Chill out with cool shakes

While burgers are always fun to dress up or down, what are really turning heads these days are innovative creamy and dreamy milkshakes. If you’ve dined at Flip, the mod West End burger joint, you might not remember which of the fancy burgers you ordered. But the odds are slim that you’d forget whether you sipped one of its funky liquid nitrogen-cooled Nutella and burnt marshmallow, Krispy Kreme or spicy chocolate mole milkshakes. These innovative creations are the hit of the restaurant, surprising even Richard Blais, the creative director at Flip.

According to former “Top Chef” finalist Blais, the demand for the milkshakes far exceeded initial predictions. “Our milkshakes have been more popular than expected, to the point that early on in the opening, it was affecting our table turnaround times because people were ordering rounds of shakes as desserts, which we did not anticipate.” Blais estimates they sell around 1,500-2,000 shakes a week, with almost half the customers ordering shakes. The Nutella and burnt marshmallow shake is the second-most ordered item from the entire menu. The Krispy Kreme shake, the next most-popular libation, is made from Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The restaurant goes through more than 600 doughnuts a week. When asked about its origination, Blais replied, “I just put a doughnut in the blender, and the rest is history.” The success of the shakes has planted the seed for further expansion. “I’m trying to convince my partners to do a spinoff ice cream parlor dessert concept,” Blais said.

Atlanta isn’t the only place being seduced by shakes. Bobby Flay just opened Bobby’s Burger Palace in New York and chronicles its menu’s development in his new cookbook, “Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries & Shakes” (Clarkson Potter, $25.95). While the photos will make your stomach growl with hunger, it’s the shakes that make you do double-takes. From his Fresh Mint-Chocolate Speckled Milkshake to hisBlackberry Cheesecake Milkshake, you’ll find temptation on every page.

While shakes often are relegated to dining out fare, all you need to whip them up at home is a decent blender. So this holiday weekend, cool down with a frosty treat fresh from your own kitchen.

Banana-Milk Chocolate Crackle Milkshake

Hands on: 10 minutes Total time: 10 minutes Serves: 2 (8 ounces each)

Bobby Flay says, “Crackles of chocolate are better than chips in milkshakes because they fit through the straw. You’re also better off starting with bar chocolate instead of chips because the chocolate is usually of a better quality.”

Placing the chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave is the easiest way to melt this small amount. Use a really ripe banana for the best flavor.

1/2 cup 2 percent or whole milk

1 large very ripe banana, broken into large pieces

1 2/3 cups packed ice cream

1 ounce milk chocolate bar, melted

In a blender, combine the milk and banana until combined but still slightly chunky. Add the ice cream and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly pour the melted chocolate through the feed tube on the lid of the blender and blend for 5 seconds. Serve immediately.

Adapted from “Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries & Shakes” by Bobby Flay with Stephanie Banyas and Sally Jackson (Clarkson Potter, $25.95)

Per serving: 378 calories (percent of calories from fat, 41), 7 grams protein, 51 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 18 grams fat (11 grams saturated), 56 milligrams cholesterol, 130 milligrams sodium.

Fresh Mint-Chocolate Speckled Milkshake

Hands on: 20 minutes Total time: 20 minutes, plus 8 or more hours chilling Serves: 2 (8 ounces each)

Steeping fresh mint leaves in milk before adding them to vanilla ice cream perfumes the shake with a bold yet refreshing mintiness. Garnish with fresh mint springs, if desired. This makes twice as much infused milk as needed, so use it for other shakes or for iced tea.

1 cup 2 percent or whole milk

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

13/4 cups packed vanilla ice cream

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate bar, melted

In a small saucepan, combine the milk, chopped mint leaves and sugar and bring to a simmer. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Strain the milk in to a bowl.

Pour 1/2 cup of the mint-flavored milk into a blender. Add the ice cream and blend until almost smooth. With the motor running, slowly pour the melted chocolate through the feed tube on the lid of the blender and blend for 5 seconds. Serve immediately.

Adapted from “Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries & Shakes” by Bobby Flay with Stephanie Banyas and Sally Jackson (Clarkson Potter, $25.95)

Per serving: 371 calories (percent of calories from fat, 4), 8 grams protein, 42 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 22 grams fat (13 grams saturated), 55 milligrams cholesterol, 132 milligrams sodium.

Blackberry Cheesecake Milkshake

Hands on: 30 minutes Total time: 3 or more hours for chilling Serves: 2 (8 ounces each)

Extra fruit base can be frozen for up to six months or use it as jam or yogurt mix-in.

For the fruit base:

8 ounces fresh or frozen (defrosted) blackberries

2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons blackberry jam

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the milkshake:

1/3 cup fresh fruit base

1/2 cup 2 percent or whole milk

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature (Bobby Flay recommends Philadelphia brand)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

11/2 cups packed vanilla ice cream

To prepare the fruit base: In a bowl, combine blackberries and 2 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 saucepan, add the jam and cook over medium 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 jamlike consistency, about 10 to 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Taste and add sugar if needed, stirring to dissolve. Transfer to a bowl and cool. Cover and refrigerate until cold and thickened, at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

To prepare the milkshake: In a blender, combine the fruit base, milk, cream cheese and lemon zest until slightly smooth. Add the ice cream and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Adapted from “Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries & Shakes” by Bobby Flay with Stephanie Banyas and Sally Jackson (Clarkson Potter, $25.95)

Per serving: 454 calories (percent of calories from fat, 52), 9 grams protein, 47 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 27 grams fat (17 grams saturated), 95 milligrams cholesterol, 239 milligrams sodium.

Classic Chocolate Milkshake

Hands on: 20 minutes Total time: 2 hours Serves: 1 (8 ounces)

Making your own chocolate syrup is easy and extra yummy. The syrup lasts for more than a week if kept refrigerated. For in-your-face chocolate flavor, use chocolate ice cream. For a little less intensity, use vanilla or a mix of vanilla and chocolate.

For the chocolate syrup:

11/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup water

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the milkshake:

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup packed chocolate or vanilla ice cream

To prepare the syrup: In a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and water until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Place cocoa in a heat-proof bowl. Gradually whisk in sugar syrup, stirring well to combine. Return mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly. The mixture will bubble furiously, so remove from heat if necessary to prevent it from boiling over. Transfer to a bowl, add vanilla and cool completely. Cover and chill until cold, at least 1 hour.

To prepare the milkshake: In a blender, combine the syrup and milk. Add the ice cream and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 314 calories (percent of calories from fat, 34), 6 grams protein, 48 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 12 grams fat (8 grams saturated), 48 milligrams cholesterol, 111 milligrams sodium.