SHAMROCK SHAKE

Did you remember to wear green today? Better avoid those pinches if not!

That St. Patrick’s Day custom stems from folklore that says wearing green makes you invisible to leprechauns, who will pinch anyone they see.

Besides donning green clothing, today’s holiday celebrates with traditional foods and festive drinks – some of them being green themselves.

Like the shamrock shake.

Green, minty and oh so creamy, this delicious treat will for sure have you dancing the Irish jig.

But no need for a trip to the golden arches for this iconic seasonal shake because, with a few ingredients, it can easily be made at home and enjoyed all year.

This simple mixture of vanilla ice cream, milk, pudding mix, mint extract and green food coloring are added to a blender and swirled into a smooth, drinkable confection.

Cold and luscious, the flavor and texture are spot on with just the right amount of mint, and the pudding mix makes it ultra-creamy without being overly thick.

If you’re a mint lover, you can definitely add more. However, be sure to use “mint” extract and not “peppermint”; otherwise, you’ll end up with a candy cane shake.

You can also experiment with different flavors of ice cream. Some tasty options would be chocolate, mint, cookies and cream or coffee. Or add a swirl of chocolate syrup in your glass before serving it.

Also, one of the perks of making this at home is that you can booze it up a little! Or a lot – I won’t judge.

Plain or flavored vodka, like vanilla, whipped or marshmallow would be amazing. Irish cream, chocolate or coffee liqueur would be tasty, too.

SHAMROCK SHAKE

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix
1/4 teaspoon mint extract
8 drops green food coloring

Optional for serving: whipped cream, sprinkles, cherries

DIRECTIONS:

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into a glass and serve topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry, if desired.