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Milkshakes at Franklin Fountain… So Hot Right Now

Photo: Franklin Fountain

Milkshakes have had something of a renaissance in 2009. There are the booze-filled kind at PYT, the Butterscotch Krimpet-loaded kind at the currently closed-for-the-season SquareBurger and now, the literally flaming variety at the Franklin Fountain. The old-school, Old City ice cream shop has launched its winter menu, which includes the mysterious “hot milkshakes.” What are these sweet, sweet oxymorons?

Co-owner Eric Berley explains that hot milkshakes are a sort of reverse-engineered pie a la mode, where the cold parts are on the bottom and the pastry bits are on top. The hot caramel apple pie milkshake is topped with an entire slice of hot apple pie, while a vanilla marshmallow malted milkshake is topped with graham crackers, hot fudge and a marshmallow that is soaked in Everclear, lighted and served aflame. There’s also a hot peanut butter brownie milkshake made with peanut butter ice cream that is topped with warmed-up chunks of brownie and hot peanut butter sauce.

Berley says this is the third year they’ll be serving their hot shakes during the cold weather - they’ll be available through March. They’ve also added five new wintry ice cream flavors for the season: chestnut, eggnog, gingerbread, cinnamon and peppermint stick, made with the Franklin’s housemade hard candy.

Franklin Fountain, 116 Market St.; (215) 627-1899

Milkshakes at Franklin Fountain… So Hot Right Now