by jeni britton bauer
All this time we’ve been treating the last few bites of a pint all wrong. Condemning the mostly eaten pint to an icy doom at the back of the freezer. Giving those precious final scoops no more attention than the closing credits of a movie.
It’s high time the last bites of a pint got the standing ovation they deserve. The last scoop is not the end! It’s the beginning of a knock-your-socks-off delicious moment. Something I like to call Last Scoop Sundaes. It’s why we fight over the last scoops in my house!
Here’s what you do: When there’s about a third of the pint or less, toss in sauce, nuts, sliced fruit, dried fruit, granola, cookies, torn cake pieces, whipped cream … whatever you have on hand—no special trips to the grocery store, no firing up the stove or oven (unless you really want to; it’s your sundae!). Think in terms of crunch, flavor, gooeyness—and dress it up! But with restraint. Not abandon. The trick is to highlight the ice cream. Make it sing.
My favorite combo of all time: Brown Butter Almond Brittle topped with sliced bananas, caramel sauce, and toasted almonds for extra crunch. And that’s it. It can and should be that easy.
So get cracking on your own combos. But if you need a little inspo, here are a few of my favorite Last Scoop Sundaes starring some of our fall flavors:
Turn Pumpkin Cake Roll into an extra gooey, extra spiced sundae by adding marshmallow sauce and ginger cookie crumbles.
Add layers of texture to Banana Cream Pudding with caramel sauce, sliced bananas, cashews, a sprinkle of turbinado sugar, and a dash of yellow curry powder (trust me!).