Recipe: Chocolate Cherry Milkshake

Chocolate Cherry Milkshake | Photo by Maria Zizka

This three-in-one recipe can easily be reshuffled into an ice cream sundae or a banana split. The hot fudge sauce and sour cherry syrup recipes will yield more than you need for a single milkshake, but I'm guessing you won't mind having the leftovers in your fridge. For a fun variation on a Manhattan cocktail, try mixing a splash of leftover cherry syrup with rye whiskey and vermouth over ice, stirring vigorously, and straining into a chilled glass.

Chocolate Cherry Milkshake
Serves 1

3 scoops vanilla ice cream, softened
Splash of milk
2 tablespoons Hot Fudge Sauce (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons Sour Cherry Syrup (recipe follows)
Whipped Cream, for serving

Blend the vanilla ice cream with the milk in a milkshake maker, blender, or even in a small bowl with two large spoons. Scoop about one-third of the mixture into a tall glass, then add 1 tablespoon of hot fudge, followed by 1 tablespoon of cherry syrup. Repeat. Scoop the final one-third of ice cream into the glass. Top the milkshake with lots of whipped cream.

Hot Fudge Sauce

Makes about 1 cup

½ cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Pinch of sea salt
4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

Combine the half-and-half, sugar, butter, and salt in a small pot. Bring to a simmer, whisking to dissolve the sugar and mix in the melted butter, then immediately turn off the heat. Add the chocolate, let stand undisturbed for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. Let cool. (Hot Fudge Sauce will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Reheat slowly.)

Sour Cherry Syrup
Makes about 1 cup

10 ounces (about 2 cups) sour cherries, stemmed but not pitted
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 lime

Combine the cherries, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a small pot. Use a fork to smash the cherries into the sugar. Once they've released some of their juices and are mostly submerged, set the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Using a vegetable peeler, remove a wide strip of zest from the lime and add it to the pot. Adjust the heat so that the cherries bubble away at the gentlest simmer for 15 minutes.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to release as much syrup as possible. Let cool completely. (Sour Cherry Syrup will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.)

Note: If you opt for sweet cherries rather than sour cherries, use about half the sugar.