Lately I’ve been a little obsessed with milkshakes. Not because I’m expecting, but because there’s something irresistible about the creamy, sweet, thick comfort of a truly good milkshake. I’m not sure why the craving is so strong right now, but it feels like the perfect answer to all the little upheavals in life.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my two oldest boys went off to a sleep-in-tents, thunderstorm-accented camp with counselors I didn’t personally vet. They even left a phone on the couch. (There was no room on the volunteer paperwork for parents — not that I would have wanted to sleep on wet ground, but still.)
Or maybe it’s because my oldest or my husband can speak without warning; their voices have changed and I can’t always tell who’s talking without looking. My husband has also been gone on business nearly as much as he’s been home in the last two weeks, which makes that voice shift feel extra eerie.
My youngest is almost six — SIX — and it keeps hitting me that they are growing up faster than I can process. My baby sister, who turned eighteen last December, has just started at Cornell and is off dazzling everyone with her smarts and confidence. There’s change all around.
At home, the kids keep surprising me in small, joyful ways: my nine-year-old has developed a huge culinary crush on the Two Fat Ladies and now says “Oh, quite!” at every opportunity while practicing the perfect buttering technique. My seven-year-old plays the drums with a skill that often belies his age, and he plays a lot.
We’re also on the verge of restarting our homeschool routine, which always feels like a seasonal reset. On the garden front, I had to yank out my cucumber plants after a dismal harvest — the chickens, however, enjoyed the odd bright yellow cukes I did get. Those hens keep escaping their run and sprinting around like they’ve mislaid their heads; maybe the cucumbers were hallucinogenic, who knows?
And then there’s the Little League World Series. Suddenly I’m very invested in every child’s triumphs and setbacks, and I find myself tearing up when a player is disappointed or hurt. Call me a mess — I will own it.
Any of these things — or all of them — might explain my milkshake fixation. Regardless of the cause, milkshakes make everything better. I’ll take a double, please.
Coffee Milkshakes
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
For the cold brew coffee:
- 1 brick 10–16 ounces espresso-ground coffee (examples: Cafe Goya, Cafe Bustelo, Cafe Pilon)
- 1 1/2 gallons cold water
For the Coffee Milkshake:
- 1 cup cold-brewed coffee see cold brew instructions below, or use very strong brewed coffee that has been chilled.
- 4 large scoops vanilla ice cream
- 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup, plus extra for drizzling
- whipped cream for topping
Instructions
To Make the Cold Brew:
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Place the espresso-ground coffee into a 2-gallon (or larger) stainless steel, glass, or food-grade plastic container.
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Pour about half the water over the grounds, stir to wet all the grounds, then add the remaining water.
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Cover loosely with plastic wrap and steep at room temperature for about 8 hours or overnight.
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Line a fine-mesh sieve with paper towels, a clean tea towel, or cheesecloth and set it over a large pitcher or bowl.
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Ladle the coffee mixture into the lined sieve and let it strain slowly until mostly clear.
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Transfer the strained cold brew to jars with tight lids and refrigerate. It will keep for up to a month.
To Make the Coffee Milkshake:
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Blend the cold-brewed coffee, vanilla ice cream and 1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup until smooth. If the shake is too thick, add a splash or two of milk to loosen it; if too thin, add a bit more ice cream and pulse to thicken.
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Pour into one very large glass or two medium glasses.
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Top generously with whipped cream and drizzle additional chocolate syrup over the top.
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Serve immediately and enjoy.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use with your preferred nutrition calculator.
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