring cup or small bowl, whisk the malted milk powder into the cold whole milk along with the vanilla and the pinch of salt. Whisk hard for 30 to 45 seconds until no lumps or dry pockets remain, then let it sit 5 minutes so the powder fully hydrates. This step is why your malt won't taste sandy.
3. Meanwhile, take the ice cream out of the freezer and let it sit on the counter for 8 to 10 minutes, until a spoon presses in with mild resistance but the surface is not glossy or melting. Scoop it into 6 to 8 rough chunks.
4. If you're whipping cream, do it now while the ice cream tempers: beat the cold heavy cream with the powdered sugar to soft peaks, about 60 to 90 seconds with a hand mixer on medium-high. Refrigerate.
5. Add the ice cream chunks to the blender, then pour the malted milk mixture down the side of the jar. Blend on low, or in short 2-second pulses, for 20 to 30 seconds total, stopping to scrape down the sides once. Stop the moment it's smooth. Long, high-speed blending warms the mix and thins it out permanently.
6. Check the texture: a spoon dragged through should leave a trench that holds its shape for a second or two. Too stiff to pour, add cold milk 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse once. Too loose, add another 1/2 cup ice cream and pulse twice.
7. Pour into the frozen glasses, filling to just below the rim, and pour any extra into a small chilled pitcher or creamer to set alongside. Top with a spoonful of whipped cream, a shower of crushed malted milk balls, and a cherry. Serve immediately with both a straw and a long spoon.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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