National Ice Cream Day Countdown: Treat No. 3 -'The Philly Ain’t No Cheesesteak'

I am pleased to admit that I am from the Philadelphia area, where strong traditions exists for both ice cream and pretzels. It is common place in the Philly area to combine the sweetness of ice cream and the saltiness of pretzels.

Yes, we grow up eating ice cream with pretzel accompaniments. It's one of the many odd things my wife notes about me along with my elocution shortfalls. Today’s ice cream treat: "The Philly”  marries these products in a great if unexpected taste treat.

And a bit of history before we roll the drums, Breyers was an original Philadelphia ice cream brand bought by Kraft and moved it to Chicago. Breyers created “Philadelphia ice cream,” which unlike its predecessors, did not use egg or custard as an ingredient.

The famous Philadelphia ice cream since 1861 was and is Bassets, known for their great taste coupled with a 16 percent butterfat content. It has great flavors, goes down smooth, and is a cardiologist's delight. But then so is many of the fine and not so fine foods I favor.

The Philly soft pretzel is not known for its delicacy, rather being hawked incessantly on street corner aged "en bag" or "plaine air," and large. Pennsylvania, especially Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is known for many major and artisan producers of hard pretzels—Sturgis, Snyder of Hanover, Unique Splits, Utz and many others.

For “The Philly," I find the long pretzel ideal.

Ingredients:

Dexter Bakery long pretzel

Premium or super premium ice cream

Recipe:

Place as many pretzels as you like in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. This will firm up the pretzel body, making ice cream placement easier. Slice pretzel in half like a sandwich roll. Put ice cream slab or scoops on pretzel. Put top on and eat.

Try it the sweet and salt combination is wonderful.