As a child, dessert-making was a craft where quantity was far more crucial than quality.

Constructing a sundae was not about melding a delicate compliment of flavours, but about height, colour and cramming as many different e numbers and sprinkles as possible into a receptacle too small for your wild ambitions.

But these monstrous puddings are not a thing of the past.

An increasing number of bars and restaurants in the UK are now dishing up an outlandish dessert-milkshake hybrid, known as a 'freakshake' - an artery-clogging combination of milk, ice cream, sweets, baked treats and sauces.

The giant shakes are more common in cities like London and Manchester, but Scottish venues are also starting to weigh in.

Glasgow's Roasters Deli, an all-day breakfast diner on St Vincent Street, introduced ten indulgent freakshakes to their menu on September 8, from Oreo and peanut butter flavours to raspberry and white chocolate.

Meanwhile Duke Street's Black Vanilla in Glasgow, a sister cereal cafe of Manchester's Black Milk which opened in May, sprinkle shakes with nostalgic sweets such as strawberry cables and flying saucers.

But the trend has been growing in Scotland for some time. Aberdeen's burger haven Boozy Cow, although reluctant to use the term freakshake, have been topping drinks with cookies and red velvet cake since opening in 2014.

Boozy Cow also opened a branch in Edinburgh that serves the giant desserts, alongside venues like Whistle Stop Barber Shop and Burgers and Beers.

The name freakshake is trademarked to Patissez cafe in Canberra, Australia, but popularity has been catalysed by social media, according to industry staff.

Roasters Deli owner Jamie Crawford introduced them on his menu after he saw them featured by renowned food challenge entrepreneur Kate Ovens on Instagram.

Crawford decided to open an American-style diner in Glasgow having travelled across the USA and Canada, where super-size portions are standard.

He said: "Freakshakes are so popular especially in places like LA. Some venues will have celebrity trackers as well so people can see the likes of Kim Kardashian visiting.

"Why are they popular? I think it's everything. It's different, it's huge so you get your money's worth.

"American food is definitely social media food as well. As soon as I put food down on a table people start taking photos of it."

Instagram-able potential isn't the only thing that attracts diners to the milkshakes packed with extras, according to Boozy Cow's Dave Race.

"We were egged on by Instagram and Faceboook posts from various places around the world, to go bigger, bolder and messier," he admits.

"In terms of social media, everyone likes to post outrageous photos of themselves indulging I think. I'm not sure that people see it as a challenge either.

"When we are conjuring up our milkshakes of the week, we find it tends to be the flavours which resonate with our guests' nostalgia that are the most popular. Almost like it takes them back to their childhood."

Whether it's burgers or super-size desserts, it's inevitable Scots would want to sample the latest food trends - but at what cost?

Both Roasters and Boozy Cow declined to comment on how many calories were in one freakshake, although on average, Boozy Cow's contain 150ml of milk, a few scoops of ice cream and the chosen topping.

But pressure is mounting to take the cartoonish dessert to extremes - one restaurant in Hull went as far as to incorporate bacon and pulled pork into their towers of sugar and dairy.

But according to Kate Ovens, the trend is merely a bit of fun as well as an excellent marketing tool.

Ovens recently featured in the Lad Bible after completing a challenge akin to that of Man vs Food, where she demolished a 28-ounce burger in under 10 minutes.

She said: "I've definitely noticed more recently that more places are popping up. They are just a bit of fun really and would love seeing more places coming up with new creative ideas for people to try.

"It's a fun marketing tool that people are really enjoying drinking/eating as well. I just think it's a win-win situation - getting people to try new things too.

"I don't think Brits are taking it too far - the ones I've seen in Australia are much bigger and more extreme."