by Wilbur, Todd
These juice bars would eventually break away from the health clubs and become independently run outlets or large chains, such as Jamba Juice. Soon, established ice cream chains such as Baskin-Robbins and Dairy Queen were offering their own versions of smoothies, and today the drink is everywhere.
You can make smoothies very easily at home with the same type of ingredients the pros use, as long as you have a blender. Professional smoothie makers have blenders designed specifically for the job. Industrial-strength models speed up and slow down automatically and stop on cue when the drink is just right. These machines make the job much easier for the cats behind the counter when multiple orders are flying in.
You can use a regular home blender, though, to create perfect smoothies like those you get at a chain.You may have to stop your machine once in a while to stir things up a bit with a long-handled spoon, but when the ice is all crushed and the drink is smooth, you will have re-created the refreshing smoothie experience without waiting in any pesky lines.
APPLEBEE’S BANANABERRY FREEZE
Ah, if only kitchen cloning were an exact science. While researching this one I saw the same bartender make the drink two different ways on two different days. Only after a firm grilling did I get her to admit to her personal “improvement” to the chain’s secret recipe.The official clone includes the ingredients found below. But if you want to add a little pineapple juice—as some independent-thinking bartenders are apt to do—you might discover you have indeed created a tastier version of this refreshing smoothie. On that day the cloning gods shall be looking the other way.
But, for heaven’s sake, be sure your banana is soft and ripe. This is a detail the gods won’t ignore.
1 10-ounce box frozen sweetened
sliced strawberries, thawed
cup pina colada mix (from
recipe on page 230)
2 cups ice
2 ripe bananas
GARNISH
whipped cream
2 fresh strawberries
1. Use a blender to puree the entire contents of the thawed box of frozen strawberries.
2. Addcup pina colada mix and 2 cups of ice to the blender.
3. Cut the end off each banana—set these pieces aside to use later as a garnish—then put the bananas into the blender.
4. Blend on high speed until the ice is crushed and the drink is smooth. Pour into two tall stemmed glasses, such as daiquiri glasses.
5. Slice each strawberry halfway up through the middle and add one to the rim of each glass.
6. Cut each banana slice halfway through the middle and add one to the rim of each glass next to the strawberry. Top with whipped cream and serve with a straw.
• MAKES 2 DRINKS.
BASKINS-ROBBINS PEACH SMOOTHIE
Dairy Queen’s got twice as many stores, but Baskin-Robbins is still the country’s second-largest ice cream chain with around 2,500 outlets spread across the nation. And, naturally, when the chain known for its 31 flavors of ice cream noticed the smoothie craze building in 1997, it hopped right on board with its own selection made from sherbet or vanilla fat-free frozen yogurt. In the stores, servers use a pineapple juice concentrate for this smoothie, but we can still get a great clone by using the more popular canned pineapple juice found in any supermarket. As for the peaches, you may want to let them thaw a bit and then chop them up so you can get a more accurate measure.
1 cup pineapple juice
¾ cup frozen peaches, sliced
1 scoop fat-free vanilla frozen
yogurt
3 or 4 ice cubes
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until all the ice is crushed and the drink is smooth.
• MAKES 1 16-OUNCE DRINK.
BASKIN-ROBBINS STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE
When Irv Robbins was discharged from the army in 1945, he hooked up with his brother-in-law Burt Baskin and the two opened an ice cream parlor in Glendale, California. A simple coin flip determined whose name would go first on the sign. By 1948 six Baskin-Robbins stores had opened their doors and the concept of franchising in the ice cream industry was born.
As in the previous recipe, you may want to let the fruit thaw out a bit here so that you can chop up the strawberries and get a more accurate measure.The word on the street is that some of those frozen whole strawberries can be quite big. Chopping them up first also helps you get a smoother blend going.
1 cup Kern’s strawberry nectar
¾ cup frozen whole strawberries,
chopped
1 scoop fat-free vanilla frozen
yogurt
3 or 4 ice cubes
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until all the ice is crushed and the drink is smooth.
• MAKES 1 16-OUNCE DRINK.
BASKIN-ROBBINS STRAWBERRY BANANA SMOOTHIE
It was in 1953 that the now-famous “31 Flavors” sign was introduced, burdening customers with the dilemma of having to decide which of so many great ice cream flavors they would choose. The number 31 was picked to suggest that a new flavor could be selected every day of the month. The company has come up with around one thousand flavors so far. And as with their most famous flavor, Rocky Road, many other Baskin-Robbins flavor creations would be often imitated—among them Pralines and Cream and Jamoca Almond Fudge.
This recipe for a smoothie is very similar to the previous clone, the only difference being a reduction in strawberries and the addition of half of a ripe banana. You may want to chop up those frozen strawberries (especially the big ’uns) to make measuring easier and more accurate.
1 cup Kern’s strawberry nectar
½ cup frozen whole strawberries,
chopped
1 scoop fat-free vanilla frozen
yogurt
½ ripe banana
3 or 4 ice cubes
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until all the ice is crushed and the drink is smooth.
• MAKES 1 16-OUNCE DRINK.
BASKIN-ROBBINS WILD BERRY BANANA SMOOTHIE
Baskin-Robbins has become known for creating flavors representing the events of the day. When the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, the chain introduced “Baseball Nut.” When James Bond films were popular in the 60s, the chain rolled out “0031 Secret Bonded Flavor.” When the TV show Laugh-In became a big hit, the company created “Here Comes the Fudge.” And when Americans landed on the moon, Baskin-Robbins celebrated with “Lunar Cheesecake.”
This smoothie clone is the only one of the four represented here to use some raspberry sherbet along with the vanilla frozen yogurt. It’s the most complex of Baskin-Robbins’ smoothie selections, but worth every bit of extra effort.
1 cup pineapple juice
½ cup frozen blueberries
½ scoop fat-free vanilla frozen
yogurt
½ scoop raspberry sherbet
½ ripe banana
3 or 4 ice cubes
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until all the ice is crushed and the drink is smooth.
• MAKES 1 16-OUNCE DRINK.
JAMBA JUICE BANANA BERRY
Jamba Juice has become America’s favorite smoothie chain, with tasty fruit-filled blends served up in giant 24-ounce cups at over 325 stores. Appreciate the ease with which you are able to suck down your next Jamba Juice smoothie, since the wide straws at the chain have been through rigorous “suckability factor” testing to ensure that the good stuff gets all the way through to your gullet.
¾ cup apple juice
¾ cup Kern’s strawberry nectar
cup frozen blueberries
1 sliced banana
1 scoop raspberry sherbet
1 scoop fat-free vanilla frozen
yogurt
1 cup ice
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until all the ice is crushed and the drink is smooth.
• Makes 1 24-ounce drink.
JAMBA JUICE CITRUS SQUEEZE
This smoothie is a very popular choice among the more than 16 varieties of smoothies made fresh at this smoothie chain. If your blender stalls out on you from the thickness of the drink, stop it and stir with a long spoon.That should get things going again. For the perfect clone, you want to be sure all the ice is crushed so that the drink is smooth-a-licious.
1 cup fresh orange juice
½ cup pineapple juice
cup frozen whole strawberries
1 sliced banana
2 scoops orange sherbet
1 cup ice
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until all the ice is crushed and the drink is smooth.
• Makes 1 24-ounce drink.
JAMBA JUICE CRANBERRY CRAZE
The menu description says that this drink includes plain nonfat yogurt (not the frozen kind), but I noticed that the server at the store I visited didn’t put it in. When I asked her if she forgot the ingredient, she told me they don’t include the yogurt anymore, even if the board says otherwise. Okay, right. So, while the menu might insist that this smoothie includes plain yogurt, today we make our clone without it.
1½ cups cranberry juice
½ cup frozen whole strawberries
¼ cup frozen blueberries
2 scoops raspberry sherbet
1 cup ice
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until all the ice is crushed and the drink is smooth.
• MAKES 1 24-OUNCE DRINK.
JAMBA JUICE ORANGE-A-PEEL
Pick your juice wisely. For this smoothie Jamba Juice squeezes whole oranges with a handy orange squeezing machine in each store. So if it’s the addicting taste of the real thing you’re shooting for, be sure to get your orange juice freshly squeezed or squish some out yourself.
1½ cups fresh orange juice
cup frozen whole strawberries
1 sliced banana
2 scoops fat-free vanilla frozen
yogurt
1 cup ice
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until all the ice is crushed and the drink is smooth.
• MAKES 1 24-OUNCE DRINK.
JAMBA JUICE PEACH PLEASURE
Jamba Juice got its start as “Juice Club” in San Luis Obispo, California. Early success with healthy food and juice blends led to quick growth with more stores and eventually a name change in 1995. The company claims “Jamba” means “to celebrate,” just as your tastebuds do when they get a load of a smoothie like the one this recipe clones. It uses an entire can of Kern’s peach nectar plus frozen peaches, banana, and some orange sherbet.Tastebuds, party on.
12 ounces Kern’s peach nectar
(1 can)
1 cup frozen peaches
½ ripe banana
2 scoops orange sherbet
1 cup ice
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until all the ice is crushed and the drink is smooth.
• MAKES 1 24-OUNCE DRINK.
JAMBA JUICE STRAWBERRIES WILD
One of the most popular smoothie combinations around is strawberry-banana. This clone imitates Jamba’s version, which adds apple juice and vanilla frozen yogurt to the mix. Look for the strawberry nectar in the juice aisle and warm up the blender.
¾ cup apple juice
¾ cup Kern’s strawberry nectar
cup frozen whole strawberries
1 sliced banana
2 scoops fat-free vanilla frozen
yogurt
1 cup ice
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until all the ice is crushed and the drink is smooth.
• MAKES 1 24-OUNCE DRINK.
ORANGE JULIUS, PINEAPPLE JULIUS, & STRAWBERRY JULIUS
Coffeehouses have replaced many of the old Orange Julius stands, but there’s still a nostalgic group of us who long for the frothy juice drinks invented decades ago by Julius Freed. Today Orange Julius has tailored its business to meet the changing demands of customers by including several varieties of fruit drinks and updated smoothies on its menu. But it’s the foamy fruit juice creation developed in the late twenties that made the company famous, and that’s what I’ve cloned here in improved versions of the recipes found in Top Secret Recipes and More Top Secret Recipes. The flavor and consistency are better now, plus we use the blender to dissolve the sugar before adding the ice. Use pasteurized egg whites found packaged in your local supermarket or just use egg substitute, which is also made from pasteurized egg whites.
ORANGE JULIUS
1¼ cups orange juice
1 cup water
3 tablespoons egg white or egg
substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup granulated sugar
1½ cups ice
Combine all of the ingredients except ice in a blender and blend on high speed for 15 to 20 seconds or until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the ice and blend for another 10 to 15 seconds or so, until ice is mostly crushed yet still a bit coarse.
• MAKES 2 16-OUNCE DRINKS.
PINEAPPLE JULIUS
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple
in juice
1 cup water
3 tablespoons egg white or egg
substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup granulated sugar
1½ cups ice
Combine all of the ingredients except ice in a blender and blend on high speed for 15 to 20 seconds or until the sugar is dissolved. Add the ice and blend for another 10 to 15 seconds or so, until ice is mostly crushed yet still a bit coarse.
• MAKES 2 16-OUNCE DRINKS.
STRAWBERRY JULIUS
1 cup frozen sliced strawberries,
thawed (1 10-ounce box)
1 cup water
3 tablespoons egg white or egg
substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup granulated sugar
1½ cups ice
Combine all of the ingredients except ice in a blender and blend on high speed for 15 to 20 seconds or until the sugar is dissolved. Add the ice and blend for another 10 to 15 seconds or so, until ice is mostly crushed yet still a bit coarse.
• MAKES 2 16-OUNCE DRINKS.
RED ROBIN CHILLIN’ MANGO SMOOTHIE
Masterful mixologists make this drink as a special limited-time-only summer refresher at the popular eatery. The chain uses a special pureed mango fruit mix made by Torani, the same company that makes the flavoring syrups used in coffeehouses. But since this special ingredient can be hard to come by, we’ll substitute with canned mango chunks that you’ll find in jars in the produce section.
¾ cup canned mango, with juice
¾ ounce grenadine
¼ cup orange juice
1 cup ice
GARNISH
orange wedge
maraschino cherry
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender on high speed and mix until smooth.
2. Pour into a 12-ounce glass, then add an orange wedge and maraschino cherry speared on a toothpick. Serve with a straw.
• MAKES 1 DRINK.
RED ROBIN GROOVY SMOOTHIE
The strawberries used for this drink come in 10-ounce boxes in the freezer section of your local supermarket.These berries work great because when thawed they wind up swimming in a juicy sweet syrup that’s perfect for this clone recipe. The restaurant adds a special blend of apple, raspberry, and blackberry juices called “Groovy Mix” to the drink, but we can still create an excellent carbon copy using a blend of apple and berry juices made by Langer’s. If you can’t find that brand, use any berry juice blend you can get your hands on and you’ll still have an extremely groovy drink.
cup frozen sweetened sliced
strawberries, thawed
½ ripe banana
cup Langer’s berry juice (a
blend of berry and apple
juices)
¼ cup Kern’s peach nectar
½ cup ice
½ cup vanilla ice cream
GARNISH
orange wedge
maraschino cherry
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth. Pour into a 16-ounce glass.
2. Add an orange wedge and a maraschino cherry speared on a toothpick. Serve with a straw.
• MAKES 1 DRINK.
STARBUCKS TAZOBERRY TEA
Check out the menu board at any Starbucks and you’ll find this frozen drink described as a blend of raspberry and other fruit juices plus Starbucks’ own Tazo brand tea. We’ve discovered that those other fruit juices include white grape juice, aroniaberry, cranberry, and blackberry. Since aroniaberry juice is next to impossible to track down in a local supermarket, we’ll have to make a taste-alike drink with a combination of just the other, more important flavors. Grab the raspberry syrup and a jar of seedless blackberry jam made by Knott’s Berry Farm, and brew up a little tea. Starbucks uses Tazo black tea for the drink, but you can use the more common Lipton tea bags.You will only usecup of the tea for this 1-serving recipe, so you’ll have plenty left over for additional servings, or for a quick iced tea fix.