When I was growing up there was a restaurant chain called Newport Creamery that had several locations throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts, including a store in my hometown.  Though they were open all day serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, I’m pretty sure the ice cream and shakes were the big draw.  Their shakes were called Awful Awfuls, which at the time I didn’t think much of, but strikes me as a really bizarre name now.  I’m not entirely sure where the name originated but their slogan was “Awful big, awful good,” and boy were they – the chocolate mint was always my favorite.  The restaurant was just down the street from my high school and many of my friends worked there, so it became a bit of a hangout, which means I drank more than my fair share of Awful Awfuls.

I’ve probably only been to Newport Creamery once or twice since graduating from high school (there isn’t a location where Shane and I live now, which as much as I hate to admit it, is probably a good thing) and I definitely miss the occasional Awful Awful.  I always chose an Awful Awful over a bowl of ice cream back then, but now I rarely, if ever, find myself ordering a milkshake when we go to our local ice cream shop.  Maybe I was spoiled and nothing compares now 🙂  In any case, occasionally I’ll make milkshakes at home instead, mainly when I come across a flavor that particularly resonates with me (or if I find one I think Shane will love).

I flagged this toasted marshmallow milkshake recipe a while ago and now that the weather is finally starting to warm up (this rainy, chilly week notwithstanding), I gave it a go.  I halved the recipe & made it one afternoon for myself – I loved it so much I immediately made a second one.  It really does taste exactly like a toasted marshmallow!  I’m not a patient person so when toasting marshmallows I always set mine on fire and blow them out, which I think was beneficial here.  As Joy mentioned, the charred bits really give the shake a lot of flavor.  I used the flame on my gas stove to toast the marshmallows when I made the shake for myself but when I subsequently made the recipe again for Shane, I used my kitchen torch.  Both ways worked fine (the torch gave me more control, but took longer) though you could probably also use your broiler if you don’t have a gas stove or a kitchen torch.  Whichever method works for you, I just urge you to try this shake if you’re a toasted marshmallow fan – you won’t be disappointed.

Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake
from Joy the Baker (who adapted it from The Good Stuff Cookbook by Spike Mendelsohn)

10 marshmallows (plus extra for garnish, if desired)
1 (heaping) cup vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup milk (I used 1%)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Skewer the marshmallows then toast them – you can do that using the flame on your gas stove, with a small kitchen torch or under the broiler in your oven.  If you use the broiler, keep a close eye on the marshmallows.  Let the toasted marshmallows cool briefly.

In your blender, combine the toasted marshmallows, ice cream, milk and vanilla extract.  Blend until combined.  You can adjust the consistency by adding ice cream (to thicken) or milk (to thin).  Serve garnished with extra toasted marshmallows.