Like a taste of Halloween – this shake is frighteningly good.
Serves: 2
Shake
- 200g diced pumpkin
- 750ml (3 cups) milk
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground allspice
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
- 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
Monster your shake
- Buttercream frosting (see below)
- 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
- Vanilla bean whipped cream (see below)
- Caramel syrup (see below)
- 2 cinnamon donuts
- 2 vanilla macarons
- Ground cinnamon, for dusting
Method
- To make the shake, place the pumpkin in a small saucepan and cover with water. Cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes or until soft. Drain and return to the saucepan. Using a hand-held blender, puree the pumpkin until smooth. Set aside to cool. Combine with the remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and combined.
- Using a spatula, smear the frosting around the outer rim of each glass. Gently pour in the shake and top with a scoop of ice cream. Using a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, top with swirls of whipped cream.
- Drizzle the outside of the glasses with caramel syrup and top with the donuts, macarons and a dusting of cinnamon.
Buttercream Frosting
(makes 375g/1½ cups)
- 125g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 185g (1.5 cups) icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Place the butter in a medium-sized bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on high speed for 5 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in half the icing sugar and the milk, then the remaining icing sugar. Beat for 4 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
- Add any ingredients for variations into the mixture, if using, and beat for another 1 minute.
- Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container. The frosting will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
NOTE: If you’ve pre-made the frosting and stored it in the fridge, allow to sit for 20 minutes at room temperature to soften.
Whipped Cream
(makes 625ml/2.5 cups)
- 300 ml thickened cream
- Place the cream in a medium-sized bowl along with any ingredients for variations, if using. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed for 3–4 minutes until the cream is fluffy and holds soft peaks.
- Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container. The whipped cream will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Variations
- To colour whipped cream, add 1 drop food colouring and keep adding drops as you beat until you reach your desired shade.
- For vanilla bean whipped cream, add 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste and 2 tablespoons icing sugar.
Caramel Syrup (makes 500ml/2 cups)
- 330 g (1.5 cups) sugar
- 125 g (2/3 cup lightly packed)
- brown sugar
- 300ml thickened cream
- Combine the sugar with 60 ml (1/4 cup) water in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly for 2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved, brushing any sugar from the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Increase the heat to medium–high and boil for 2 minutes then reduce the heat to medium and simmer without stirring for 10 minutes or until golden.
- Remove from the heat and add the brown sugar and cream and stir until combined. Return to medium heat and stir for 2 minutes until smooth. Do not boil.
- Set aside to cool completely before transferring into a squeeze bottle or container.
- The syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Variation: For Salted caramel syrup, add 1 tablespoon of salt when adding the brown sugar and cream.
Extracted from Monster Shakes, by Vicki Valsamis. Photography 2016 © Chris Middleton. Published by Smith Street Books. RRP NZ$28.99. Out now.
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