A milkshake can happily lean towards dessert: cold, creamy and full of flavour before the toppings arrive. At home, it often turns thin because extra milk makes blending easier. We suggest softening the ice cream slightly first, then adding liquid carefully. That way you stay in control of the texture.
Ingredients and equipment
For a large shake, start with 200 g vanilla ice cream and about 100 ml cold milk, keeping extra milk nearby. This starting mix varies with your ice cream and blender. Use a blender suitable for ice cream, a measuring jug, spoon and large glass; respect the device’s minimum fill and permitted ingredients.
Without a blender, mash slightly softened ice cream in a bowl and beat in milk gradually for a small serving. It will be less uniform, but needs no new machine. Don’t put hard frozen ingredients into equipment not designed for them.
1. Soften, without melting
Let the ice cream become scoopable rather than liquid. Meanwhile, chill the glass and measure the milk. Pouring lots of milk over rock-hard ice cream solves the blending problem by creating a different one: a runny shake.
2. Blend briefly, then check
Load ingredients in your blender’s specified order, secure the lid and blend just until even. Stop to check. If too thick, add milk a tablespoon at a time and blend briefly again. If the mixture won’t move, switch off and follow the manual; never reach into a running blender with a spoon.
3. Add flavour and serve
Taste the base before adding extras. A little cocoa makes a chocolate variation; stir some biscuit pieces in at the end if you want texture. Syrup adds sweetness, not necessarily creaminess. Rescue a thin shake with more ice cream and a brief blend, then pour straight into the glass. Note the milk quantity that worked for next time.
