Popular Ice Cream Desserts

Appears in
Professional Cooking: 10th Edition
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2025

  • About
  1. Parfaits are made by alternating layers of ice cream and fruit or syrup in a tall, narrow glass. They are usually named after the syrup or topping. For example: a chocolate parfait comprises three scoops of vanilla or chocolate ice cream alternating with layers of chocolate syrup and topped with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.
  2. Sundaes or coupes consist of one or two scoops of ice cream or sherbet in a dish or glass and topped with syrups, fruits, toppings, and garnishes. They are quick to prepare, unlimited in variety, and as simple or as elegant as you could wish—served in an ordinary soda fountain glass, a silver cup, or a crystal champagne glass.

    • Two sundaes have become classics:
    • Peach Melba. Vanilla ice cream topped with a fresh, poached, or canned peach half, napped with sweetened raspberry purée (Melba sauce), and garnished with slivered almonds.
    • Pear Belle Hélène. Vanilla ice cream topped with a poached or canned pear half, napped with chocolate sauce, and garnished with toasted sliced almonds.

  3. Bombes are ice cream molds made by lining a chilled mold with softened ice cream, freezing it hard, and then filling the center with another flavor of ice cream or sherbet and freezing it again. (More than two flavors may be used.) The dessert is unmolded onto a cold platter for service and decorated as desired with whipped cream, fruits, and/or confections.
  4. Meringue glacée. See discussion of meringues,.
  5. Baked Alaska. See discussion of meringues,.
  6. Frozen éclairs and profiteroles. See discussion of éclair pastries,.