Strawberry Vanilla Bean Milkshakes
So first things first. The new blog. I LOVE IT! Lindsay really knows her stuff when it comes to this blog redesign business. She basically held my hand through this {to me} ginormous transformation and was ever so patient with my ridiculous and sometime completely stupid questions. And if I could give her a giant hug I would! She’s fabulous… absolutely fabulous!
If you ask me, blog redesign is sort of like pregnancy and child birth. You make the decision to do it. Wait months, anxiously wondering what it’s going to be and end up looking like. Then finally the birth of the blog arrives. It’s exciting, scary and once it’s finally here it’s all you can seem to think about. And then there’s those sleepless nights aka reformatting and getting use to the new way of things. But there is a bonus… no stretch marks! ha!
But I’m happy to say this blog is exactly what I dreamt it to be. Thank you Lindsay, you are a genius!
As a giant THANK YOU to all of you patiently waiting yummy food laden posts and wondering what the heck happened to me, I’ve decided I’m treating you to shakes. But these aren’t your regular run-of-the-mill shakes. I mean yeah, they call for strawberries… but that’s just the beginning.
I know this looks pretty normal, so you might be thinking what the heck Laur… but trust me on this.
Start of by washing and trimming a pound of strawberries.
Throw them into a Pyrex baking dish. Any size will do.
Why hello there vanilla bean. Now is it me or do vanilla beans look magical?
Split the bean in half and with the back of your knife scrape out all those tiny little seeds.
Throw them in with the strawberries and toss them around so they get evenly distributes among the berries.
Sprinkle with the sugar and a good pinch of kosher salt. Now pop them into a preheated oven for 2 hours. Yeah… I know!
Mean while don’t throw that pod away! Dump two cups of sugar in a large jar…
Throw you bean pod in into the sugar….
…and give it a couple of good shakes. Let it chill-out and POOF! Soon you’ll have vanilla sugar! I’m saving mine for something special. More to come on that in the future.
Now your strawberries should smell freaking amazing! Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely.
The moment those strawberries have cooled, grab your blender and throw in that pint of ice cream. When it comes to what kind of ice cream to buy, you need to buy on with a high fat content. Something about a dense ice cream makes for better milkshakes. Low fat and/or lesser quality ice cream could result in a runny shake since it’s contains mostly air.
Add in three-quarters of the strawberries and reserve the rest of the strawberries for garnishing these pups.
Add in the milk.
And give it a go. You might want to put the lid on … but I think that goes without saying… no?
I made these just before my girls hopped off the bus. They told me I was the bestest… like totally!
They also said these were the bestest milkshakes they’ve ever had….
I think they’re right. Because these are like reeeeally good. Better than ANY shake I’ve ever tasted. And I don’t even like strawberry shakes, usually.
Roasting strawberries really brings out the fruits inner strawberriness and the vanilla beans… don’t even GET me started. I’ve always been a chocolate shake kind of gal… but I think I’m moving on. Unless you can slow-roast chocolate… yeah, probably not.
Strawberry Vanilla Bean Milkshakes
Yield: 2-4 servings {depending}
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
Ingredients:
1 pound Strawberries, hulled and halved
1 Vanilla Bean
1/4 cup Sugar
1 pinch Kosher Salt
1 pint Premium Vanilla Ice Cream {with high fat content}
3/4 cup Whole Milk
Adapted from Bay Area Bites
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 275 degrees
Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds, reserve the pod.
Place halved strawberries in an oven safe dish. Add the sugar, salt and vanilla bean seeds, toss and place into your preheated oven. Slowly cook the strawberries for 2 hours uncovered. Remove and let cool.
In a blender add the ice cream, milk, three quarters of the strawberries and their juice. Blend until smooth.
Pour into glasses and too with a few of the remaining strawberries.
Sip and enjoy!
*to make vanilla sugar, just throw the pod in a jar with two cups of sugar!
Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours! (
OMG! First, gorgeous blog. I love Lindsay toooooo!!! Second, I need to get on this strawberry roasting thing!!! YUMMMMMMMMYYEEEEEE.
simplyscratch replied: — May 23rd, 2012 @ 12:04 pm
Thanks Katie! …and once you start roasting berries… you wont go back!
I love the new site design! AAAAAND I love this milkshake. Except I am calling it a smoothie and thus declaring it breakfast food
simplyscratch replied: — May 23rd, 2012 @ 12:05 pm
Thanks Sally! I like how you think!
These sound seriously awesome. Amazing idea!!
The new blog design looks awesome, I love it!
simplyscratch replied: — May 23rd, 2012 @ 1:49 pm
Thank you Kathryn!
Wow, Laurie, the milkshake looks amazing and so does your new design. The photos are wonderful. Kudos!
It’s funny how you make the reference to a blog design being like pregnancy/child birth. We also spent countless weeks on the blog and its design. I remember after biting my nails and feeling some bouts of anxiety my husband saying, “we’re having a blog, not a baby!”
Congratulations!! Wishing you the very best!
simplyscratch replied: — May 23rd, 2012 @ 1:50 pm
Ha! That’s great… I’m so glad I’m not alone!
Great redesign!!! And great, delicious recipe. It’s so much easier for me to comment now!
simplyscratch replied: — May 23rd, 2012 @ 1:52 pm
I know Liz! I’m so happy that can finally reply back to comments!
Love the new site, it looks wonderful.
The milkshakes look evil….in a good way.
simplyscratch replied: — May 23rd, 2012 @ 1:52 pm
Thank you Heather!
LOVE LOVE LOVE the new look! perfection
and no stretch marks?! haha!
i really need to jump on the roasted strawberries train…i feel so left out and they always look and sound SO delicious!
simplyscratch replied: — May 23rd, 2012 @ 1:53 pm
Thanks!! And Heather believe me, roasting strawberries will change your life!
Your site is one of the food blogs I check daily and I was so pleasantly surprised to see your change yesterday! It looks wonderful!
simplyscratch replied: — May 23rd, 2012 @ 1:53 pm
Yay! Thank you Carly!
What an awesome milkshake. Roasted strawberries and vanilla bean? Amazing. And man, I’m so bummed that I threw out my pods the last time I used vanilla bean. That vanilla sugar sounds to die for!
simplyscratch replied: — May 23rd, 2012 @ 1:55 pm
Darnnnn! Next time…
Lindsay does amazing work. This looks so great!! So glad you’re back and blogging! Loveeeeeeee the milkshakes! They look healthy and divine!
simplyscratch replied: — May 23rd, 2012 @ 1:56 pm
Feels good to be back! haha! Now I just have a lot of blog reading to catch up on!
Site looks great! Post looks great!
simplyscratch replied: — May 23rd, 2012 @ 2:40 pm
Thanks Kelli!
You’re back!! I have missed your posts so much. Can’t wait to make these….Yum!
simplyscratch replied: — May 23rd, 2012 @ 2:39 pm
You’re gonna love these shakes Kalie!
CONGRATTTTULATIONS!!
simplyscratch replied: — May 23rd, 2012 @ 2:39 pm
Thank you Bev!
Yum! I love vanilla bean. Sounds perfect, Laurie! And I adore the new design!
simplyscratch replied: — May 23rd, 2012 @ 4:21 pm
Thank you Cassie!
WOW – a milkshake never looked so delicious! Can’t wait to give this a try for myself.
This is my first time visiting your blog and I love the design! Lindsay helped me with mine a couple years ago and you are so right – she is the best. Looking forward to reading more of your delicious blog posts.
simplyscratch replied: — May 23rd, 2012 @ 4:21 pm
Yay! Nice to meet you Eliana!
OMG! I absolutely love the new blog design! As a frequent visitor to ur website, I love how easy it is to navigate now! Congrats on ur new blog design
simplyscratch replied: — May 23rd, 2012 @ 4:20 pm
Thank you Haley!
LOVE your new blog! It’s so beautiful! And these strawberry milkshakes look sooo good. beautiful pictures as always!
Beautiful recipe and wonderful site makeover! Lindsay does know her stuff and your site is just lovely!
simplyscratch replied: — May 24th, 2012 @ 4:36 am
Thank you Averie!
i was pumped to see the entire blog post on my reader reappear. even more excited to see your new site with its awesome search capabilities! so exciting! and those milkshakes – I ditto your chocolate preference, not strawberry. so I will have to give these a whirl.
simplyscratch replied: — May 24th, 2012 @ 4:37 am
Yay! So glad! I’m still pondering how I can roast chocolate and make it work
I LOVE your new blog design!!! I knew when I saw the strawberries and ice cream that this is a recipe that I’ll have to make soon. You always post the best recipes, by the way!!! Thanks
Your daughters are gorgeous. They both have absolutely beautiful eyes!
I love it Laurie! Congrats on the new look…But i’m slightly upset with you because I literally just woke up, checked out your blog, got right back up and had to make my version of a milkshake…It’s not nearly as indulgent and tasty as yours (just a banana,milk &coconut) but the 1st picture got my milkshakey juices flowing…
Looks awesome!
simplyscratch replied: — May 24th, 2012 @ 4:34 am
Thank you so much Lauren! “milkshakey juices” love it!
I can see in there eyes…..how yum the milkshake is…..love to give it a try….love the pictures…..
simplyscratch replied: — May 24th, 2012 @ 4:35 am
Their eyes don’t lie!
yummie! it looks delicious! great pics!!! <3 http://artisamatteroftaste.blogspot.com/
I love the simplicity of your blog design!
Your daughters are very lucky…these look amazing
simplyscratch replied: — May 24th, 2012 @ 4:35 am
Thank you Maura!
Love the new look. Nice recipe too!
I loved the new look , and the delicious recipe too!!
Have a nice day
simplyscratch replied: — May 24th, 2012 @ 4:35 am
Thank you Diana! You do the same!
Lovely lovely…my first time here (arrived via the link in Tasty Kitchen Blog). I just want to gently and very respectfully suggest a teensy bit more proofreading of the copy…not a big deal at all, but there are a few letters missing in a few places…and I know you want this to look absolutely top notch! Can’t wait to try roasting those strawberries, and I LOVE having an excuse to buy a magical vanilla bean!
simplyscratch replied: — May 24th, 2012 @ 4:39 am
Oops! I only found one… thanks for the help! Sometimes I can proof read over and over until my eyeballs can no longer take it and I still make mistakes!
I am LOVING the new site!! especially the pretty blue fonts and orange header… i love COLOR! It’s simply perfect and fits you and Simply Scratch SO well! And this milkshake? to die for… vanilla + strawberries just go together like pb&j.
The new website is beautiful! Great job! I will def be making these shakes this weekend, looks soooooo yummy!
Gorgeous new site!!! Absolutely love it.
I’ve never thought of roasting strawberries — yours look wonderful! Going to try this soon. Can’t decide between the chocolate pie (on Tasty Kitchen today) or this!
I’m not sure how I found your blog ( just wandering around:) but I’m glad I did. It has never crossed my mind to roast strawberries but I’ll be giving it a try. Those shakes look yummy!
Love the new look, it is gorgeous! These shake sound amazing! NEVER would have thought to roast the strawberries first. I am saving this for this summer, can’t wait to try it!
Love the new site! Roasted Strawberry MIlk Shake, there goes my diet!
The blog looks great! And no stretch marks – phew!
Gorgeous pics, gorgeous recipe, gorgeous site. Love it!
Laurie, your little girls are so precious! I don’t know what looks sweeter, them or these milkshakes! I guess it will have to be a tie.
Great summertime recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Your photos make me want to go home and make me a milkshake!
That looks incredible
All I can say is “Yummi-riffic”!! This looks so good!
The new blog is fabulous – absolutely fabulous! Great job to you and Lindsay.
I love strawberry milkshakes, but never thought of roasting the berries first. I can see how if you had a few berries that were just a tad under ripe it would really bring out the flavor; great idea and one I will be trying soon. Thank you!
I was skeptical at first, thinking “who needs a recipe for a strawberry milkshake?”. Then I realized this was no ordinary shake. Love the idea of roasting the berries. Thanks for the inspiration.
As for the new design, I totally thought I was in the wrong place! Beautiful indeed…
first….what GORGEOUS girlies you have!
Love the new look and those milkshakes look so good!! I need some farm fresh strawberries now!
Love, love, love the new design – congrats
I’ve been reading & enjoying for some time now and will obviously continue. Only now, I’ll be drinking a strawberry milkshake while I read!