Ice Cream Photos - Dutch Sundae & Polar Bear Ice Cream

Here are 2 photos that bring back great holiday memories ...

PHOTO 1 - ICE CREAM SUNDAE

After a warm summer's day on holiday in Zandvoort we called in to a local ice cream parlour where they served this great ice cream sundae.

It never ceases to amaze me how inventive ice cream parlors can be when it comes to concocting ice cream sundaes.

This sundae was particularly delicious as it had one of the parlour's own 'special' ice cream recipes in it called "Dolce Vita" (a superb chocolate ice cream).

PHOTO 2 - POLAR BEAR ICE CREAM

This wonderful bear with the ice cream cone was standing right next to our table at the ice cream parlour as we sat and ate our ice cream sundaes.

He looked as happy as we felt!

If the photo is to be believed then at least we now know what ice cream polar bears like to eat ... chocolate and mint choc chip, not forgetting the whipped cream on top of course :)

Looking Back - Ice Cream Photos

Over the years I have taken hundreds, indeed probably thousands of photographs of ice cream. Homemade ice cream and ice cream sundaes that I have made myself and of course many ice cream scenes when I have been out and about. Everything from ice cream parlors to ice cream trucks, ice cream signs, ice cream display materials, people eating ice cream, ice cream on the beach, animals and ice cream ... the list is endless!

I was looking through some of these the other day and they brought back great memories. So as this 'New Year' gets under way, I've decided to share some of them with you. Over the coming posts I will publish selected photographs and give a little background as to their context.

I hope you will enjoy my ice cream photos!

Ice Cream Books For Christmas

Out and about Christmas shopping yet? Already suffering from shopping mall blues?

Well, if the idea of sitting comfortably in your slippers and doing a little shopping on the Net appeals, here are some great ideas for Christmas gifts - ice cream books.

These are highly rated books from Amazon now available through the Ice Cream Recipes Online Store ....

Making Artisan Gelato

The Vegan Scoop

Serendipity Sundaes

Granita Magic

Special Ice Cream Spoons

When I make ice cream sundaes at home, I always make a point of selecting the right ice cream glass and ice cream spoon. Now that may sound a little odd but it's true ... and important.

For example, if I make a fresh batch of ice cream and serve it straight from my ice cream maker, then a long, plastic ice cream spoon will suffice, especially if its for children. Plastic spoons are not hard and cold on the teeth and mine also have fun, colourful decorations on the end (miniature ice cream sundaes in fact) which children find attractive. However, if it's some ice cream made previously and just taken out of freezer storage then, even though it's been left a few minutes to soften a little, it can be a little tough to eat with a plastic spoon so in that case I select a long, stainless steel one. Not as decorative perhaps but more practical.

In addition to these spoons, however, there is another very different and very special one. It is stainless steel and has a double bend in the middle that allows you to place it on the edge of your ice cream sundae glass so you can take a break in between mouthfuls. Ingenious! I first saw it beside a wonderful chocolate ice cream sundae made for my husband at the San Remo Gelataria (ice cream parlor) in Zandvoort. The spoon was one of the parlor's special ones and when they saw my reaction to it they were kind enough to let me take it home! It now has pride of place in my 'ice cream cupbaord'. Molto grazie!

National Ice Cream Day 2009

If you celebrated National Ice Cream day last year and possibly in the years before, then you might just be looking to do something a little different with your homemade ice cream today. Take a look at my list of unusual ice cream recipes and see what takes your fancy!

Even if you don't make your own ice cream (shame on you!) you can still take part in the fun of National Ice Cream day ....

• you could take the family out for a special treat to an ice cream parlor and try one of the many fabulous ice cream sundaes that are usually on the menu.
  
• you could go to the movies and just enjoy a simple tub of ice cream whilst watching it
  
• you could buy a quality, commercially made ice cream at your local store or supermarket, take it home and make your own Knickerbocker Glory
  
• you could spot your local ice cream truck in a neighboring street and treat yourself (and others!) to a great ice cream cone

The list goes on!

That's the wonderful thing about ice cream as a food/treat - it's not confined to any one place or any one supplier. You can eat it indoors or outdoors and you can buy it made by someone else or yourself. It's almost infinitely variable in taste and methods of presentation and you can add toppings or sauces, fruit or nuts, chocolate flakes or wafers. I could go on all day writing about ice cream - it's a passion with a tradition and perhaps that's why it's worthy of its own national day. Long may it be so .... have a great National Ice Cream Day folks!

Celebrate A Centenary In 2009 - With Ice Cream!

So 2009 is here. What is going to make this year special or notable of course remains to be seen but here are four interesting sets of facts that make 2009 a centenary celebration year.

16 January 1909
This was the date when Ernest Shackleton's expedition found the magnetic South Pole. He was only 35 at the time. British by birth, Shackleton went on to become one of the greatest explorers of his age.

23 February 1909
This was when the first powered flight in Canada (and what was at that time the British Empire) took place. Achieved by the Silver Dart.

15 March 1909
In London, England, Selfridges department store first opened its doors.

25 July 1909
This was the day that Louis Bleriot made the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air machine.

All achievements to be admired. Well .... you might have your doubts about number 3 on my list but in fact I think Selfridges merits being there because in a world of seemingly constant change, knowing that there's a department store that has been trading for 100 years is somehow very comforting.

I was once a frequent shopper at Selfridges (in my London days) and would not hesitate to put it on my itinerary when in London again, even on just a day trip. The food hall there is fabulous; they even have a Morellis Gelato within the store where you can indulge in one of their wonderful ice cream specials. The mastery in the 'behind the scenes' ice cream making at places like this is exemplified in my interview with Gino Soldan master gelatiere for Morellis Gelato in Harrods. This photograph is just a snippet of the magnificient ice cream sundae he made especially for my friend Mary. Now that's a good way to celebrate anything - even a centenary!

Master Gelatiere At Morelli's Gelato

My recent interview with Gino Soldan (master gelatiere for Morelli's Gelato in London) is now live on http://www.ice-cream-recipes.com/ Anyone interested in ice cream making, ice cream parlors and ice cream sundaes will love this Special Feature.

It provides an insight into how this master of ice cream making views his work, the depth of passion he has for his craft and how adventurous he aspires to be in developing new and daring ice cream flavors. It's an exclusive interview so be amongst the first to read it before it gets picked up and rehashed by other sites and media.

See: Master Gelatiere Gino Soldan

There is also a gallery of photographs showing some of the wonderful ice cream sundaes made at Morelli's Gelato, including one Gino made especially for my friend Mary. Again the photographs are exclusive to http://www.ice-cream-recipes.com/

Read and enjoy!

Ice Cream Sundae On Holiday

Enjoying an ice cream sundae is something you can do anywhere - at home, in town, at a friend's house, at a party, etc. However, an ice cream sundae on holiday always seem that bit extra special.

We all like ice cream in my family and my husband has a particular penchant for chocolate ice cream. On a recent, lovely short holiday we went to an ice cream parlor and there my son and I enjoyed a delicious cone whilst watching my husband eat one of the richest ice cream sundaes I've ever seen.

Served in a beautiful ice cream dessert glass with lashings of whipped cream and chocolate sauce, it was topped off with a ferrero rocher chocolate and heart-shaped wafer. Not only that but look at the spoon in the photograph .... it was the coolest ice cream spoon I've ever seen!. With a most delicately twisted, elegant bend in the middle, it gives the ice cream eater the chance to take a break and place it on the edge of the dish where it balances perfectly. What a neat idea!

I was so taken by that spoon that I got to talking to Daniela behind the counter of the San Remo Gelataria where we were eating that night. She told me how ice cream making is her passion too and that all the ice cream they serve is made on the premises. I couldn't resist asking about the spoons and told her I'd never seen any like these before. Daniela explained that there were indeed very difficult to get hold of. I so much wanted to take one home to add to my collection of ice cream spoons (I've quite a few now) that I offered to buy one but she refused any payment, just smiled and gave it me for free. So thanks to Daniela I now have a very special addition to my collection.

Ice Cream Knowledge Earns $50,000

A favorite TV quiz show in my family is "Eggheads" where a team of "Quiz Experts" are challenged each show by a team from the general public. It's not often that the challengers win and indeed the prize money ($2000 per show) rolls over to the next show if they don't. So by the time a team finally beats the "Eggheads" the prize money is usually quite high.

On a recent show we were watching, the challengers actually won - and what's more the key question they answered correctly was about ice cream! Here it is ....

Question: What costs $1,000 as a 'house special' at Serendipity 3 in New York?

Answer: A Chocolate Sundae

The challengers not only had the pride of knowing they'd beaten the experts but they won $50,000 in the process. How's that for a pay-off to liking ice cream!

The real, detailed answer to the question of course is 'Golden Opulence Sundae' which I've previously written about on Blog Of Ice Cream. (Follow the link to view)

If you're interested in ice cream sundaes, you'll find pictures on my website of ones I made at home including:

strawberry ice cream sundae

chocolate ice cream sundae

There are more on the main page of ice cream sundae pictures.

Ice Cream Sodas

Say the words "Ice Cream Soda" to most people and instantly it will transport them to a different world! It could be fond childhood memories or a favorite movie memory or simply that they have always loved an ice cream soda and will never tire of it.

Apparently it's not clear who exactly came up with the idea of mixing ice cream with carbonated water or soft drink but it's probably 1 of 2 people - Fred Sanders (Detroit, USA) or Robert M Green (Philadelphia), both back in the 1870's. Whether either of them knew the 'science' of why the combination works so well is not clear, but, as I understand it, when you mix ice cream with carbonated water or a carbonated drink, a scientific reaction takes place triggering the creation of large bubbles of carbon dioxide.

One of the first, popular ice cream sodas was the Boston Cooler - a mixture of vanilla ice cream and ginger ale and believed to have been served as far back as the 1880's in Detroit. I must admit that the flavors of vanilla and ginger do blend together well so it's not surprising this ice cream soda was a favorite for many people.

The ice cream soda became so popular at one time in fact that it's claimed it was banned in some parts of the USA on 'holy days' and lead to what we now refer to as the ice cream sundae. Which leads me onto another term that I love! I have always enjoyed making ice cream sundaes and my dear old Dad's favorite is the Knickerbocker Glory. Follow the link to see how I make my favorite one, called 'Shelagh's Knickerbocker Glory'.

Ice cream is such a fascinating subject then I never tire reading about its many facets. If you're like me and find this sort of thing interesting you might like to read more on Wikipedia - ice cream soda page ~ Knickerbocker Glory page.

Ice Cream Jigsaws

Making ice cream at home can be fun, even for children (as long as they're supervised!) but once they've made and eaten the ice cream, how do you stop them wandering off to sit down and maybe watch tv or play the same old computer game over and over? Here's one answer - ice cream jigsaws.

Everyone loves jigsaws - I have many happy memories doing them with my son when he was younger - and because I know so many people love ice cream I decided to bring the two things together. Based on some of our own photographs on ice-cream-recipes.com there are now 4 free, downloadable jigsaws you can do on your computer. The jigsaws are of 2 ice cream sculptures that my friend Barbra helped to make (Granny's House and Ice Cream Pyramids) and 2 ice cream sundaes that I made and photographed at home (Mint Choc Chip wafer basket sundae and Lemon Sorbet).

I hope the actual photographs that the jigsaws are based on might even serve to inspire some of you to make more of your own ice cream presentations - it's great fun and when you see people's reactions to what you've made it feels really worthwhile.

Read more about making ice cream sculptures

Here's a great daily jigsaw puzzle you can do online.

Valentine's Day Ice Cream

Valentine's Day is not an important day for everyone but, for some, it's very special - a day for romance and the opportunity for lovers to declare their love for one another. So it is that on February 14 every year, millions of Valentine's cards and gifts (flowers, chocolates, candy, rings etc) are exchanged as tokens of affection.

But how's this for an idea .... instead of buying something to give to your loved one, why not make something yourself?

It could be anything from a homemade Valentine's card to a photo that you've taken, printed and had specially framed, or, better still why not make your loved one's favorite ice cream and serve it as a surprise!

With an ice cream maker and a little forethought you can come up with a great Valentine's Day treat. Here's what to do ...

1. If you don't already know, then find out your Valentine's favorite ice cream flavor.



2. Also find out how they like it served - simple scoops or a sundae, what toppings, what sauce and whether they like wafers or not.



3. Search on the Net for a homemade ice cream recipe for that flavor and print/download the recipe so you know what ingredients to use.



4. Go shopping for all the ingredients you are going to need including toppings etc if you're going to present your homemade ice cream as a Valentine's sundae.

Don't worry if what you make doesn't turn out as perfect as you would like - the fact that you have gone to such trouble plus the fact that you've done it out of love will be far more important and hopefully have the impact you're looking for!

In need of ideas for ice cream recipes? 2 great favorites are strawberry ice cream and chocolate ice cream - both these recipes are made with a custard or cream base giving you a rich and creamy homemade ice cream.

Interested in history? Read about the history of Valentine's Day

Want to know if you're a true romantic? Take an online Romantic Personality Test

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