Strawberry sucker-punch

When too much strawberry just isn’t enough.

Strawberry sucker-punch Credit: Chris Middleton

• serves

  2

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 375 ml (12½ oz/1½ cups) milk 
• 125 ml (4 oz/½ cup) strawberry syrup (see note) 
• 300 g (10½ oz) fresh or frozen strawberries
• 4 scoops strawberry ice cream 

Monster your shake 

• 150 g (5½ oz/1 cup) white chocolate buttons 
• 75 g (23⁄4 oz) fresh strawberries, plus extra for garnish 
• red sprinkles, for decorating 
• strawberry syrup (see note) 
• 4 scoops strawberry ice cream
• whipped cream
• 2 ice cream wafer cones
• 1 strawberry Pop-Tart, cut in half
• 2 strawberry Oreo cookies 
• 4 strawberry Pocky sticks 

Instructions

Place the chocolate buttons in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Dip the strawberries into the chocolate and place on a baking paper-lined tray to set. Keep the remaining chocolate warm. 

To make the shake, combine the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and combined. 

Dip the rims of the glasses into the remaining melted chocolate and decorate with the red sprinkles. Line the insides with strawberry syrup, reserving some for topping. Gently pour in the shake and top with a scoop of ice cream. Using a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, pipe a generous amount of whipped cream on top of the shakes and around the rim of the glasses. 

Stick a wafer cone and Pop-Tart into each shake. Fill the cones with the remaining ice cream and the choc-dipped strawberries, some whipped cream and the Oreos. Decorate with the Pocky sticks and extra strawberries, then drizzle with the reserved syrup. 

Note: 

•  For the strawberry syrup, combine 1½ tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar with1½ tablespoons water in a medium- sized saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly for 2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved, brushing any sugar from the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Add 250 g (9 oz) strawberries, hulled, 150g (5½ oz/½ cup) strawberry jam

and 1½ tablespoons glucose syrup and stir for 1 minute or until well combined. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to cool completely. Puree with a hand-held blender for 1 minute or until smooth. Transfer into a squeeze bottle or container. This syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

This recipe is from Monster Shakes (Smith Street Books). Photography by Chris Middleton. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.