Blackberry Cheesecake Milkshake

 

I adore Milkshakes, and so does my family. The last one I made was a Toasted Marshmallow one and boy was it ever a hit, not just at home, but also on this blog. Not quite sure if that wonderful tasting shake could be topped, I set out to look for another unique shake to be served on a hot day.

Bobby Flay and his great summer time book: Burgers, Fries and Shakes came to the rescue once again.  I have made quite a few recipes out of this book already and we have not been disappointed with any of them. Some of his recipes are a little more involved, but so far the additional effort has been very well worth it.

This shake starts by making a fruit base. Bobby believes that the fresh fruit is more concentrated and more consistent in flavor by turning it into a jam like consistency before adding it to the shake. Cream cheese and a good quality vanilla ice cream add the final touch to bring out the "cheesecake" quality. I made two versions of this milkshake, one without alcohol for the kids which was incredible and one for the adults which got a little boost by adding Creme de Cassis to the milkshake. With that addition, the shake was taken completely over the top and was unbelievably rich and delicious.

This milkshake was worth the little extra trouble of making the "jam" and is full of delicious blackberry flavor. I would not change a thing about this milkshake, and will be making this one with other fruit variations in the future as well. I can see so many wonderful combinations from blueberry, to raspberry and strawberry. Low-fat cream cheese is always an option to cut back on some calories, but I would advise against low-fat ice cream. They tend to be pumped full of air and by the time you have the same quantity needed, you have used almost double the amount which kind of negates any calorie savings you thought you might have had.

This is a wonderful summertime treat and I'll hope you try this recipe!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's awesome giveaway! You don't want to miss it!

Blackberry Cheesecake Milkshake

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup fresh fruit base made with blackberries (recipe to follow)

1/4 cup whole milk

3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

9 ounces premium vanilla ice cream (about 1 1/2 packed cups)

Fresh blackberries, for garnish

Optional: 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) creme de cassis or blackberry liqueur

Directions:

Combine the fruit base, milk, cream cheese, and lemon zest in a blender and blend until slightly smooth, about 5 seconds. Add the ice cream and blend until smooth about 10 seconds. Serve immediately, garnished with blackberries.

Fresh Fruit Base

~makes about 1 1/4 cups~

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries, or a mixture

3 to 4 tablespoons sugar (depending on sweetness of the berries)

3 tablespoons strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, or raspberry jam

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Put the berries in a bowl (hull strawberries), add 3 tablespoons sugar, and gently stir to combine. Let the berries sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or until they start to soften and release their juices.

Transfer the mixture to a medium nonreactive saucepan, add the jam,  and cook over medium-high heat until slightly softened. Coarsely mash the berries using a potato masher or the back of a fork and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens to a jam-like consistency, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste the mixture and add the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, if needed, stirring to dissolve. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Cover and refrigerate until cold and thickened, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. The fruit base can be frozen (in 1/2-cup portions, if desired) for up to 6 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before using.

Adapted from: Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes