Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Blender or high-powered immersion blender
• •Tall milkshake glasses (16-20 oz)
• •Long parfait spoons
• •Small plate for rimming

Instructions

1. 1

   Frost your glasses

   Set two tall milkshake glasses in the freezer for at least fifteen minutes. A properly frosted glass isn't merely aesthetic. It keeps your shake cold through the last spoonful and develops that honest layer of condensation that signals something good awaits inside.

   Keep a few glasses perpetually in the freezer during summer months. Spontaneous milkshakes become possible.
2. 2

   Prepare the pretzel rim

   Pulse your reserved crushed pretzels until they resemble coarse sand. Spread them on a small plate. Drizzle a thin line of caramel around the rim of each frosted glass, then dip the rim into the pretzel crumbs, pressing gently to adhere. The salt and crunch greet you before the first sip.

3. 3

   Create caramel ribbons

   Drizzle about a tablespoon of salted caramel down the inside walls of each prepared glass in lazy, irregular streaks. These ribbons will marble through your shake as you drink, creating bursts of butterscotch intensity between creamy sips.

4. 4

   Blend to thick perfection

   Add the vanilla ice cream to your blender, followed by cold milk, a quarter cup of salted caramel sauce, and the half cup of pretzels. Blend on medium speed for twenty to thirty seconds until thick and uniform with visible pretzel flecks throughout. The consistency should hold soft peaks. You want to drink this through a straw, not pour it like water.

   The pretzels will soften slightly in the blend but retain enough texture to create pleasant surprises. Do not over-blend or you'll lose that crunch entirely.
5. 5

   Pour with intention

   Divide the blended shake between your two prepared glasses, pouring slowly to preserve those caramel stripes along the walls. The shake should mound generously above the rim. This is not the moment for restraint.

6. 6

   Crown and garnish

   Pile whipped cream in extravagant swirls atop each glass. Drizzle salted caramel over the cream in concentric circles, then scatter a few whole mini pretzels into the cream at rakish angles. Finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt over everything. Insert a thick straw and a long spoon. Serve immediately on small plates to catch the inevitable drips.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out a salted caramel sauce with butter and cream high on the ingredient list. The corn syrup imposters lack depth and will water down your shake with cloying sweetness instead of complex butterscotch notes.
• •Traditional twisted pretzels work better than pretzel sticks or nuggets. The surface area holds more salt, and they crush into more interesting irregular shapes.
• •For entertaining, prepare the rimmed glasses up to an hour ahead and keep them in the freezer. The caramel sets nicely against the cold glass. Blend each batch fresh as guests arrive.
• •A shot of bourbon or Irish cream transforms this into an adult indulgence. Add it with the milk before blending.

Advance Preparation

• •Glasses can be frosted in the freezer up to 24 hours in advance.
• •Pretzel crumbs for rimming keep indefinitely in an airtight container at room temperature.
• •Milkshakes must be blended and served immediately. This is not a make-ahead proposition. The pretzels will turn to mush and the ice cream to soup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 235g)