Peach Milkshake

Featured Ingredients: Peaches and Nut Butter

In my mind, the difference in flavor between local in-season peaches and those imported during the winter months is unmatched by other fruits. So deliciously sweet, when I see the boxes of fresh peaches show up at our farmers’ market in July, I zealously pounce on them. And immediately I go to whirling up these peach milkshake frozen cups.

Protein-packed Greek yogurt and silky soft tofu (you won’t taste it!) makes the milkshakes deliciously rich and thick yet without the prodigious amounts of fat and calories often present in offerings from fast-food joints. A hint of cloves adds unexpected sparkle. Often, I like to blend in a fresh peach as well when making the milkshakes.

For extra richness, try blending in nut butter into your shake. Two great options are almond or hazelnut butter, which can have a leg up nutritionally compared to their peanut counterpart. Case in point: Almond butter is richer in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, bone-building calcium and hunger-quelling fiber than peanut butter. Rich tasting hazelnut butter is brimming with vitamin E, a fat-soluble antioxidant that may help slow cognitive decline.

To help you get these smoothies into your tummy, the kind folks at Kettle Brand are offering a lucky Muffin Tin Mania reader with a jar of their very own almond butter and hazelnut butter. The makers of the popular potato chips also blend up some delicious nut butters.

For your chance to win, simply leave a comment on this blog post saying “Nut Butters are Just Peachy” along with some way of identifying yourself such as your initials or name and I will use this tool to randomly select the winner. I’ll announce the winner next Friday July 27^th, so check back in then if you entered. This contest is open to U.S residents only.

Congrats to Susan S who was randomly selected as the winner of the almond and hazelnut butters. Susan, just fire me an email with your shipping details and I'll get the product off to you. 

Peach Milkshakes

4 1/2 cups low-fat milk or non-dairy milk of choice

1 cup plain, low-fat Greek yogurt

1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey

4 ripe peaches, quartered

2 teaspoons grated ginger

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups silken soft tofu

4 tablespoons almond or hazelnut butter

Nutmeg (optional)

Add 1/2 cup of the milk as well as all of the yogurt, maple syrup, peaches, ginger, vanilla, cloves and salt to a blender or food processor container and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Divide mixture among 12 medium sized muffin cups, place in freezer and freeze until solid, about 4 hours.

Unmold peach cups and place in a zip-top bag for storage in the freezer. If not using silicon muffin cups and you have trouble unmolding the peach cups, try dipping the bottom of the muffin tray in warm water for a few seconds, being careful not to thaw the contents.

When ready to serve, place 3 peach cups in a blender or food processor along with 1 to 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/2 cup of the silken tofu, 1 tablespoon of the almond or hazelnut butter and a fresh peach if desired. Blend until smooth. It’s often best to carefully slice the peach cups into halves or quarters before blending. Pour into serving glasses and dust with freshly grated nutmeg if desired. This makes about two servings.