Sour Cherry and Sour Cream Shake from Adam Ried's Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes

It’s summer time and though the weather here in the Pacific Northwest hasn’t seemed to have received that memo yet — we at The Groovy Foody have. We’re not gonna let a little lack of sunshine ruin our summer fun, we’re celebrating the kick-off of summer with the bevy creamy treats whipped up by Adam Ried in his freshly released cookbook, Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes.

Not only is this book full of classic milkshakes you’ve always loved but it’s also brimming with party-like adult versions like the Chocolate Guinness Shake and the Gianduja (Nutella and Frangelico make this one sing!), lesser known shakes like the entire tea and coffee shake section and fruit shakes with outrageous flavor pairings like the Strawberry Basil, Tomato-Peach and Lemon Buttermilk. But Ried doesn’t stop there — he takes you on a world tour of frosty libations with his chapter on Shakes from Afar featuring Cholado (Columbia slurpees with fruit on top), Batidos (Caribbean drinks made from blended fruit, ice and milk) and Lassis (Middle Eastern and Indian favorites that use yogurt instead of ice cream.

The book is so yummy that I had a hard time not buying cases of ice cream just to try them all but my Groovy Booty doesn’t need that. So I played around with Ried’s Sour Cherry and Sour Cream recipe, making just a few healthful substitutions. I will post his recipe below unfettered, so you can try it out in all its glory.

NOTE: The changes I made put it somewhere between a smoothie and a Lassi — nevertheless, it was delicious and you can have it my way by using fresh cherries, substituting Greek yogurt for the sour cream and coconut milk ice cream (lower glycemic index) for the dairy ice cream and adding just a dash of cardamom.

Sour Cream and Sour Cherry Shake

From Adam Ried’s Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes

6 Tbsp sour cherries, chopped (about 3 oz)
6 Tbsp light cherry syrup (from jarred sour cherries) or cherry juice (approx. 3oz)
3 Tbsp sour cream
1 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/4 Tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
7 medium scoops of vanilla bean ice cream, softened

If using sour cherries from a jar , strain the syrup but don’t discard. Place all ingredients (except ice cream) in the blender and blend to break down the cherries completely, about 30 second. Add the ice cream and pulse several times to begin breaking it up. With the blender motor off, use a flexible spatula to mash the mixture down onto the blender blades. Continue pulsing, stopping and mashing until the mixture is well blended, thick and moves easily in the blender jar, roughly 30 to 90 seconds. Pour into chilled glasses and serve at once.