Old-Fashioned Vanilla Malt

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Blender or immersion blender with tall cup
• •Tall soda fountain glass (16-20 oz)
• •Long parfait spoon
• •Thick paper or reusable straw

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the glass

   Place a tall soda fountain glass in the freezer for at least fifteen minutes before assembling. The glass should develop a visible frost, that white bloom that tells you something cold and wonderful is coming. This isn't fussiness. A warm glass melts your malt before you're halfway through.

   Keep two or three glasses in the freezer at all times during summer. Spontaneous malt-making should never be delayed by warm glassware.
2. 2

   Measure the malt powder

   Spoon the malted milk powder into your blender first. This is the soul of a malt, the ingredient that separates it from a mere milkshake. Three tablespoons gives you that distinctive toasty, nutty sweetness without overwhelming the vanilla. Those who want more intensity can add another tablespoon, but start here.

3. 3

   Add ice cream and milk

   Add the vanilla ice cream in generous scoops directly on top of the malt powder. Pour the cold milk down the side of the blender, followed by the vanilla extract. The ratio matters: too much milk thins your malt into something drinkable through a regular straw. We want thickness that requires effort.

   Pull your ice cream from the freezer five minutes before blending. Slightly softened ice cream blends more smoothly without requiring extra milk.
4. 4

   Blend to proper thickness

   Blend on medium speed for fifteen to twenty seconds, no more. You're looking for a consistency that holds soft peaks when you lift the blender lid. The malt should pour like thick honey, slow and reluctant. If it runs like water, you've added too much milk or blended too long. The former is fixable with more ice cream. The latter is a lesson learned.

   A proper malt should stand a straw upright without support. If the straw falls, your malt needs more body.
5. 5

   Pour and crown

   Remove your frosted glass from the freezer. Pour the malt slowly, allowing it to mound above the rim in a gentle dome. The coldness of the glass will immediately create beads of condensation on the exterior, a visual promise of what awaits. Top with a swirl of whipped cream, piled high and unapologetic.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Nestle a cherry into the cream at a rakish angle, stem pointing skyward. Insert a thick paper straw and a long parfait spoon. Serve immediately on a small plate or napkin to catch the inevitable drips. A malt begins warming the moment it leaves the blender. There is no saving it for later.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out ice cream with a butterfat content of fourteen percent or higher. Premium brands like Häagen-Dazs or Graeter's work beautifully. The cheap stuff is fifty percent air and produces watery results.
• •Carnation and Horlicks are the most common malted milk powders. Carnation runs sweeter, Horlicks more deeply malted. Try both and find your preference.
• •For entertaining, you can pre-measure malt powder and vanilla extract into small bowls, chill extra glasses, and portion ice cream onto a cold sheet pan in the freezer. Assembly then takes thirty seconds per malt.
• •A chocolate malt follows the same method: add two tablespoons of chocolate syrup with the ice cream. The malt and chocolate flavors intertwine beautifully.

Advance Preparation

• •Glasses can be chilled in the freezer indefinitely, ready for malt-making at a moment's notice.
• •Malts cannot be made ahead. They separate and thin within minutes of blending. Make and serve immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 480g)