How very vanilla.

[Sofar]

We make milkshakes. To make the milkshakes, we use Tillamook brand unflavored ice-cream, we get it by the fivegallon. It tastes like heavy cream. Because we use unflavored ice-cream, however, the chocolate milkshakes don't taste right unless we add vanilla syrup as well. Unfortunately our milkshake machine is right across from the counter, and our customers do like to guide us through our jobs. For some reason the concept of putting vanilla and chocolate in the same recipe is extremely foreign to people. As if they’d cancel each other out or something. "No, NO! I want CHOCOLATE!" they cry, as I reach for the bottle of vanilla syrup. Today a man actually refused to even try the chocolate milkshake I made for him. He wanted me to make another one without vanilla. "I'm not making you another one until you try the one you've got. Otherwise I'm giving you your money back." He refused. Because, "I know it'll taste weird." "Ewwww I HATE vanilla!" One woman cried at the top of her lungs. I'd expect this kind of behavior from children.

I realized this morning that I could simply take the label off the bottle of vanilla syrup. I've had no complaints about my chocolate milkshakes today.

Why do people have strange misconceptions about vanilla anyway? For one thing, it is not the "plain" flavor just because vanilla ice-cream is white. It's white because vanilla is such a strong flavor that a teaspoon will flavor a gallon of ice-cream. Chocolate is a weak flavor, you have to put so much in that the stuff turns brown. And I keep thinking back to our first Home-Ec teacher teaching us to make brownies, and spending fifteen minutes explaining to the class that if you put vanilla and chocolate in the same recipe they won't "cancel each other out."

[Ill_Used_Heroine]

It's one of those black and white things ... oh yeah, and people are dumb.

*sigh* Now I want a vanilla milkshake. Made with Tillamook ice cream. Actually, I wouldn't mind MOVING to Tillamook.

[wagegoth]

Breyer's French Vanilla is my favorite Breyer's flavor. It comes closest to the ice cream we made at home when I was a kid. And ice cream doesn't taste right without egg yolks.

When I managed an ice cream shop way, way back, we sold Dreyer's ice cream, and we used the vanilla to make our shakes. You need the vanilla to make it taste right.

I use real vanilla extract, and add it to french toast, and the kids love it. It just adds that extra something. My MIL had to know what I used, because she made french toast for the boys one morning and they complained that it wasn't as good as mine.

[Kuterthnur]

That's a very good idea taking the label off beforehand. That could apply to many more things the public shouldn't see too. I'm going to have to remember that.

[Calud]

NO YOU DON'T MIX VANILLA AND CHOCOLATE IT WILL TASTE EW!


Wait, both are kinda sweet, so maybe it will taste good?

[Kiwi]

i hope your happy, i am now making my own choclate milkshake ....

mmm mmm good!

[Gawdzillers]

Just so you know, you brought this upon yourself:

STOP, COLLABORATE AND LISTEN, ICE IS BACK WITH MY BRAND NEW INVENTION
SOMETHING GRABS A HOLD OF ME TIGHTLY, THEN I FLOW LIKE A HARPOON DAILY AND NIGHTLY...

[Sonoma]

So, if vanilla & chocolate cancel each other out, what happens when you eat vanilla ice cream w/ chocolate syrup? Guess I gotta go try it out.

Just wish I had Tillamook ice cream in the freezer. Gonna have to make do with 'the other brand'. (It was on sale). Gas is too expensive to drive out there for dinner, but I have done it in the past. (Tillamook Cheese Factory is only an hour or so away...yummy).

[Ill_Used_Heroine]

These SCs must not do any baking, cause 1 tsp. - 1 tbsp. of vanilla is usually added to things like chocolate cake batter, chocolate frosting, chocolate ganache, etc. I believe it's essential to most chocolate whatever recipes.

Dirty Jobs had a segment on the Tillamook Cheese Factory that made me just fall in love with the location. I really would love to live there. I wonder if the library there has an open clerk position.

[BookstoreEscapee]

NO YOU DON'T MIX VANILLA AND CHOCOLATE IT WILL TASTE EW!


Wait, both are kinda sweet, so maybe it will taste good?

Starbucks uses vanilla syrup in their hot chocolate, because the chocolate (which is the same stuff they use for mocha coffees) is NOT sweet. It's not like the chocolate syrup you use on your ice cream (and it's actually made with cocoa powder and hot water). If they forget the vanilla it's kinda gross, and I have on occasion had to go back and ask for more. But it doesn't taste like vanilla, it just adds sweetness. The first time I noticed they used vanilla syrup and asked them why (just out of curiosity), and guess what! I learned something!

[aurelemsrealm]

Hmmm....... I usually try something that I buy to make sure I like it before I complain about not liking it. Maybe it's just me, but that seems like common sense.

You know, I just thought of this, but common sense starts with the letters "cs." Reverse them, and you get "sc," which is short for sucky customer. Could there be a correlation there? Yes, I'm way too easily entertained by my own thought patterns, sometimes. *sigh*

[Sliceanddice]

.......... dude just make the next couple shakes with out the vanilla, especially if they complain about you adding it. Of and btw those people never had good, heavy on your tongue sweet but almost savary vanilla ice cream.

[Writer Cath]

Am I the only person in the world who likes vanilla for the flavor that it is?

[Ill_Used_Heroine]

Am I the only person in the world who likes vanilla for the flavor that it is?

Nope. I'm totally with you. Vanilla ice cream is my favorite flavor and I hate it when I order a vanilla cone at a place with a gazillion flavors and people feel free to comment on how boring I am. Hey, you can add anything to vanilla ice cream. I sure wouldn't want pineapple topping on mint chocolate chip :P Vanilla rules!

[Bella_Vixen]

If I want a chocolate shake, I want it made with CHOCOLATE. I can taste the vanilla.