Fluffy parfait-type dessert
 

I grew up in Hicksville, NY where there was a department store called Gertz. At a snack counter they had a fluffy white dessert with either chocolate syrup or strawberry syrup drizzled down the center. It came in a tall parfait-type glass and you ate it with a long spoon. It wasn't exactly a frozen custard and it wasn't exactly ice cream. It was just soft, fluffy, and vanilla flavored with the syrup poured down the center. It was the most delicious treat I ever had and wonder if anyone knows if it still exists anywhere, or if anyone knows of what it was made.

Thanks,

Jeanette

No--but now I want one.

It sounds like you are describing an Egg Cream.

I am sure it wasn't but it made me think of tapioca pudding. It sure sounds good!!

Check these out...

http://kegman.net/egg_cream.html

http://www.nycvisit.com/content/index.cfm?pagePkey=674

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_cream

seetheworld, egg creams are definitely more your part of the country than mine, so forgive me if I'm wrong. But aren't they a drink? auntjj is describing something eaten with a spoon. I have no idea what she's talking about, but it sure does sound good! I'll be watching this thread to see if someone posts a recipe!

Hi auntjj,
When I googled Gertz parfait dessert, this old Fodors thread came up :)
This is what I found~


Author: Suzanne
Date: 09/11/2002, 03:50 pm
I know that I'm supposed to write what I've had other places that I can't get at home, but I have to agree the Katz's pastrami sandwich (melts in you mouth) and chocolate egg cream is a NY classic (138 or so years of making them there it's an institution!) Also have to agree with Taylor Ham from New Jersey especially fried. Many years ago there was a Department store in Queens called Gertz, they had a coffee shop that made frozen custard with either chocolate syrup or strawberry syrup. Unbelieveable.

Scarlett,

Isn’t it irritating that 'Googling' works better than the Fodor search :-(

It is the "it wasn't exactly a frozen custard" that confuses me, but I'll take one of each, please :D

Yes, I grew up in Queens, NY, and remember the dessert at the Gertz in Jamaica. But I think it WAS frozen custard with the syrup. And egg creams are liquid and drunk with a straw, made with milk, club soda, and chocolate syrup.

Make mine chocolate, please.

Now you got me thinking about brown bonnets. Yum.

Judy, you can't just say "brown bonnets. Yum!" and not explain! Some of us don't know what brown bonnets are. And some of us are very curious!

Yes, explain, please :) Can you get a Brown Bonnet from the Dairy Queen?

My DH and I were recently down the shore for a couple of days (New Jersey) and we came across a Dairy Queen. Wow, childhood memories galore!! We stopped two days in a row for a chocolate dipped (think Magic Shell) vanilla soft cone - I had tears in my eyes, lol :D Yum!

BTW, I remember my egg creams were frothy enough to use a spoon. I have to ask my DH about Gertz tho.

You don't have any Dairy Queens near you, seetheworld? You poor deprived soul! We have one in our suburb, two in the suburb next to us! I guess we just have an embarrassment of riches! Are they more common in the midwest? Even many small towns throughout Illinois have them.

Boohoo, no CAPH, we <i>are</i> deprived! :(

It's a good thing though, we would always be there - my husband loves ice cream and my arm can be easily twisted!

A brown bonnet is what you describe getting from Dairy Queen, seetheworld. It's soft ice cream in a cone dipped in chocolate that hardens. It's from Carvel. I think they still sell them.

I have never had this dessert at Gertz but I did have a similar thing somewhere else and they said it was a bavarian cream (like a fluffly custard) and it was then drizzled with chocolate syrup or strawberry syrup or in this case they also had a caramel syrup) YUM!! I found a recipe for a bavarian custard and have made this since then and everyone loves it. If you think this might be similar to what you describe, I would be happy to share the recipe. It is not a frozen custard tho - it is more fluffly and is chilled in the refrigerator.

So sorry! I just assumed brown bonnet was a universally known term. Yes, it is a soft custard cone that's dipped into a chocolate syrup (sort of like magic shell) that hardens onto the custard. But it doesn't get too hard and it's just delicious. I've also had it poured over the custard in a cup if you don't want the cone. Also, less messy to eat than the cone!

It may have originated at Dairy Queen, but I've had it at a lot of other places. I think it's become a generic term. Oh, and for true chocoholics, make sure you get the chocolate custard/soft serve with the chocolate shell.

We called them &quot;brown derby&quot; when I was little. Not sure where the term came from, possibly the Dairy King in our town. I always liked the cherry ones at Dairy Queen too. I don't know whether they still have those.

I forgot about the cherry ones, CAPH! I didn't see it at the DQ in Brigantine.

There's just something about Carvel that gives me a tummyache, so I stay away from their ice cream. However, that doesn't stop the rest of my family - they love &quot;Wednesday is Sundae&quot;!

auntjj: you've got us going now! Our favorite new treat is a frozen hot chocolate using the hot chocolate mix from Jacque Torres - heaven. :D