In this age of speed dialing and speed reading, why not speed eating with desserts you can drink?
In “Frozen Drinks” (Clarkson Potter, $12.95), Bruce Weinstein makes blender concoctions that really are desserts in a glass. Like frozen Key lime pie, with its sweetened condensed milk, whipped cream–even a “crust,” in the form of crushed gingersnaps. Or butterscotch whirl, almost a sundae you can sip.
Not all the recipes are so indulgent, but most do come with “buzz” options, such as butterscotch schnapps in the whirl and white rum in the pie. And in the quick-read introduction, Weinstein covers the ins and outs of blenders and blender prep, right down to suggesting that “hard” ice be allowed to soften at room temperature 10 to 15 minutes before mixing.
Come to think of it, no matter how fast you make these desserts, you’ll still want to savor them the old-fashioned way: slowly and deliberately.
BUTTERSCOTCH WHIRL
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
1/2 cup butter-pecan ice cream, softened
1/2 cup milk
1 cup ice
2 tablespoons butterscotch topping
1 Butterfinger candy bar
2 tablespoons whipped cream
2 tablespoons butterscotch chips, optional
1. Combine the ice cream, milk, ice and topping in a blender. Crumble 1/2 the candy bar on top. Blend the mixture until the ice is crushed and the nuts and candy bar are completely smooth.
2. Pour into 2 tall glasses. Top each with 1 tablespoon whipped cream, and garnish with chips, if desired.
Note: For the “buzz” version, replace topping with 3 ounces butterscotch schnapps and add an extra ice cube or two.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories …… 430 Fat ……….. 20 g Cholesterol .. 30 mg
Sodium ….. 150 mg Carbohydrates .. 6 g Protein …….. 5 g
FROZEN KEY LIME PIE
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
1 1/2 cups ice
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup Key lime juice, see note
8 gingersnaps, divided use
2 tablespoons whipped cream
1. Put ice in blender. Add sweetened condensed milk and lime juice. Crumble 4 gingersnaps on top. Pulse blender until mixture blends easily. Blend until completely smooth, adding a little ice water, if needed, for desired consistency.
2. Serve in small glasses and top each drink with a dollop of whipped cream and 2 of the remaining gingersnaps.
Note: Bottled Key lime juice is available in most supermarkets. If you can’t find it, substitute lemon juice, which will give your drink the subtle flavor of lemon-meringue pie. For a “buzz,” add 2 ounces white rum before blending.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories …… 375 Fat ………… 10 g Cholesterol .. 30 mg
Sodium ….. 280 mg Carbohydrates .. 25 g Protein …….. 7 g
