Kick off summer with a vintage ice cream sundae party!

At long, long last, the day we all dreamed about during the bleakness of January, the muck and slush of late February, and the rain drenched weeks of April, has finally arrived. Summer, glorious, gorgeous summer officially started again today and with it comes the season of ice cream treats.

Whether you indulge almost every day or, like me, tend to keep your sweet treats to a minimum, there are few amongst us who do not enjoy partaking in a scrumptious frozen treat every now and then. Even if ice cream isn't your cup of tea, chances are you may like popsicles, frozen yogurt, sherbet, sorbet, Italian ice, or any one of a myriad of different summertime desserts that need to live in the freezer.

I love ice cream through and through! Whether homemade or store bought, so long as it complies with my medically dictated dietary requirements, I'm the first one to turn to ice cream as my dessert of choice on those special days during the summer when I decide I'm going to eat a bit of sugar (a topic I chatted about in this post devoted to Dairy Queen Ice Cream last year).

It struck me recently, that it had been a good long while since the last time I put together a sundae bar (aka, covered the dining room table with various ice creams, toppings and sweet sauces) and that it was high time I remedy that (so now I'm thinking I'll do one for the upcoming Canada Day long weekend). To put me even more in the mood, I went searching for vintage ice cream sundae inspiration and unearthed the charming page of 1950s recipes below.



{It's hard not to start licking your lips and reaching for the nearest parfait glass as you read this page of tasty vintage ice cream sundae recipes! Image source.}



What instantly caught my attention was the recipe for candy-stick ice cream, as it's both gluten and egg-free, which means I can enjoy it (yay!) without having to modify the recipe (most of the sauces are a-ok with me as well). I knew the moment I found it, that this was a vintage recipe page that was both going to be printed out for my own use and shared here with all of you.

There's really is a limitless number toppings, sauces and ice cream flavours that you can include in a sundae bar or simply use when making a sundae or two at home (sans communal ice cream social).

The numbers of guests, your budget, and personal taste will determine which sundae ingredients you opt for, but as a good jumping off point when it comes to possible selections, here are some of my personal faves (on top of the ones featured in today's recipe page), as well as others that are big hits with the ice cream sundae fans in my life.


{Sauces}

-Butterscotch sauce
-Cherry Sauce
-Chocolate sauce
-Coffee/espresso
-Dulce de leche
-Fruit coulis of any type
-Honey
-Hot fudge sauce
-Liqueurs and/or hot buttered rum sauce (for the grown-ups!)
-Maple syrup
-Melted candy bars
-Molasses
-Nutella (lightly thinned and heated up)
-Olive oil
-Peach or apricot sauce
-Peanut butter (again, ensure that no one present has a peanut allergy)
-Raisin sauce
-Raspberry sauce
-Sodas (pops) in case guests want to make ice cream floats
-Strawberry Sauce
-Turtle sauce (chocolate-caramel sauce with pecan pieces)
-Warmed and slightly thinned fruit jams/jellies/preserves
-Whipped cream
-White chocolate sauce


{Toppings/mix-ins}

-Animal crackers (K-Kritters are a great gluten and egg-free version that are available in both regular and chocolate varieties)
-Apple sauce
-Assorted gummy/penny candies
-Breakfast cereals
-Cooked, crumbled candied bacon
-Candy coated sunflower seeds
-Candied citrus peel
-Candied rose petals
-Canned fruit pie fillings (blueberry, cherry, peach, etc)
-Chocolate covered raisins
-Cinnamon and/or pumpkin pie spice
-Coconut/toasted coconut
-Coffee/espresso beans
-Crumbled brownie/cake/cupcakes/doughnut pieces
-Crumbled pie crust
-Crumbled toffee and/or brittle
-Crushed candy bars
-Crushed cookies (amaretti, chocolate chip, gingersnap, graham crackers, Nilla Wafers, oatmeal, Oreos, pecan sandies, shortbread, spice, etc)
-Crushed meringues
-Crushed potato chips and/or pretzels
-Crystallized ginger
-Cubes of Jell-o
-Fresh fruits (assorted berries, figs, mandarin orange segments, pineapple chunks, sliced bananas, etc)
-Fresh herbs (basil, mint, and rosemary wonderful choices)
-Granola
-Gourmet sea salts (I could happily eat vanilla ice cream with dark chocolate sauce and sea salt until the end of time)
-Lemon curd
-M&Ms
-Malted milk balls
-Malted milk powder
-Maraschino cherries
-Marshmallows
-Nuts (almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, etc)
-Peanuts (ensure that no one present has a peanut allergy)
-Peppercorns (black, pink, white, etc)
-Pieces of chocolate (milk, dark, extra dark, sea salt, white, etc)
-Popcorn
-Pralines
-Pumpkin and sunflower seeds
-Sautéed fruits (apples, peaches, pears, etc)
-Sprinkles (jimmies)
-Sugars (turbinado, vanilla infused, etc)
-Waffle cone pieces


In terms of the ice cream (or vegan options, such as coconut, rice or almond milk ice cream) itself, it's always a good idea to start with classic or French vanilla at the very least. Beyond that, banana, cherry or black cherry, chocolate, cookie dough or cookies and cream, hazelnut, lemon, mint, peach, peanut butter, raspberry ripple, and strawberry are all really nice choices that tend to partner well with an array of different toppings.

Ice cream sundae parties are not about small portions or counting calories. They're special, wonderful, and - quite literally - sweet events that bring out one's inner child and always seem to be a huge hit with crowds of all ages. The more people and sundae ingredient options, the better! Though of course, there's nothing wrong with a small scale - or even solo - sundae fete either, and indeed making sundaes with your beloved can be such a charming way to celebrate an important summer event or simply turn any ol' day into something really memorable.

As we begin the warmest season of the year, the prospect of months of sizzling sun and mercury boiling temperatures ahead of us, I hope that you'll all be able to indulge in at least one or two awesome frozen in the weeks to come, and that, no matter what, you all have a summer that is every bit as sweet and fantastic as an ice cream sundae itself!

Wonderfully delicious Peppermint Brownie Baked Alaska

✯ Day 236 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

If memory serves me right, I was 17 the first time I made baked Alaska. It was one of those dishes that people spoke of with great reverence, as though it was harder than scaling Mt. Everest to make. This, of course, only endeared me to it more and after years of wondering if it truly was that tricky, I borrowed a friend's kitchen (my own minuscule pad at the time didn't have an oven - just a hotplate and microwave) and proceeded to whip up the first of many baked Alaska I've made over the years.

As I secretly suspected all along as a youngster, when I heard worldly home cooks speak in almost hushed tones of this dishes complexity, Baked Alaska only looks hard to make.

What most people perceive as being tricky - or are doubtful of their ability to pull off successfully - is sticking a dish with ice cream in it into the oven without having said ice cream melt quicker than the Wicked Witch of the West.  (This outcome is prevented thanks to the insulating powers of the meringue.)

The time that the ice cream spends in the oven is actually very minimal - just a few short minutes to firm up and brown the rich, fluffy layer of meringue that you've slathered the cake base and mound of ice cream in - then the finished dish, glistening with its golden brown peaks is rushed to your eager table guests as they applaud your culinary prowess.

Baked Alaska hit its zenith in the 1950s, yet its origins stretch back well into the 1870s. Known, albeit less commonly, by other names such as omelette à la norvégienne and glace au four, this decadent dessert is a show-stopper that every fan of baking needs to try at least once in their lifetime. There's a thrill that comes from pulling the glistening finished product from the oven and then slicing into it, the ice cream still firm, the meringue piping hot.

Named, back in the middle of the Victorian era, for the newly acquired state of Alaska, this dish rapidly gained popularity and stayed well-loved for decades to come. While you don't run into Baked Alaska quite as often any more, it's one of the most enjoyable, delicious vintage desserts I know of.

In this week’s version the more traditional cake base is swapped out for some completely scrumptious chocolate brownies, and the ice cream du jour is peppermint (or, as the recipe suggests as an alternative, vanilla ice cream that you've swirled some peppermint candies into). These two components are then dressed up in a luxe gown of sugary meringue and waltzed off into the over for a quick tan.

{Delightfully tasty 1950s style Peppermint Brownie Recipe via Charm and Poise on Flickr. Click here for a larger version of this delectable treat's instructions.}

If you're making Baked Alaska for the first time, I suggest you start with quality ingredients and allot enough time to bake (and cool) the cake (or, in this case, brownies). Use very firm ice cream, and feel free to be heavy handed with the meringue.

While I think this Peppermint Brownie Baked Alaska recipe sounds utterly fabulous, if mint (or Brownies) aren't your cup of tea, you can always sub in another type of ice cream (if you really want to go all out, use homemade ice cream) such a s black cherry, mandarin orange, French vanilla, coffee, raspberry ripples, toffee crunch, or lemon zest) and use your cake of choice  for the base.

While this isn't perhaps the first dessert you'd be inclined to make on a hectic Wednesday night, it's truly worth trying (or making again, if you're a seasoned Baked Alaska pro) when you have the time and ingredients on hand.

It's beautiful for a bridal shower, anniversary dinner (especially for your parents or grandparents, who will love the trip down memory lane it evokes), birthday bash or anytime you're looking for a classic show-stopping ice cream dish that positively sings with vintage charm.

Vintage Kool-Aid ice cream recipe is a sure-fire way to stay cool this season

✯ Day 208 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

It's anything but nutritious or low in sugar, but there is something about the classic, wonderfully sugary taste of Kool-Aid in all its vibrant rainbow hues that makes it so well suited to the scorching hot days of summer and ensures it deserves a recipe post this month.

Long before a smiling pitcher was bursting through walls, proclaiming "Oh, Yeah!" in the process, Kool-Aid was a popular drink with fans of all ages. First introduced in 1927 by Nebraskan Edwin Perkins, Kool-Aid's low price, simplicity of use, and assortment of tasty flavours quickly made it one of the most beloved soft drinks on the market.

When Kool-Aid initially debuted it came in seven flavours (Cherry, Grape, Lemon-Lime, Orange, Raspberry, Strawberry, and Root Beer - the latter of which has been discontinued for decades), though as devotees of this powdered beverage mix know, scores upon scores of other varieties have come and gone over the year (though some of those original flavours are definitely still on grocery store shelves).

If we hop back in time to 1949 though, the first six flavours listed above were what Kool-Aid shoppers could add to their grocery cart. In the absolutely charming illustrated ad below from 1949, a recipe is featured that shows Kool-Aid lovers how to combine a package of drink mix with cream, milk and sugar to create quick, colourful ice cream in a flash.

{If you've got a sweet tooth and enjoy Kool-Aid (or have youngsters in your life a day), this super fun ice cream recipe is definitely worth giving a spin this summer. Image via clotho98 on Flickr; click here to see a larger version of this great vintage ad.}

 

Kool-Aid ice cream is a light-hearted, delightfully hued dessert that's been around since at least the 1940s. It's speedy to put together, uses a minimum of ingredients, and is sure to put a big smile on Kool-Aid lovers who  are both young and young at heart, while helping to chase off the sweltering summer heat for at least a few sweet minutes.