Wicked salted caramel

When salty and sweet combine their considerable forces, something truly magical happens. Case in point.

Wicked salted caramel Credit: Chris Middleton

• serves

  2

• prep

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 500 ml (17 oz/2 cups) milk 
• 125 ml (4 oz/½ cup) salted caramel syrup (see note) 
• 3 scoops butterscotch ice cream 

Monster your shake 

• Salted caramel syrup (see note) 
• Whipped cream 
• 50 g (½ cup) walnut halves, roughly chopped
• 1 Snickers Bar, roughly chopped
• 2 choc-chip waffles (see note), cut into long 
• pieces
• 6 pretzel sticks
• icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting 

Instructions

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

Line the outside of each glass with syrup. Using a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, pipe a generous amount of whipped cream around the rim of each glass, then decorate with some of the crushed walnuts and chopped Snickers bar. Gently pour in the shake and top with a scoop of ice cream. 

Stick the waffle pieces into the shakes, piping more whipped cream in to keep them in place. Decorate with remaining walnuts and Snickers Bar, and the pretzel sticks. Dust with icing sugar and drizzle with more caramel syrup. 

Note: 

•  For the caramel syrup, combine 330 g (11½ oz/1½ cups) sugar with 60 ml (2 oz/¼ cup) 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. Increase the heat to medium–high and boil for 2 minutes then reduce the heat to medium and simmer without stirring for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from the heat and add 125 g (4½ oz/2⁄3 cup lightly packed) brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of salt and 300 ml (10 oz) thickened cream, and stir until combined. Return to medium heat and stir for 2 minutes until smooth. Do not boil. Set aside to cool completely before transferring into a squeeze bottle or container. This syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 

•  For the choc-chip waffle, preheat a waffle maker on medium-high. Grease if necessary. 

Combine the flour and sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, oil and egg. Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, and add 90 g (3 oz/3⁄4 cup) chocolate chips. Mix well (but it’s okay to have a few lumpy bits here and there). Pour 60 ml (2 oz/¼ cup) amounts of batter into the waffle maker and cook each one for 3–4 minutes until golden brown. Carefully remove and set aside to cool.

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.