Keep the Blues Away With This Dark Chocolate Milkshake

One of the most important aspects of chocolate desserts or beverages is to function as a mood booster, especially for the days when you feel down and out. Whether it be your favorite chocolate tart or even a warm, fuzzy cup of hot chocolate, everyone has turned some mid-day binging in order to feel better. Similarly, a rich, velvety Bournville dark chocolate milkshake is just what you need to wash away a bad day. There is hardly anything that a sip of a creamy, dreamy combination of Bournville dark chocolate, vanilla ice cream, and milk cannot fix.

Ingredients:

• 505 gm vanilla ice cream
• 255 ml cold milk
• 110 gm Bournville dark chocolate (comprising around 70% cocoa)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1-2 tbsps granulated sugar
• 205 ml heavy cream
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• Chocolate chips or chocolate shavings
• Chopped nuts or sprinkles
• Fresh berries or fruit

Method:

1. You have to start by adding your favorite vanilla ice cream in a blender.
2. Then, you have to follow it up with cold milk in the blender.
3. Next, you need to add the Bournville dark chocolate into the blender.
4. To deepen the flavors, you can incorporate some pure vanilla extract.
5. Next, you are going to blend the mixture on high speed to make it smooth and creamy.
6. Then, you need to add sugar to the mixture, but please be careful about the quantity since it may become too sweet and act as a counterbalance to the overall taste of a bitter-sweet dessert.
7. Next, you can pour this concoction into a tall glass.
8. To get the topping ready, you need to whip heavy cream in a bowl till stiff peaks form.
9. Then, you have to add granulated sugar and whip until combined.
10. Before serving, you must not forget to garnish with whipped cream and some chocolate shavings.
11. This whipped cream can be spread or piped over the milkshake as well.

For the garnishing, you can also use chocolate chips, chopped nuts, sprinkles, or even fresh berries or fruits. If you want a vegan recipe, you can use almond or soy milk. Adding a pinch of salt goes a long way in balancing the sweetness of the beverage and also underscoring the inherent flavor of the Bournville dark chocolate. You can use coffee or caramel flavor ice cream, and add a shot of espresso for an extra boost.

You can refrigerate your blender as well as the glasses ahead of time to make them chilled. You could blend the mixture a little so that they do not form ice crystals, and add a scoop of peanut butter or banana ice cream into the drink to create a creamy milkshake. You can add a pinch of cinnamon or cayenne pepper to add a more complementary taste to the milkshake.

While presenting, you could add sliced fresh berries and bananas on top of the whipped cream. You can also have chocolate syrup and caramel sauce drizzled on top of the whipped cream. Serving it in a tall glass also allows you to trace designs with some chocolate syrup on the insides of the glass, giving the final drink a visual appeal.

There are some very interesting versions of this same milkshake that you could make in order to switch up your preferences. There is the mocha milkshake, which you can easily prepare by adding one or two shots of espresso and a teaspoon of instant coffee. There is also the strawberry chocolate variant which requires around 100 gm of fresh strawberries. For a thicker and creamier peanut butter milkshake, you need to add around two tablespoons of peanut butter. If you want to make a salted caramel one, you just have to pour about one teaspoon of sea salt and one teaspoon of caramel sauce.

This dark chocolate milkshake can prove to be an ideal respite for difficult, hectic days. Its rich, creamy consistency will get you smiling instantly. What's best is that since it is a milkshake, you can have it on the go by pouring it into your tumbler. It is also mess-free and does not require you to use fancy crockery or spoons to finish off the presentation.