This Vintage Ice Cream Dessert Is An Underrated Treat Perfect For Summer

What do you do when you want dessert in the summer? Oftentimes, turning on the oven is out of the question. But what about lighting your dessert on fire? If you're open to the idea, try making cherries jubilee, a dessert that was popular in the 1970s. The dish features cherries in a sweet, boozy syrup, flambéed and served over vanilla ice cream. When made at a restaurant back in the day, the flambéeing typically took place tableside while restaurant guests oohed and aahed. This was in line with other food trends of the day, as the 1970s were big on desserts and people especially loved it when their desserts had a showy component. 

Created by French chef Auguste Escoffier in the late 1800s, cherries jubilee is believed to have been created for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee (the 60th anniversary of her taking the throne) in 1897, although it's unclear if that story is true. The dessert definitely enjoyed popularity during the Victorian era, when it was regarded as a high-class dish and was only really available in fine dining restaurants. It resurfaced in the 1950s, when new technology allowed home chefs to recreate dishes at home with less fuss. Its popularity continued throughout the 1960s and 1970s, though it is now regarded as a kitschy throwback.

This retro dessert makes the perfect treat during the hot summer months. In the northern hemisphere, cherries are in season in the summer, and their tartness is perfectly offset by the sweet creaminess of the vanilla ice cream. You can make cherries jubilee with fresh or frozen cherries (or even the jarred type). Keep in mind that fresh cherries will need to be pitted first. You'll combine the cherries with sugar, orange zest, water, and alcohol (typically kirsch or brandy). 

Next comes the tricky (and potentially dangerous) part: the flambé. To flambé the cherries, you'll carefully light the mixture with a match, and cook while shaking the pan until the flames die down, about 1 to 2 minutes. An important note: if you're a beginner or if you're at all uncomfortable using a live flame, simply skip this step. Instead, you can just simmer the cherry mixture until it's thickened and looks similar to a glaze. It won't change the flavor much, and if you're at all unsure, it's not worth the risk (this is a good place to remind everyone to have a working fire extinguisher in your kitchen, no matter what you're making). Once your mixture is made, simply pour it over a good quality vanilla ice cream and serve. 

Of course, there are also plenty of other no-bake desserts to enjoy in summer, like cherry delight. If you're feeling brave and really want to go full 1970s, you can opt to make Watergate Salad, which isn't really a salad at all in the veggie-forward sense, but a combination of pistachio pudding mix, marshmallows, Cool Whip, and pecans.