When it comes to delivering your customers the dose of ice cream happiness they deserve, it begins behind the counter and with the ice cream you have on offer. While it’s well and good having a standard 10L vanilla as a staple in your freezer, it’s important to remember that not all bulk ice creams are the same and may not work across various applications.
Some types of bulk ice cream will deliver a thick, creamy shake while another will turn into a pile of melted cream as soon as it’s placed alongside your dessert. To make sure you deliver your customers nothing but the best, we’ve got the scoop on what type of bulk ice cream can bring your dish to life.
GETTING THE THICK TO YOUR SHAKE
Ever wake up with a new idea and believe it can take your menu to the next level? For us Aussies, we’re pretty good at finding something overseas, bringing it back home with a little twist and then calling it our own. The all-time favourite thickshake is the perfect Aussie take on the classic American milkshake. Though, in Australia we don’t believe in having just one type of shake – we have thickshakes, milkshakes and now we’ve stepped it up a notch and freakshakes are on the menu.
When it comes to creating this crowd favourite, ice cream plays a big role in ensuring it lives up to its name of being thick and hard to suck through a straw. Basically, a thickshake is ice cream with a teeny dash of milk and delicious flavouring – that’s why choosing the right ice cream is important! To ensure your thickshake doesn’t turn into a watery, flavourless beverage, you need to use a bulk ice cream that has at least 10% fat – because the more fat, the thicker the drink.
But the type of ice cream isn’t the only component you need to be wary of. Before you drop all your ingredients into a blender, always start with the ice cream first. Once the ice cream, toppings, fruits or syrups have mixed together to form a thick cream, slowly add in your milk. By taking your time adding the milk, you can choose the consistency you want your thickshake to have – the more milk the runnier and cheaper your beverage will be.
And just when you think it stops there, venues across the country are now turning their thickshake offerings into freakshakes – yes you read right. First, it was over-the-top burgers, then it was the greasy, loaded fries, now it’s the freakshake. The freakshake is your typical thickshake offering that is decorated to the extreme with anything edible, from chocolate bars, scoops of ice cream, lollies and everything in between. Venues have even topped their shakes with waffles, brownies and pieces of cake drizzled in syrups. The places you can go are truly endless.
SHAKING UP YOUR MILKSHAKES
Before there were thickshakes, there were milkshakes. While thickshakes rely on the consistency and quality of ice cream to make your customers drool, milkshakes depend on well, milk. Commonly, milkshakes are created by blending syrups or sauces with the milk preference of your customer. Though, as time has gone on, Aussies have started to mix in a small scoop of ice cream to give the drink a little more depth, flavour and a cooler, more refreshing temperature.
Fast service restaurants, ice cream parlours and cafes are beginning to switch the use of ice with a small serving of ice cream to avoid diluting the creaminess created by the milk. Given your customer aren’t expecting a thick drink, a cheaper reduced fat ice cream is your best choice for your milkshakes.
AFFOGATOS – THE CHERRY ON TOP TO END A PERFECT MEAL
The Italian dessert is an adult’s dream created with two things one simply cannot live without – coffee and ice cream! The coffee-based dessert has been around for years and is popping up on menus across the country, whether it’s a café, restaurant and now even bars. It’s the adult version of a child’s ice cream and sprinkles, a little indulgence served at the end of a delicious meal.
But to ensure your customers get the strong coffee aroma, with that thick ice cream boosted crema, choosing the right ice cream is an important task. By opting for a full fat vanilla ice cream for your affogatos, you’ll enhance the decadence and richness of the overall dessert. If you want to be a little fancy, opt for Vanilla Bean as your customer will appreciate the premium vanilla bean flecks. Or if you’re looking to be more adventurous – chocolate, hazelnut or coffee full fat ice cream will offer a surprising punch of flavour with every mouthful.
While your ice cream is the hero of the dessert, make sure you chill your glass before you dollop a generous scoop into it. This makes sure it doesn’t melt as soon as it leaves the kitchen and before it gets to your customers. Better yet, show off your ice cream and serve your espresso shot on the side to allow your patrons the excitement of pouring their caffeine hit over the top – this provides a true end-to-end experience.
SUNDAES & KID’S DESSERTS – WHEN IT’S ALL IN THE TOPPINGS AND THE SCOOP OF ICE CREAM IS A BONUS
Saving costs and ice cream don’t really go well together. How can you skimp out on ice cream when it is the one ingredient in many dishes that delivers strong flavours, thick textures and a mouth-watering experience?
But let’s be honest, kids don’t care about the quality of the ice cream you serve them when it comes to their sundaes or banana splits. All they care about is the over-the-top toppings and sauces, hiding the creamy goodness from the naked eye. So, choosing a cheaper, commodity ice cream for the kid’s menu, sundaes or banana splits is the perfect way to save costs in the kitchen.
SLICK, SHINY AND FLAWLESS – THE PERFECT SCOOP TO ACCOMPANY YOUR DESSERTS
While going cheap on ice cream for kids’ desserts that hide the creamy delight beneath endless amounts of toppings is acceptable, cutting corners when your ice cream is a side component isn’t. When ice cream is being showcased as a key element of your dish, opting for a premium ice cream will enhance the overall flavour and appearance. You want your customers to salivate over their dessert when they combine the warmth of their saucy cake with the coolness of their rich, flavoursome ice cream. Premium ice cream delivers your customers a denser, creamier texture, allowing it to melt as soon as it hits their mouth (and not beforehand).
Along with a punchier flavour and thicker consistency, premium ice cream also enhances the overall appearance of your dessert. Imagine being served a dessert where your ice cream has already melted before reaching your table. You wouldn’t like it, neither would your customers. Serving a top-of-the-rank ice cream gives you a smoother and silkier quenelle, holds its shape for longer and makes a statement alongside the other dessert components being showcased. Want to make your dessert a little more luxe? Opting for something as simple as a vanilla bean over a standard vanilla will elevate your dessert on menu and on the plate.
THE FINAL SCOOP
From wanting to provide your thickshakes and affogatos with a real, thick creaminess to saving costs when it comes to serving up ice cream for the children’s menu, it’s important to realise that not all bulk ice creams are the same. Some may offer a thicker consistency due to their higher fat percentage and others may release a stronger flavour due to their overall quality. Think about what you want to use your ice cream for before placing your bulk order and consider a couple of different options depending on the application.