I am pretty sure it’s possible to gain weight just from looking at the pictures in this book.
Divided into five categories followed by a Basics section, these recipes are an exercise in over-indulgence…which is pretty much the point. Go big or go home!
I was utterly overwhelmed by the shakes offered and found it extremely hard to choose which ones to make. Truth be told, I was quite intimidated by these monsters. I also had to make them when I had company to assist because they are definitely in the category of things you must share with others.
The toppings used are luscious, sugary, fatty and decadent. Not all ingredients are readily sourced however, with a decidedly American feel to the book. Ingredients such as Graham Crackers are unheard of here and Marshmallow Fluff is certainly not mainstream.
The shakes are also expensive to make. Unless your pantry is filled with several different flavours of syrup (toppings), cotton candy (fairy floss) and innumerable different flavours of candy (lollies to us purists), and your freezer is graced with several different flavours of ice-cream, some of these may require substitutions.
The book very helpfully provides recipes for everything from donuts (note the American spelling) to candied bacon (no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t force my mind to accept pig products in my shake) but sometimes a trip to the supermarket to these extras ready-made is a time saver.
The recipes are presented in an easy to follow format. The ingredients are listed in one column and divided into the basic Shake ingredients followed by a Monster Your Shake section. The method appears to the right of these lists in paragraph format. The servings are listed but not overall time required. Dairy-free recipes are included and listed as such. A double-page spread is dedicated to each shake with a full-page picture appearing on the right. The book has a 1950’s pop theme to it with title fonts carrying out the monster theme.
The five sections featured in the book are: Fruity Freak-Out, Creepy Classics, Candy Overload, Boozy Behemoths, and Death By Dessert.
Mustering the courage for my first effort involved alcohol so I flipped straight to Boozy Behemoths and took it from there!
Irish Coffee Cupcake Mountain (page 84)
Okay, so this may be one of the simpler shakes but it packed a punch in the flavour stakes. When approaching one of these monsters, planning is the key. In this instance, I had to make the cupcake before I could even think about the shake. Next decorate your glass and allow the chocolate to set or run the risk of a monster mess. Make sure you have all the ingredients prepared or your ice-cream will melt while you go looking for sprinkles.
Astoundingly, I did not have vanilla ice-cream available so had to substitute Baileys Ice Cream instead. Given the shake also contained Baileys, this was acceptable both from a recipe and a tasting stand point.
My greatest mistake was in misjudging the effect of adding toppings. Nowhere does it say not to overfill the glass. Balancing the cupcake was my undoing and I ended up with shake everywhere as it overflowed the confines of my uber-trendy mason jar.
I did puzzle briefly over the description of the shake which listed ‘Coffee, Cream and Caramel’ when there was no caramel to be had in the recipe. I tried closing my eyes and imagining it was there amongst all the sugary goodness but alas, it remains an oversight. I resorted to scraping the chocolate off the sides of the glass with my teeth instead.
Peaches and Cream Marshmallow Dream (page 28)
I was emboldened to try something a little more decadent looking next and this one has fruit so it’s healthy, right?? Not overly.
Before undertaking this visually delightful feast, I had to accept that these were complex creations requiring a dedicated shopping list, time put aside and a flare for the dramatic. Supermarkets are great for shortcuts so instead of flicking to page 132 for the donut recipe and page 124 for the butter cream recipe, I bought both.
There are fiddly aspects to making these. Using a blow torch to toast 2 marshmallows is not as easy as it seems and not everyone will own a kitchen blow torch. Do not entrust your resident handyman to use a blow torch – try the grill instead. Assembly of the shake was a dream and, with all ingredients handy, it took only moments. It is much easier to make these on a large scale than it is to do it on a small scale occasionally.
In summary: while the recipes are simple to follow and the book boasts helpful recipe basics to add flourish to your shakes, they are fiddly, expensive and not entirely worth the effort required to create them.
Reviewed by Judi Bemmer
Rating out of 10: 6 (and stock up on antacids!)
Published by: Smith Street Books through Simon & Schuster
Release Date: November 2016
RRP: $24.99 hardover
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