Spirited ideas for frosty milkshakes

At Hill Country Barbecue Market in Washington, the maple bourbon milkshake pays homage to the retro diners and soda fountains of the 1950s. Served in the classic style with two straws in one large glass, this shake made for sharing combines a rich blend of bourbon with vanilla ice cream and maple syrup infused with vanilla beans. The whole thing is topped with maraschino cherries in the classic tradition.

In Seattle, chef Walter Pisano of Tulio Ristorante has a “desserts for grown-ups” menu that includes a prosecco float made of honey gelato, honey-infused whipped cream and prosecco.

And how about revisiting that old favorite, the root beer float? At Harry Denton’s Starlight Room in San Francisco, bar manager Joel Teitelbaum serves a hard root beer float that includes Zaya aged rum with vanilla notes and Averna, an Italian bitter that adds a chocolate note.

Also in San Francisco, pastry chef Francis Ang at Fifth Floor restaurant has a wild take on the shake.

He serves a foie gras milkshake featuring foie gras ice cream and walnut liquor. (This treat won’t last much longer than ice cream left out in the sun because California is banning force-feeding water fowl to create foie gras effective July 1.) The ice cream is mixed with milk, sugar, a little salt and the walnut liquor, then poured over ice and topped with root beer.

Here are recipes to let you shake up your own summer indulgence, but we haven’t left out the kids.

We’ve also included some recipes of the nonalcoholic variety so all ages can sip cool drinks throughout the summer.

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Purple Velvet Milkshake

Hands on: 10 minutes Total time: 10 minutes Serves: 2

Purely for adults, this smooth milkshake is perfect for an after-dinner treat. The deep, rich flavors of black raspberry ice cream combine with the barrel-aged smokiness of bourbon to make a dark, silky indulgence.

1 cup black raspberry ice cream

1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

2 ounces bourbon

1 ounce Chambord liqueur

Fresh blackberries

Fresh mint leaves

In a blender, combine both ice creams, the bourbon and Chambord and then blend until smooth. Divide between 2 glasses, then garnish each with fresh blackberries and mint leaves.

Recipe from Alison Ladman, for The Associated Press

Per serving: 290 calories (percent of calories from fat, 28), 3 grams protein, 31 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 9 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 35 milligrams cholesterol, 65 milligrams sodium.

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Toasted Malt Milkshake

Hands on: 10 minutes Total time: 10 minutes Serves: 2

This milkshake combines the creamy richness of the classic malted milkshake with the flavor of a toasted almond cocktail. The result is a toasty, malty, frothy treat. Malted milk powder can be found in the grocers’ baking aisle, or sometimes with the coffee and tea.

1/4 cup Ovaltine Classic Malt

1 cup vanilla ice cream

1 ounce amaretto liqueur

1 ounce Kahlua liqueur

1 ounce Frangelico liqueur

Finely chopped toasted almonds, to garnish

In a blender, combine Ovaltine malt, vanilla ice cream, amaretto, Kahlua and Frangelico. Blend until smooth. Slightly moisten the rims of 2 glasses, then overturn them and dip the rims in the toasted almonds. Pour the milkshake into the center of the glasses without disturbing the rims.

Recipe from Alison Ladman, for The Associated Press

Per serving: 370 calories (percent of calories from fat, 19), 5 grams protein, 53 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 8 grams fat (4.5 grams saturated), 30 milligrams cholesterol, 130 milligrams sodium.

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Chocolate Cherry Buttermilk Shake

Hands on: 10 minutes Total time: 10 minutes Serves: 2

Chocolate and cherry make a classic combination that really stand out in this milkshake. But what really sets this recipe apart is the buttermilk, which adds a delicate tang that really enhances the cherry flavor. Add the cookies at the end and just stir it together if you like bigger chunks, or puree until smooth if you want to drink it through a straw.

1 cup chocolate ice cream

1 cup frozen, pitted dark cherries

1 cup buttermilk

6 coarsely chopped chocolate sandwich cookies

In a blender, combine the chocolate ice cream, frozen cherries and buttermilk. Blend until smooth. Add the chocolate sandwich cookies and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Recipe from Alison Ladman, for The Associated Press

Per serving: 390 calories (percent of calories from fat, 36), 10 grams protein, 55 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 16 grams fat (7 grams saturated), 30 milligrams cholesterol, 270 milligrams sodium.

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Raspberry Key Lime Cheesecake Milkshake

Hands on: 10 minutes Total time: 10 minutes Serves: 2

This is what would happen if fresh raspberries, Key lime pie and cheesecake got together. It is one seriously delicious gathering.

3 ounces cream cheese

1 ounce Key lime juice

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

1 cup vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup light cream

In a blender, combine cream cheese, Key lime juice, raspberries, ice cream and light cream, then blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Recipe from Alison Ladman, for The Associated Press

Per serving: 420 calories (percent of calories from fat, 71), 8 grams protein, 24 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 34 grams fat (21 grams saturated), 115 milligrams cholesterol, 200 milligrams sodium.

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Caramelized Brown Sugar-Banana Milkshake

Hands on: 10 minutes Total time: 25 minutes Serves: 2

What makes this recipe different is that the bananas are browned in a skillet before adding them. This quick and easy step caramelizes the natural sugars in the bananas and gives them a serious flavor kick.

To help the caramelizing along, try adding butter and a bit of brown sugar to the pan. The result is a rich, caramel banana sauce in the skillet, as well as deliciously browned fruit.

This technique can be applied to other fruit, as well. Pineapple rings, apple wedges, halved strawberries, strips of mango, even pitted cherries. If you use apples, just be sure to brown them slowly over low heat until they are quite soft.

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise

2 cups milk

1 cup vanilla ice cream

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of salt

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Sprinkle in brown sugar and stir until bubbling. Add bananas, then reduce heat to low and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until evenly browned. Use a spatula to carefully turn the bananas and brown on the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove skillet from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes.

Once the bananas have cooled, use a silicone spatula to scrape them and any liquid and caramelized bits in the skillet into a blender. Add the milk, ice cream, cinnamon and salt. Puree until very smooth.

Recipe from J.M. Hirsch, Associated Press

Per serving: 490 calories (percent of calories from fat, 39), 12 grams protein, 68 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 21 grams fat (13 grams saturated), 70 milligrams cholesterol, 280 milligrams sodium.

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Orange Dreamsicle Milkshake

Hands on: 10 minutes Total time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2

Milkshakes are the sort of thing you want to indulge in all the time, but shouldn’t. So we set out to make one that would not be quite so bad for you, but still satisfying.

For the frosty part, we went with sorbet, a frozen blend of fruit and sugar. Though high in sugar, sorbets generally have no fat. Plus, they pack an intensely fruity flavor. You could substitute a low-fat sherbet, sorbet’s milkier cousin, but the flavor would not be as strong.

For creaminess, we went with cottage cheese. It may sound unusual, but the curds blend smooth with a rich and creamy texture. Add in a bit of fat-free half-and-half and we had a seriously good milkshake.

For a chocolate version, blend 2 tablespoons cocoa powder into the mix until smooth.

1 cup orange sorbet (mango also is good)

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half

In a blender, combine sorbet, cottage cheese, vanilla and half-and-half. Blend until smooth. If you prefer a thinner drink, drizzle in additional half-and-half while the blender is running until you get the desired consistency. Serve immediately.

Recipe from Alison Ladman, for The Associated Press

Per serving: 200 calories (percent of calories from fat, 5), 8 grams protein, 44 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 1.5 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 5 milligrams cholesterol, 320 milligrams sodium.