Knickerbocker Glory

The knickerbocker glory may be the only thing that’s as whimsically British and as worthy of childhood fantasy as Harry Potter. This ice cream parfait contains a hodgepodge of delicious ingredients layered in a tall glass. There’s no official recipe, which leaves plenty of room for creativity. Oh, and everyone’s favorite wizard really does eat one in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. 

Knickerbocker glories are made of vanilla ice cream and fruity fillings, such as fresh raspberries, berry coulis, jam, or peach melba. Some die-hard dairy fans add clotted cream, pudding, or custard. The whole parfait is topped off with pistachios, almonds, or hazelnuts, and finished with a wafer, whipped cream, and a cherry. A perfect version exists for everyone, because this dessert is left open to interpretation. Adults have been known to add liqueur, because there’s no such thing as too much glory in a knickerbocker glory.

Although the British enthusiastically embraced the treat during the 1930s, there are several reasons to believe it was an American invention. First, Knickerbocker was a term for descendants of the original Dutch settlers in Manhattan (to be fair, it was also a popular style of pants that laced at the knees or ankles, leading to theories that a colorful pair might have inspired the dessert). Then there’s the strikingly similar 1915 recipe employed by American soda jerks (employees at soda fountain shops). This predecessor may have paved the way for the (knickerbocker) glory that ensued.