Caramel and rye shake is smokin’

Boozy caramel milkshake

At Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery, the Seattle shop famous for deceivingly small chocolate cakes baked to order, it’s easy to be sidetracked by the main event. When you’re waiting in line — yes, you’ll probably have to wait — the scent of chocolate hovers overhead like a heavy cloud. It’s easy to imagine that at any moment, the cloud will burst and Seattle’s rain will turn into hot, thick chocolate.

But curb your imagination: You need to focus not just on the cakes, but also on the milkshakes, which come both straight-up and laced with (usually local) booze. Our favorite, the extra dark caramel and rye shake, is made with the rye caramel they make in house.

Making Hot Cakes’ best boozy shake at home requires dry-burning caramel the old-school way, which gives it an entirely different earthy flavor, with smoky nuances. True caramel is made by first caramelizing the sugar before adding any dairy. Once sugar begins to caramelize — quickly changing from clear to amber — it begins to develop the unmistakable flavor notes that differentiate it from caramels made with water.

In this recipe, you’ll mix it with espresso and rye whiskey to double down on that rich and smoky flavor. Makes: Four 6-ounce shakes Salted caramel sauce: cup heavy cream cup granulated sugar teaspoon unsalted butter, at room temperature teaspoon salt Shake: teaspoon ground espresso, plus extra for sprinkling ounce rye whiskey cups (24 ounces) vanilla ice cream, softened to soft serve consistency Whipped cream For the caramel sauce, warm the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, in a heavy medium skillet, melt the sugar over medium heat. As the sugar begins to liquefy, stir continually, as it will begin to change color and caramelize rather rapidly. (Caramelizing sugar can be dangerous, as it is very hot and can burn you easily. Use caution and do not touch the sugar while it is cooking.) When the sugar has reached an even light-amber color, watch for a bit of smoke to rise from it — this shows the sugar is done being caramelized. Immediately add the heated cream to the skillet a little at a time, whisking after each addition. Add the butter and salt. Cook while stirring constantly until it reaches 230 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour into jars and let sit until room temperature. For the shake, place 4 glasses in the freezer to chill. Meanwhile, blend the espresso, 1/4 cup of the caramel sauce and the rye whiskey together in a blender until smooth and frothy. Add the ice cream and blend until thick and creamy. Pour milkshake into the chilled glasses. Top with a generous scoop of whipped cream, drizzle with the caramel sauce and finish with a sprinkling of ground espresso.

JOE LINGEMAN PHOTO