Pantry Milk Shakes

Most of the ingredients in this recipe are usually kept on hand in your pantry, so you can make this recipe whenever you desire a milkshake and you do not have to have ice cream to make it.
This recipe works well for us, since we have to travel at least an hour to get ice cream. Now that they fluff up the ice cream with air it explodes when we get above 9,000 ft , so it's a mess and not worth the money. Play around with the recipe, but do not skip the oil or the non-stick spray. It makes the ice cream thick and creamy.

• 1-1/2 to 2 cups water or milk
• 1-1/2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
• 2/3 cup sugar (you can use less, it's sweet)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 to 1-1/2 trays of ice cubes
• 2 tablespoons oil plus a 5-second squirt of non-stick spray for emulsification purposes

Place all of the ingredients into the blender, including the oil and the non-stick spray. Use less water for thicker milk shakes and more water for shakes that are easy on your blender motor. The blender should be about 3/4′s full. Place the lid on. Process for a full 2 minutes. Pour into cups and serve. Makes 4 – 12oz servings. Variations:

• Add 1 tablespoon of instant coffee for a mocha shake
• Add 1 very ripe banana for a chocolate banana shake
• Add a big spoonful of peanut butter for a decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake.
• Add a few broken red and white candy mints for a refreshing Chocolate Mint shake.

Freeze excess

• To make Vanilla Milk Shakes, omit the cocoa powder, reduce the sugar to 1/2-cup and add 1 tablespoon (yes a full tablespoon) of vanilla flavoring. For a french vanilla milk shake crack in an egg too.
• Add a couple of tablespoons of instant pudding for richer flavor.