Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake

I generally like my milkshakes in classic flavors like vanilla, strawberry and chocolate, with the former two being slightly favored over the latter. When you have a really good milkshake, these flavors really shine. But as with all things, variety is nice, too, and as good as a plain vanilla milkshake is, it’s nice to be able to dress it up a bit with other flavors from time to time. This particular milkshake was inspired by a melted peanut butter cup – recently purchased and apparently sitting in a sunny spot in the car on the way home from the market. I considered popping it in the fridge to firm up, but ended up tossing it into the blender and turning it into a milkshake.

This milkshake isn’t super thick, nor is it so intensely flavored that you have to stop drinking after three or four sips. It is cool and refreshing, with just enough peanut butter and chocolate that you know what you’re tasting. It has a little bit more peanut butter flavor than chocolate, much like a peanut butter cup. The actual peanut butter cup called for in the recipe is a nice touch (whether yours is melted, like mine, or not) but is optional. If you prefer your milkshakes to be very thick, add an extra scoop of ice cream and even a few ice cubes, if necessary.

Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake
1 cup milk (any kind)
2/3 cup vanilla ice cream (about 2 scoops)
3 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp chocolate syrup
1 large peanut butter cup

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth. Add additional ice cream, if you desire a thicker consistency.

Makes 1 large or 2 medium-sized milkshakes.