Ronnie's Notes
Ice Cream Sundaes
For August 11, 2011
In the United States, religious leaders sometimes influence politics, like the time back in the 19th century when one of the laws they helped pass may have been the reason ice cream sundaes were invented.
As the story goes, some states prohibited the sale of carbonated beverages on Sunday, because it is the Christian Sabbath. The thought was that the drinks were too stimulating.
That didn’t stop some clever soda jerk in Evanston, Illinois. He reasoned that it was the sweet syrup people liked, not necessarily the fizzy water, so he figured out a way to skirt the ban by serving the soda syrup on top of ice cream. That’s one legend anyway, in that Illinois town. Folks in Ithaca, New York and Two Rivers, Wisconsin say the sundae was invented there, citing somewhat similar stories.
Wherever it actually happened, it was one of those culinary “ah ha!” moments. In a very short time ice cream “Sundays” became even more popular than the forbidden drinks. So popular that no one wanted to wait until the weekend to have one. Ice cream and syrup became a weekday treat and its name was changed to sundae.
We’ve come a long way from the original concept. Like many enduring American dishes, creative people have interpreted and re-interpreted this one over the years. We’ve added a variety of sauces such as hot fudge and caramel. And whipped cream or marshmallow fluff. Plus nuts, sprinkles, crushed toffee, crumbled cookies, Reese’s Pieces, candy corn, chocolate covered coffee beans and dozens of other add-ons. Sometimes there’s fruit, like the banana in a Banana Split. A maraschino cherry to look pretty (does anyone actually like to eat these?).
A sundae can be small and simple. Or not. Some may remember Jahn’s, a once-popular chain of ice cream parlors, mostly in New York, which made famous the “Kitchen Sink” sundae that served six or eight people and came in a bucket with dozens of scoops of ice cream and every topping they had. The modern riff on the Kitchen Sink is Ben and Jerry’s Vermonster, with 20 scoops of ice cream, bananas, cookies, brownies and all the toppings you want, which you can order at one of their “scoop shops.”
But basically, a sundae is ice cream with sauce. Plus anything else you might think of adding: sliced mango or nectarines, lychee nuts, microwaved Snickers bars, toasted coconut, yogurt-covered raisins, leftover bread pudding and even maple syrup with crumbled bacon, (a la Denny’s restaurants).
Purists tend to appreciate a sundae with one flavor ice cream plus one sauce and perhaps one or two extras, like whipped cream and crushed nuts. But “kitchen-sink” types want a hodge-podge all in one dish.
Have it your way.
Fresh Fruit Sauce Sundae
1/2 cup finely diced strawberries
1/2 cup finely chopped raspberries
1/2 cup finely diced mango
1/2 cup finely diced red seedless grapes
2 tablespoons crushed crystallized ginger
1 tablespoon grated fresh orange rind
1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons Balsamic vinegar
4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Place the strawberries, raspberries, mango, grapes, ginger, orange rind, sugar and vinegar in a bowl. Mix and let rest for about 10 minutes. Spoon equal amounts over the ice cream. Makes 4
Instructions
Place the brown sugar, cream, chocolate and butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for or until the mixture reaches about 234 degrees on a candy thermometer (the soft ball stage when a drop of the mixture forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water).
Remove from the heat.
Stir in the vanilla extract.
Refrigerate leftovers.
To reheat: place in the top part of a double boiler and cook over barely boiling water.
Makes about 1-1/2 cups