Malted-Milk Ice Cream

 

In the 1940s, bobby-soxers went to malt shops and lingered over malted milk shakes.

Translation:

In the 1940s, teen-agers went to soda fountains (shops that sold ice cream sodas, sundaes, and soft drinks) and lingered over drinks made with milk, a flavoring such as chocolate syrup, a scoop of ice cream, and malted-milk powder.

Malted-milk powder is a mixture of whole dried milk, malted barley, and wheat flour. It has a slightly sweet, toasty flavor. Invented in 1887 by William Horlick of Wisconsin, originally it was dissolved in hot water and given to babies or people with digestive problems as a nutritional supplement.

Soon soda fountain operators began adding it to milk shakes, serving them hot in winter and cold in summer. Malted milk shakes were thick, hearty, and considered healthy. They especially appealed to men, and during Prohibition malteds often substituted for beer.

Blenders, introduced in the 1920s, made richer, smoother malteds and gave soda jerks a chance to show off their style and flair. They experimented with flavors, and added eggs and/or ice cream to the drinks. One of the best-liked was the “black and white,” a chocolate malted with vanilla ice cream. It was all the rage with the bobby-soxers.

Movies of the day often featured young stars sipping malteds at soda fountains, often flirting with the soda jerk. Sometimes a young couple shared one malted with two straws, all the better to sit close to each other. Malteds were as popular then as they are forgotten today.

Malted-milk powder is still used. Added to warm milk, it makes a sweet drink young kids often like. Bakers say it gives breads and bagels better flavor and texture. The crispy malt-flavored, chocolate-covered candies called malted milk balls,  which were once a favorite movie snack, are still around. But it’s hard to find a malted-milk shake, much less a soda fountain these days.

I decided to reproduce the flavor of a malted in an ice cream. I don’t think malt shops actually served malted-milk ice cream, but it turns out to taste terrific. Bobby-soxers would have loved it.

Initially, I was going to add chopped malted-milk ball candies to the ice cream. But when I read the ingredient list on the label, I changed my mind. Too many unpronounceables. Instead I used plain milk chocolate. You can try bittersweet chocolate, but I think the milk chocolate reproduces the old-time flavor of a malted better.

My Malted Milk Ice Cream

One cup heavy cream
Two-thirds cup malted-milk powder
Two cups half and half
Four egg yolks
Half cup sugar
Pinch salt
One teaspoon vanilla
Four ounces milk chocolate, chopped

Warm cream, add malted-milk powder and stir until dissolved. Stir in the half and half and simmer.

Whisk egg yolks with sugar until light and creamy. Add a little of the cream mixture to the eggs and sugar to temper, then combine all and stir over low heat. Add salt. Continue stirring over low heat until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon.

Remove from heat and stir over an ice bath until cool. Add vanilla.

Chill. Freeze according to your ice cream machine’s directions. Just before it’s done, mix in the chocolate pieces.

Makes one quart.

 
 

Comments

[Jeri Quinzio]

I'm afraid I don't know. Anyone else know?

[propecia]

When did humans start drinking cows milk, or any other type of
non-human milk? Did they feed it to just infants first, or humans of
all ages? Is it possible to know why they started?

[propecia price]

I have a new favourite ice cream. It's lovely, it's healthy and it's also delicius, how ever is my secret. anyway i am always excited to have an ice cream even if is not my own receipe

[Jeri Quinzio]

Hope you like it. I think it's delicious, even without the chocolate. Jeri

[fioricet online]

My Malted Milk Ice Cream,....It looks delicious and the ingredients is simple,... I hope I can prefer this look like the one in the pic,...thanks