Melting Ice Cream Cones

Have you ever heard of the ice cream that never melts in the sun? It's a wonderful little section in the Roald Dahl story of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'. If only it were true in real life!

As this photograph demonstrates, if it's a warm, sunny day, ice cream might seem very appealing BUT you have to eat it quickly! My family were all shouting 'Quick before it all melts!" over my shoulder as I took this photograph. Needless to say once the camera was put away, these ice cream cones didn't have much longevity :-)

 

The ice cream cone has a fascinating history going back to the beginning of the 20th century. If this interests you, then you can delve further into the world of the ice cream cone by reading about the ice cream poke.

Ice Cream Cones By Post!

Ice cream cones are great fun - especially when they come through the post on your birthday!

That's what happened to me .... it looked like an ordinary envelope but when I opened it I found it was no ordinary birthday card. Three beautiful paper ice cream cones (1 large and 2 small) stared at me from the front of the card. What a lovely idea!

Without thinking, I placed the card down next to my ice cream maker (I was in the kitchen opening the post at the time). Then it occurred to me what a super image I beheld ..... sitting atop of my ice cream maker were 3 hand-knitted, wool ice cream cones - a gift from my cousin Iris some years ago (Iris is a wonder at knitting!). The ice cream maker, the 3 knitted cones and the ice cream cones birthday card all together. I grabbed my iPhone and took a picture.

That's what I call an ice cream themed birthday! Thank you Brian and Pam for sending me such wonderful ice cream cones through the post!.

French Ice Cream Cones - Mansize!

Ice cream may be made differently in different countries but one thing that remains constant is the wonderful eye-catching displays in ice cream parlours and outdoor ice cream kiosks.

Here are some photographs from a trip to France where I was naturally drawn to French ice cream and was intrigued to learn how ice cream was made and promoted.



Read more about ice cream display cones

1959 - A Good Year For Ice Cream & Wedding Songs

Ice cream is a wonderful treat and when it comes to a special celebration, it usually figures in there somewhere.

Talking of special celebrations, maybe today is such an occasion for you. If not, then share with me in a special anniversary celebration .... the 52nd wedding anniversary of Brian and Pam, a couple I've known for a long time who share a great love of all things good in life.

They married in 1959 and honeymooned in London. The world was such a different place then - no-one had ever heard of Ben & Jerry's and it was only in that year in fact that the sale of frozen ice cream cones became possible when an Italian ice cream maker found a way of insulating a waffle cone against becoming soggy from the ice cream by coating the inside of the cone with oil, sugar and chocolate.

Apart from that wonderful invention, 1959 was a particularly good year for music with releases from the likes of Frank Sinatra, Brook Benton, Elvis, Paul Anka and Frankie Avalon. One song released in 1959 was particularly appropriate for Brian and Pam - sung by Andy Williams (my Dad's favourite singer) and here it is again today ....

"The Hawaiian Wedding Song"

Happy Anniversary!

Toffee Ice Cream - A Treat For Halloween

Here is a recipe for toffee ice cream. It takes longer to make than the average homemade ice cream because you have to make your own toffee by boiling a can of condensed milk BUT it is well worth the effort!

Whenever I have made toffee ice cream or indeed whenever I have been out walking with friends or family and called at an ice cream kiosk, no-one has ever said they don't like toffee ice cream. It seems to have a universal appeal.

Although I enjoy making my own toffee ice cream, I must admit to occasionally enjoying commercially made toffee ice cream. I don't mean the stuff you get from supermarkets, oh no .... I mean the kind of ice cream that you might find produced by a local dairy farm.

Where I live we are fortunate to have a number of dairy farms who produce superb ice cream. Here is a photograph of me having just purchased just such a toffee ice cream in a cone whilst on a walk with my family earlier this year. Notice the wonderful texture and marbling effect .... delicious!

Read more about ice cream recipes ahead of Halloween.

Looking for Halloween food ideas? See previous Halloween posts from my ice cream blog

Are These Real Ice Cream Cones?

Continuing with the theme of interesting ice cream point of sale material, here is a photograph I took on a visit to Keswick in Cumbria England.

For those who are not familiar with Cumbria, it was home for many years to the wonderful children's story writer Beatrix Potter who gave us Peter Rabbit. So much did she love her Hill Top Farm that she purchased several thousand acres of additional farmland in the area and donated it to the National Trust to preserve unspoiled for future generations to enjoy.

Keswick is popular with visitors from all over the world and there is a very popular ice cream parlour in the town - Luchini's. Of Italian origin, the family set up business here many years ago, making their own ice cream and it's still produced locally today. The photograph was taken looking into their shop window. These life-size ice cream display cones looked so real .... the texture of the ice cream looked like it had just been scooped from the freezer. I watched as children passed by the window, then stopped and tugged on their parents' sleeves. Yet another example of successful point of sale display!

NOTE: It is interesting to see that the 3 ice creams used in the display were vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream and strawberry ice cream and ch These are the 3 most popular ice cream flavours in the world. Read more about the world's top 10 ice cream

Recipe For A Tempting Ice Cream Display

This ice cream display cone I came across was in the small town of Seahouses on the Northumberland coast of England.

It was located outside one of those old-fashioned English ice cream parlors that seem to be from a by-gone era.

What I loved about this ice cream point of sale material was its impact.

Lots of contrasting colour and texture - a waffle style cone, scoops of different ice creams plus a swirl of cream with melba and raspberry sauce infused.

I'm not sure I could ever eat such a rich ice cream combination in real life but it certainly caught the eye of passers-by!

The Art Of Ice Cream Advertising

Ice cream barely needs any marketing in truth because it will always be popular. However, the ice cream sales trade likes to leave nothing to chance and every ice cream vendor tries to make the most of their point of sale space.

For a number of years I have taken a keen interest in ice cream point of sale material. The most common 'icon' used has to be the vanilla ice cream cone and I have photographed many of these giant display cones in all sorts of locations. Over the next few ice cream blog posts I will share some of these with you so you can get to see just how popular they are and the variations on a theme that exist.

Here is a photograph taken in Zandvoort (Netherlands). I just love the dark chocolate sauce they've added to the vanilla ice cream!

Ice Cream Sales Go Pink

As the summer draws to a close, the memories of sunshine and fun start to crystallize and for many people - adults and children alike - summer fun is often associated with ice cream.

You might have spotted an ice cream sales cart on a beach whilst on holiday and enjoyed a refreshing water ice whilst to cool you down .... you might have been to one of the many super ice cream parlors around these days for a special celebration treat and enjoyed a fabulous ice cream sundae .... or you might have simply enjoyed a weekly visit from your local ice cream truck offering locally made ice cream.

An increasing trend I have noticed is the number of ice cream kiosks outside stores during the summer hoping to tempt shoppers into an ice cream cone. Here is a photograph of one of the prettiest ice cream kiosks I have ever seen - painted PINK!

It certainly caught the eye as you walked past so there was no chance of failing to notice it. Now that's what I call good point of sale marketing!

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Beach Sunset & Ice Cream

As my regular readers know, I love it when I come across people and places with strong ice cream connections.

One place I wrote about last year that seems to abound with ice cream kiosks, ice cream parlors and large ice cream display cones is Zandvoort, a delightful beach resort in the Netherlands. Zandvoort beach is one of the best along that coastline. One of the best ice cream display cones I have ever seen was there - a smiling polar bear holding a giant ice cream cone of chocolate and mint choc chip ice cream! Read more about the bear and where I found him on my big ice cream cones post.

If you ever get the chance to visit the Netherlands, especially in the summer months, then Zandvoort is a great place to visit for a day trip or weekend.

The reason for writing this post is that I just came across a fantastic video of a summer sunset filmed on Zandvoort beach. It's a wonderful, relaxing piece with a soundtrack only of what was happening live at the time - the natural sounds of a busy summer's days coming to a close (during which no doubt many an ice cream cone had been eaten!) and the gentle sound of the sea lapping up onto the beach.

This kind of thing is what makes the Internet so enjoyable and such a positive means of sharing good experiences. Let's have more please!

View this great Zandvoort sunset slide show

A Strange Little Ice Cream Truck

This isn't so much an article or a story but an opportunity to share with my readers a photograph of what must be one of the most unusual little ice cream trucks ever built. It may not be a standard, self-powered truck but it certainly attracts the ice cream buyers when it's open!

It resides on the beachfront in a little Dutch coastal town and is particularly cute. I suppose it's more of an ice cream kiosk than an ice cream truck as it's not mobile but children just love to flock to it and surround it looking at the colorful pictures and chart of different ice creams and toppings. To be honest, I can't imagine many grown-ups who enjoy ice cream being able to pass this by without stopping to buy one of their delicious cones either!

I don't know who designed it but full marks go to them for endeavour and imagination.

Ice Cream Truck - Good Humor Or Mr Whippy

"Slow children crossing" or "Caution children". These are very important phrases that appear on many an ice cream truck stretching from the USA to as far as Australia. Usually on the back of the truck, the words are there to alert drivers to the fact that children love ice cream and often so much so that they'll forget to look out for traffic once they've got an ice cream cone in their hands.

It varies from country to country what the warning actually says - for example, in the UK I've seen: "Drivers remember, children forget" which is really memorable.

Whatever the words, it's crucial for drivers to remember that they were once children and, if they think back, most will probably recall excitement at the idea of the ice cream truck coming down the street. We should seek to preserve that innocent excitement - ice cream is really great fun after all.

The sound of the ice cream truck's unique musical jingle, followed by the sight of the colorful truck coming down the street are strong memories for me as a child. Sometimes the ice cream truck would be different (maybe the other broke down or a different ice cream vendor took over the route), but it didn't matter - the truck was always a colorful vehicle and the ice cream always tasted great!

In the USA, the old 'Good Humor' ice cream trucks of the 1960's became part of American popular culture. In the UK the equivalent was 'Mr Whippy' (as seen in the Beatles movie 'Help'). British style ice cream trucks are also popular in other countries, especially where there is a tradition of a strong ex-patriate community. Hong Kong is a good example - on Hong Kong island there's often one parked near the Star Ferry terminal. Out in the Far East, some countries opt for a different motorized way of selling ice cream - in Thailand for example, you'll see ice cream sold from a specially modified motorcyle that has a special sidecar 'freezer'.

Country Estate Strawberries & Late Night Ice Cream

Summer is a wonderful time to enjoy strawberries and ice cream - together or separately - and I have two nice little 'country' stories on these topics I'd like to share with you.

Strawberries At An Irish Ancestral Home
Ballywalter Park (N. Ireland) is the ancestral home of the Mulholland family (Lord Dunleath). Beautiful interiors and an intriguing history draw many visitors (by appointment only) but the estate offers another strong attraction, especially in the summer months - strawberries. Top restaurants and supermarket chains take delivery of a large proportion of the estate's strawberries but from mid/late June to early August there is the opportunity to 'pick your own strawberries'. Strawberries are so important to Ballywalter Park that the current owners have compiled "The Ballywalter Park Strawberry Cook Book". At present, the book is only available from the estate's 'pick your own shop' but if it comes available online I will let you know. Sounds mouth watering!

Late Night Ice Cream & A Grand Party In The Country
Recently a friend of mine was invited to a "very grand" marquee party in Cumbria close to the Scottish Border. It was a combined celebration of birthdays - 19th, 21st and a 50th - so the age group of the "party goers" was quite broad. For the party's theme the hosts chose "Snow and Ice". Bearing in mind this was an early summer event, such a theme was a bold idea. However, the hosts did their homework well and delivered an apparently fabulous party enjoyed by all. The marquee resembled a winter garden and there were even statues (human ones) posing as if in a winter setting. To cap it all - and this is what really appealed to me - an ice cream truck appeared around midnight serving ice cream cones for all the guests! As my friend said "I guess no-one is ever too young or too old for ice cream".

Animals Love Ice Cream Too!

We know that humans love ice cream - but what about animals? I already knew from my own experience as a child that dogs love ice cream (not that it's good for them to eat too much of course) because my Yorkshire Terrier Josie and I would often share an ice cream cone together - I would eat the main part and break the bottom off for her as a mini cone with a little scoop of the ice cream in it! My Mum's pet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Holly, also had a great fondness for ice cream and a friend once told me about her cat having the same passion .. but what about other animals?

I decided to do some research and was amazed at what I found. There are clearly many, many people whose pets love ice cream; from dogs of all kinds and sizes to cats but also rabbits, horses and even birds! Not only that, but the way in which these animals eat ice cream varies enormously. Some cats refuse to eat ice cream directly and insist on using a paw to scoop it up - a bit like when we humans use a plastic ice cream spoon to eat out of an ice cream tub!

I came across some great video clips of animals eating ice cream, some of which are really delightful and funny - if you're interested in looking at them there's a dedicated page on ice-cream-recipes.com called animals eating ice cream.

National Ice Cream Day Is Here!

Yes, it's finally here - Sunday 15 July 2007 and National Ice Cream Day. Whatever you're planning to do today, try and join in the celebration of all things ice cream. Here are a few ideas that might just make your day that bit extra special ....

• Out for the day? Stop by an ice cream parlor and enjoy an ice cream sundae. Check out if one of America's top 10 Ice Cream Parlors is near you!


• Staying at home? Try making some of your own homemade ice cream


• Doing a BBQ? Conjure up a few ice cream cones - simple but fun!


• Giving a dinner party? Serve your guests a delicious orange sorbet between courses


• Out on a date? Sharing an ice cream can be really romantic!


• Minding the kids on your own? Have them join in and make easy banana ice cream

Let's not forget people less fortunate too - like those who are in hospital today. May ice cream be on the menu for you to enjoy as well. My son got out of hospital a couple of days ago and whilst he was there ice cream was on the menu every single day! The nurses told me how it's always a winner with children, bringing smiles to young faces when they've been through a rough time.

Thank you President Reagan for recognizing the value of ice cream beyond being just a food. It's much, much more than that!

The Ultimate Ice Cream Sundae

A few days ago I was browsing through the hundreds of photos we've taken over the years for ice-cream-recipes.com - everything from a vanilla ice cream cone with sprinkles to fresh mint leaves just picked from our garden to a chocolate ice cream sandwich which I made and my husband promptly ate the moment we finished the shoot! But there was one section of photos I was drawn to looking at over and over again - the ice cream sundaes. Then I sat back and got to thinking why is that?

What is the appeal of an ice cream sundae?

• Color - this is what makes an ice cream sundae a feast for the eyes, not just the palate. Choose from succulent red ripe strawberries, rich dark blue fresh blueberries, creamy orange peaches, rich brown chocolate sauce ... oh, the list goes on!



• Texture - more sensations for the palate - from the smoothness of fresh, whipped cream to the crunchy nuttiness of a great fan wafer to the inimitable texture of the ice cream itself and then the chunkiness of fruits and other ingredients as you spoon your way down the sundae!



• Taste - the combination of ice cream, cream, fruits, toppings and sauces is as exciting a taste experience as any you'll find.

So what are the world's favorite ice cream sundaes? Until I get the opportunity to run a poll for this on the site, here are my suggestions for the main contenders:

• Knickerbocker Glory


• Banana Split


• Hot Fudge Sundae

The most expensive ice cream sundae in the world is currently served at Serendipity 3 in New York - called the "Serendipity Golden Opulence Sundae" it costs $1,000 and requires a minimum 48 hours advance notice to prepare. Ingredients include a very special vanilla bean ice cream, a rare chocolate and 23 carat edible gold leaf. For more details see Wikipedia's page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundae#Hot_fudge_sundae

Ice Cream Cone Origins & Popularity

Anyone who enjoys ice cream will have had an ice cream cone at some point in their lives and if, like me, you make your own homemade ice cream, a cone is a great way of serving up a treat for the family.

But do you know where the cone originated?
The history of the ice cream cone goes back about a hundred years; a US patent for something along the lines of an ice cream cone was issued in late 1903 and only a few months later a waffle maker/seller at the St. Louis Fair is credited with 'inventing' a cone from waffles that he made and sold. So the ice cream cone has been around a long time.

And why is the ice cream cone still so popular?
Probably because it's so versatile. You can walk around eating your ice cream with a cone (no need for a dish and spoon!), you can add different flavored scoops, you can add ice cream toppings such as sprinkles or sauces which make both the ice cream and the cone taste better. The cones themselves are also available in a wide range of shapes, sizes and even flavors. Some you can buy ready dipped in chocolate!

Read more about the ice cream cone on my dedicated page - ice cream cones
Wikipedia also has an interesting page on the history of the ice cream cone.