Tehina Shakes

When we conceived Goldie Falafel, instead of thinking of falafel as an ethnic specialty, we wanted to present it as a vegan alternative to saturated-fat-laden hamburgers, but still wrapped in the flag of the great American fast-food joint. Falafel and French fries—which are often stuffed into pita along with the falafel—were the easy part, since both are naturally vegan and fundamentally delicious.

But what about the milkshakes? How would we replace the sweet, rich, and creamy milkfat with something equally decadent, satisfying— and dairy-free? Fortunately, when the fast-food gods close a door, they open a window.

We’ve said it before: There are very few culinary problems that tehina can’t solve. It’s mostly fat, it’s vegan, and it has a delicious (if forward) flavor that is great in sweet applications. Mixed with sugar and a combination of soy and almond or coconut milks and run through an expensive milkshake machine, it yields something that could be (and often is) mistaken for a milkshake. From the opening day of Goldie on April 1, 2017, tehina shakes were a runaway hit, perhaps surpassing the falafel itself in popularity.

No milkshake machine? No problem. Caitlin McMillan, our partner and the chef who developed all of Goldie’s recipes, including the tehina shakes, has adapted our process for ice cube trays and a blender.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup tehina

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 3 cups plain unsweetened almond milk, plus more as needed

• 1/4 cup flavored syrup of your choice (recipes follow), plus more as needed

• Coconut Whip or Halva (recipes follow), or chopped chocolate and fresh mint, for topping

Israeli Soul by Michael Solomonov & Steven Cook

Directions

1. Combine the tehina, sugar, salt, and almond milk in a blender. Process until smooth. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays (you’ll need three standard-size trays) and freeze overnight.

2. The next day, pop the tehina ice cubes out of the trays into the blender. Pour in a little more almond milk to get the blender started and blend just until the ice cubes are completely broken down and the mixture thickens. Add the flavored syrup and blend for a few more seconds. Taste and add a bit more syrup if you like.

3. Pour the milkshake into glasses and serve immediately, topped with Coconut Whip or Halva, or with chopped chocolate and fresh mint.

Coconut Syrup
Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

• 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon coconut extract

• 1 teaspoon rose water

Directions

1. Place a small skillet over medium heat and toast the coconut flakes, tossing frequently, just until they turn golden brown in spots. Remove from the heat and let cool.

2. Combine the coconut milk, sugar, salt, and coconut flakes in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let steep overnight, refrigerated.

3. The next day, strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a jar and stir in the coconut extract and rose water. The syrup will keep, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.

Coconut Whip
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon rose water

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk, refrigerated overnight

Directions

Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, rose water, and salt in a large bowl. Gradually add the coconut milk, whisking constantly until soft peaks form. Top each shake with a generous dollop.

Turkish Coffee Syrup
Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups water

• 6 tablespoons Turkish coffee

• 6 tablespoons regular ground coffee

• 6 tablespoons sugar

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, remove the pan from the heat, and let steep for 30 minutes. Place a coffee filter inside a fine-mesh sieve and set it over a jar. Strain the syrup into the jar. The syrup will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 month.

Mint Syrup
Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

• 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons packed fresh mint, plus more for topping

• 1/2 teaspoon mint extract

• 2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

• Your favorite chocolate bar

Directions

1. Combine the sugar, salt, water, and 1/4 cup of the mint in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat
and let steep until it has cooled to room temperature.

2. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a blender or food processor. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons mint and process until it is incorporated into the syrup.

3. Pour the syrup into a jar and stir in the mint extract and lemon juice. The syrup will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 month.

4. Scatter shards of chocolate and torn mint leaves on top of each shake.

Halva
Makes one 8-inch square pan

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups sugar

• 1/2 cup water

• 2 1/4 cups tehina

• 2 cups hazelnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Combine the sugar and water
in a saucepan and heat to 240°F on a candy thermometer, whisking frequently. Meanwhile, place the tehina and hazelnuts, if using, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until fully incorporated.

2. Carefully stream the sugar syrup into the tehina mixture with the mixer running on medium speed. Beat just until the syrup is incorporated and the mixture begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, no more than 1 minute. (You want a fudge-like consistency; if you mix too long, it will get crumbly.)

3. Working quickly, scrape the mixture into the prepared dish and press it out evenly. Let cool completely at room temperature, then cut into squares.
Store in a covered container at room temperature for 1 week. Crumble a square of halva on top of each shake.