By Frank Kourt
The Food Dude
RICHMOND —
No matter what the calendar says, now that Labor Day has come and gone, there are still lots of warm days to come.
Americans have been enjoying ice cream since before the Revolution. The ice cream cone, however, did not make its debut on the American scene until 1896 when an Italian immigrant, Italo Marchiony of New York City, introduced it. He received patent for the cone in 1903.
The American love affair with ice cream has spanned generations and, according to the International Ice Cream Association, 1.6 billion gallons of the cold stuff, or 23 quarts for each person, were produced in 2001.
The average American consumes 5.63 gallons each year, and statistics show that in the year 2000, 94 percent of the households in the U.S. had ice cream or other frozen desserts in their freezers.
(In case you’re wondering, the favorite flavor in the U.S. is plain old vanilla.)
The origins of ice cream are lost in time and myth. There are tales of Marco Polo bringing an ice cream recipe back to Europe from his famous visit to China. Others credit the chef of England’s King Charles I with inventing it, while others would give the credit to Catherine de’Medici oif Italy.
Whatever its origin, ice cream has been around a long time, and there’s no disputing that it’s a favorite American dessert.
There are as many dishes built around ice cream these days as there are flavors to choose from.
As previously noted, there are many dishes involving ice cream, from the simple cone and the sticky and gooey banana split, to the more elaborate and sophisticated baked Alaska.
Here are a few ways you can enjoy America’s favorite dessert!
Pecan Ice Cream Roll *
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans
6 chocolate cookies, crushed
Caramel or hot fudge topping
Whipped cream
6 maraschino cherries, chopped
Divide ice cream into six equal amounts and spread into an 8-inch by 8-inch square on plastic wrap. Sprinkle two tablespoons cookie crumbs down center of ice cream. Roll up ice cream to form log shape. Freeze half an hour. Pull back from plastic wrap and sprinkle each log with pecan pieces. Rewrap in plastic and freeze for two hours or overnight. Remove plastic wrap and place on serving dish. Drizzle with topping. Garnish with whipped cream and cherries. Option: one large roll can be made in lieu of six small rolls.
Apple n’ Oatmeal
Cookie Crisp ala Mode *
Your favorite apple crisp recipe that makes at least 3 cups of crisp
8 scoops of vanilla ice cream
Hot caramel topping
Whipped cream
8 maraschino cherries
Spoon 1/3 cup apple crisp on each serving dish. Place a scoop of ice cream on crisp. Drizzle with caramel topping. Top with whipped cream and a cherry. Makes eight servings.
Waffle Berry ala Mode *
1/2 cup strawberry topping
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries
4 frozen waffles, toasted
4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Whipped cream
4 whole strawberries for garnish
Gently toss 1/4 cup strawberry topping with berries; set aside. Place waffle on serving plate. Spoon 1/2 cup berry mixture on waffle. Top with a scoop of ice cream, one tablespoon topping and whipped cream. Garnish with additional strawberry. Makes four servings.
Seven Layer Sundae *
1 frozen waffle, toasted
1 scoop chocolate ice cream
1 peanut butter cookie, cut in half
Chocolate topping
Candy sprinkles
Whipped cream
Maraschino cherry
Chocolate topping
Place toasted waffle on serving dish. Scoop ice cream onto center of toasted waffle. Insert cookie halves at an angle into ice cream. Top with chocolate topping, sprinkles and whipped cream. Garnish with cherry. Makes 1 serving.
Triple Chocolate Crunch Shake*
2 chocolate cookies broken into pieces
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
2 scoops chocolate ice cream, softened
1/3 cup of milk
Garnishes:
Whipped cream
Candy sprinkles
Place all ingredients except garnishes in blender. Cover and blend for 30 seconds or until smooth. Garnish blended mixture with whipped cream and sprinkles. Makes one serving.
World’s Easiest Cherries Jubilee
1 can cherry pie filling
1 jigger of brandy
Premium vanilla ice cream
Fill dessert glasses with ice cream. Empty the pie filling into a pot and heat through over a low flame, stirring frequently. Bring the pot to the table. In the meantime heat the brandy, ignite and pour, flaming, over the cherries. When flame dies, spoon the hot cherries over the ice cream and serve at once.
Easy and Tasty Lime Cheesecake with ice cream topping
1 lb. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 T fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. grated lime peel
1 9” graham cracker crust
Mix the softened cream cheese with the sugar. Add the vanilla and mix until well blended, then blend in the eggs, lime juice and peel. Pour into the pie crust,
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and place in refrigerate until cold. You can top with slices of lime jelly candies or with fruit of your choice. Add a small dollup of vanilla ice cream for a special treat! You can vary the flavor by replacing the lime with lemon or orange, or make it plain, without any fruit flavoring.
*Recipes courtesy International Ice Cream Association
