Ice, ice, baby
How to make a better ice cream sundae, with recipes and tips
It’s unclear when and where the first ice cream sundae was made, but I would like to thank whomever topped scoops of ice cream with sauce for this marvelous invention. Since that first glorious concoction, people have taken the sundae to outrageous heights.
I favor a more minimalist approach. No, there aren’t really any rules when it comes to constructing an ice cream sundae — any way you build it will surely be a tasty treat — but I encourage you to practice restraint so there aren’t too many competing flavors and textures, resulting in a muddied mess.
The tips below will help you to build a better ice cream sundae, to enjoy by yourself or for setting up an ice cream sundae bar for a crowd. The recipes for Vanilla Ice Cream and Strawberry Sauce will get you started.
SERVING DISH
The standard sundae glass is a classic for a reason. The tall, not-toowide serving dishes are great for building layers of flavor and texture — a must for a great sundae. If you don’t have these specific dishes, you can build your sundae in a drinking glass, mug or bowl with tall sides to the same effect. To keep the ice cream from melting too quickly, put the dishes in the freezer for at least an hour before serving to help keep the sundaes cold.
ICE CREAM
For an individual serving, two to three scoops of ice cream are all that you need. Vanilla and chocolate are always good options, but any flavor of creamy frozen dessert can be used. And you don’t need to stick to just one flavor — feel free to mix and match whatever flavors sound good to you. Perhaps chocolate and coffee, or strawberry and pistachio? The only limit is your imagination, but I’d keep it to two different flavors max, so there isn’t too much competition.
Similarly, while I love ice creams with mix-ins, I would be cautious about using one with a ton of added ingredients when building a sundae. Once the sauces, toppings and finishing touches are added, you don’t want there to be too much going on in the finished product.
SAUCES
It’s not a sundae without a sauce. Like with the ice cream itself, limit yourself to one, maybe two sauces so the flavors don’t get too muddied. When building, put some sauce between the scoops of ice cream — and maybe at the bottom of the glass, too — for better distribution.
TOPPINGS
While toppings obviously bring flavor — don’t forget about salty and savory items — I’m more excited about the textures they can introduce to a sundae. Here are some to consider:
Crunchy: toasted nuts, granola, chopped candy bars, crushed pretzels, cookie pieces, potato chips, bacon
Chewy: brownies, dried fruit, gummy candies, shredded coconut
Fluffy: whipped cream, crème fraîche, marshmallow fluff, yogurt
Juicy: various fruits and berries
FINISHING TOUCHES
Unlike Coco Chanel telling you to take one thing off before you leave the house, when it comes to ice cream sundaes, one last piece of flair — be it sprinkles, chocolate shavings, fresh herbs and/or piece of fruit — can be the (literal) cherry on top.