Freakshakes

By Paul Cadby

The ultimate dessert for milkshakes-lovers, cake-lovers and dessert-lovers.

Over the top, mega and indulgent are the best words to describe this new dessert taking the UK by storm. A freakshake, originally from Canberra, Australia, is a concoction of milkshake, cake, donut, biscuit, anything-you-like sweet-tastic combination.

Start by creating the base for your freakshakes. We’ll show you how to make an indulgent, creamy milkshake base that can then be topped with anything of your choosing to create your unique freakshake. Broken into chapters on basics, toppings, sauces and syrups this enables you to make your Freakshake as crazy as you like.

Delve into recipes for Chocolate Brownies, Jammie Dodgers, Marshmallow and begin dressings your vessel. We’ve included Freakshake ideas such as a sweet and sour Lemon Meringue Pie, gooey Double Chocolate Oreo, Coffee Mocha Cracker and a Salted Caramel Banoffee Cream but this should not limit your creations.

Overflowing with lashings of cream, chocolate, brownies, cakes, biscuits and sauce a freakshake is the perfect dessert for sweet tooth fanatics.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Jul 13, 2017
• ISBN: 9781911595465

Book preview

Introduction

Born on 4 July, 2014 – well not quite born, conceived perhaps – that’s when as a self-confessed foodie exploring the internet, I first started pinning photos of super-indulgent, amazing-looking freakshakes. These crazy creations had found their way to trendy London cafés from their origins in Canberra, Australia, where a café and bakery called Patissez started loading their shakes with all sorts of sweet and savoury treats, sauces and sprinkles. It was then I decided freakshakes would make a great addition to my café in the Cotswolds, so I started work on creating my own versions. My freakshakes had to be temptingly indulgent, an occasional treat, the sort of thing that you don’t go near if you’re counting calories, as well as fun, funky and frivolous.

I’ve been at the pointy end of the food and drink industry (customer facing) since I was ten years old, when I first helped out at mum’s small hotel. (I even brewed my own beer and sold it to visitors to the Cheltenham races well before I was old enough to drink myself!) Food and drink trends have always fascinated me; I’m drawn to new, different and quirky ideas from all around the world – what’s happening, what’s not, what’s cool and what’s hot?

This enthusiasm spurred a summer researching recipes and finding the right premises. Meanwhile, our two dogs, Annie and Lilly, had got very used to having me around and once everything started to line up my wife pointed out that the dogs were going to be proper down in the dumps when I started working full-time again. Well, that’s how the Blue Dogs Kitchen was born and named… A year on, with a second café due to open, I’m sharing my recipes and secrets with you. I hope you, your friends and family enjoy them as much as our customers do.

What makes a freakshake?

We start with the glass, the originals use Mason jars, but as our shakes are predominantly made to takeaway we use good-quality disposable glasses. The next step is to brush the inside of the glass with a little ganache, then spread more ganache around the lip using a palette knife – we’re not shy with it, this is the glue that holds the rim dressing in place and it’s not a problem if some of the ganache runs down the inside or the outside of the glass; it all adds to the indulgence.

Now the shake… we start with chilled, good-quality custard (here), made using the best vanilla, sugar, cream and free-range egg yolks, and slowly churned to a rich, smooth ice cream. Then we add our flavouring ingredients and blend just long enough to make sure everything is silky smooth, but still super thick – too thin and the toppings will sink.

The shake is poured into the ganache-coated glass, just below the rim (too full and everything overflows), and then topped with a generous serving of freshly whipped double (heavy) cream, flavoured or not.

Next, come the toppings – honeycomb, marshmallows, cookies, brownies, candies and more – as a rule, the more over the top the better the freakshake.

Now for the final flourish, a sweet sauce