Shamrock Shake Copycat
In a couple of days, most of us will be celebrating St Patrick’s Day although we’re not Irish. There will be parades, music, dancing, food and drinking during this event. It’s actually a good excuse to get together with our friends, have a party at our place or simply make some “green” food and beverages. Many will also be wearing something green: hats, clothes, hair (fake or dyed), shoes, makeup and so on. After a couple years of the pandemic, many cities will turn their rivers green – no worries, it doesn’t hurt the environment. Yep, there’s a lot of green that day!
As a foody, I like to find excuses to make something “green” in the kitchen. Let’s start the day with a healthy Avocado Toast or a Green Smoothie. A warm bowl of Pea Soup for lunch is so satisfying! What about a mid-afternoon snack with tortilla chips and Guacamole. You could have Gnudi aka Malfatti, a comforting bowl of Pesto noodles or an elegant Rack of Lamb with Herbes de Provence as a main course for dinner along with a lovely Salad. Pair your protein with a side of Creamed Spinach and finish your meal with a gorgeous dessert like Key Lime Pie or Matcha Cheesecake. Throughout the day, snack on some Chocolate Mint Nanaimo Bars and “green” popcorn.
When it comes to drinks, there’s the famous green beer that many like so much but sipping an Appletini, Japanese Slipper, Key Lime Gimlet, or a Chocolate Grasshopper Martini can set the mood as well. Another one that would be great is my Shamrock Shake Copycat! Inspired by the ones McDonald’s sells, I created a grown up version and frankly, it’s more fun! It’s a delicious drink to enjoy with friends. Replace Spanish Coffee, Golden Sunset or Tia Maria on the rocks with milk with this featured drink as a digestif after dinner. It takes less than 5 minutes to make unless you want whipped cream from scratch… in that case, it’s a few more minutes. In the video, I don’t show you how to make it but check it out by clicking on this link… Perfect Whipped Cream Every Time – How to
The key to making any milkshake is the ice cream. For this recipe, I use my No Churn Vanilla Bean Ice Cream which I let sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes to soften it up. The reason behind this is when the ice cream is too hard, it won’t break down easily and might end up adding more milk to the shake. If there’s too much milk in this Shamrock Shake Copycat, it will be too thin instead of nice and thick.
Another important point to bring up is the milk. Never use heavy cream which when processed, can end up with small particles of butter. Whole milk is the perfect ingredient for making milkshakes because it gives just the right creaminess. Some of you might want to use skim or 1%, which is fine but keep in mind that the less fat the milk has, the more “watery” the shake will be so add less and go from there. A big “no-no” is to add ice cubes to it which will also water down the beverage. A quick tip is if the mixture is too thin, add a scoop or two of ice cream and vice versa… too thick, add more milk.
The kitchen tool you need for making this is a good ol’ blender. If you don’t own one, an immersion blender is the next best tool to use. When processing, the mixture has to be smooth so 30 seconds is sufficient. The texture of this milkshake won’t be as thick as the traditional ones because of the extra added liquid (Vodka + Crème de Menthe). I don’t mind it… that’s the purpose of making it with booze. For a non-alcoholic version though, omit the vodka and substitute ½ tsp. mint extract for the Crème de Menthe.
As soon as the mixture is smooth, immediately pour it in a tall glass. Top it off with whipped cream and sprinkle on some green sanding sugar then a maraschino cherry. Before the end of the year, I’ll have a kitchen tips & tricks on how to make sanding sugar from scratch so stay tuned…
The first time I had one in New York, I really enjoyed it but in the back of my mind, making a Shamrock Shake Copycat with alcohol sounded more fun especially during St Patty’s Day. Now with this recipe, not only can you enjoy this iconic McDonald’s beverage all year round but you can have the adult version…
Sláinte!
Check out these other great cocktail recipes…
– Dirty Dry Martini
– Spanish Sangria
– Blood Orange Martini
– Mint Julep
– Mixed Berry Margarita
– Cosmocello
and for even more great cocktail, smoothie, and alcohol-free beverage recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Beverage
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Shamrock Shake Copycat
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Ingredients
SHAKE
- 2 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly soft see Recipe
- 2 ounces Vodka Footnote
- 1 ounce Crème de Menthe (substitute 1/2 tsp. mint extract)
- 1/4 cup whole milk, or to desired consistency
- 4 drops natural food coloring see Recipe
- 1/2 cup whipped cream, for topping
- 1/2 tsp. green sanding sugar, for topping
- 1 maraschino cherry, for garnish
WHIPPED CREAM
- 1/2 cup 35% heavy cream
- 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar tips & tricks
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Directions
- In the jar of a blender, add ice cream, Vodka, milk, Crème de Menthe, and food coloring. Process the ingredients until completely smooth before pouring into a large glass.
- Top with whipped cream, sprinkle on some green sanding sugar and garnish with a maraschino cherry.
WHIPPED CREAM
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the ingredients and using a whisk attachment, process until stiff peaks form.
Notes
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