Sorenson's Old Fahioned Ice Cream Creations


"Americans eat about 15 quarts of ice cream each year, it is appropriate that the first recorded instance of the word (1744) occurs in the writings of an American, who mentions "fine ice cream . . . with . . . strawberries and milk." The history of ice cream itself can be traced much further back, to the Roman Empire, China, and India. Ice cream was introduced to England in the 17th century and to America in the 18th. It seems to have been called ice cream at first (1673), in line with such expressions as ice tea and ice coffee, which we still use, but the form ice cream has taken over ¹." Therefore, it only seemed fitting that I include a section for the PROPER preparation, as my great grandfather and my great grandmother would have prepared the delicious delicacies they served their customers at their Soda Parlor from 1925 until 1972. The recipes in this section are from his "Make It Right OR Work In The Tabacco Department" booklet. Every employee had to memorize the contents of that booklet, before he or she could have the honor of working Soda Fountain. FOR THE RECORD - THESE ARE THE ACTUAL RECIPES HERLUF AND JENNY SORENSON USED AT SORENSON'S ICE CREAM PARLOR, IN GRAYLING, MICHIGAN. THESE RECIPES ARE NOT MIMICKED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. THEY ARE THE REAL DEAL!!! The very first page of his booklet have these instructions to his employees: "We DO NOT use flavored syrups, except for Chocolate, Marshmallow, and Butterscotch syrups, in the creation of our masterpieces that we serve to our customers. We do it the old fashioned way, we mash real fruit, by hand, to get their juices and pulp for our creations." My dad has told me that it took as many as four people to serve one creation from the fountain. The first person, would have been the waiter or waitress. One, usually the last hired, would be in charge of mashing the fruits for the creations. And one or two people to make the delicacy. AND grandpa would personally do the public relations himself. He would talk with each customer after they had enjoyed their choice from the Fountain Menu. Preparation of the fruit: The fruit (strawberries, blackberries, cherries, blueberries and bananas) will be mashed in the porcelain bowl using the porcelain masher, by hand. The consistency of the mashed fruit will be that the largest piece will not be any larger than the size of a pencil eraser². The chocolate, marshmallow and butterscotch syrups, used exclusively at the fountain, were made by my great grandfather, in the kitchen of his home. They were made in three gallon batches, each. The process of making the chocolate is still a family secret and I can't just give it to you. I can sell it to you for nine buck$, though. Nothing in the supermarkets or specialty houses, comes close to the taste of great grandpa's Chocolate Syrup. Click here to order your copy of Sorenson's Ice Cream Parlor's Old Fashion Ice Cream and Chocolate Syrup recipes for only $9.95 (US Dollars.) You won't be sorry you did. Mom made a small batch of great grandpa's chocolate syrup and let me tell you it is the best I've ever had, anywhere. You just can't find Chocolate Syrup like this in the supermarkets. Or anywhere else, for that matter. The book also has his recipes for the ice cream he use to make before the health codes got so tough he couldn't justify the cost to meet the codes against the ice cream he was making and what he could buy from Sealtest. Enough of the sales pitch for great grandpa's GREATEST ANYWHERE Chocolate Syrup and Ice Cream Recipes and back to the FREE recipes. For the first time, outside of Sorenson's Ice Cream Parlor, here are the custom creations that people would drive over three hundred miles³ to savor:
Sorenson's Fountain Menu

Banana Split Dusty Sundae Fizz Ice Cream Cones Ice Cream Cooler ⁴ Ice Cream Float Ice Cream Soda ⁴ Ice Cream Sundae ⁴ Malted Milkshake ⁴ Milkshake ⁴ Phosphate Suicide Pop

Banana Split 1 fairly straight banana ½ teaspoon malted milk powder 1 four ounce scoop of Vanilla ice Cream 1 four ounce scoop of Chocolate ice Cream 1 four ounce scoop of Strawberry ice Cream 4 large Strawberries 2 ounces of Chocolate syrup 2 ounces of Marshmallow syrup 1 ounce of whipped cream 3 maraschino cherries⁵ 1 ounce of chopped nut mixture⁶ ½ ounce of shaved chocolate 1. Dust the bottom of a banana boat with malted milk powder. 2. Cut the banana in half and place on both outer sides of the boat. 3. Put one scoop of vanilla ice cream in the middle of the boat. Put scoops of strawberry and chocolate ice creams on either side of the vanilla ice cream. 4. Put chunks of strawberry on either side of the vanilla ice cream, pour the juice over the vanilla ice cream. 5. Put marshmallow syrup on the chocolate ice cream and the chocolate syrup on the strawberry ice cream. 6. If the customer wants nuts, sprinkle them on your creation, before you add the whipped cream. 7. Place one cherry as near to center, over each flavor of ice cream. 8. Lightly sprinkle the shaved chocolate on top of your creation. 9. Place the banana boat on a banana boat saucer, place a package of vanilla wafers on the left side and the spoon on the right side of the saucer. 10. Serve with a glass of ice water and moist and napkins. Serves one very hungry person, or two not as hungry people. Share one with a special friend. [Back To The Menu] Dusty Sundae 1 teaspoon malted milk powder 2 scoops of customer's choice of ice cream. 2 ounces of customer's choice of topping (if syrup.) Appropriate amount of mashed berry pulp to fill the edge between the ice cream and the top rim of the sundae dish. whipped cream crushed nut mixture (if requested.) 1. Put about ¼ ounce of fruit or syrup in the bottom of the sundae dish. 2. Put one scoop of ice cream in the dish and DO NOT push into dish. 3. Drizzle about ¼ ounce of fruit or syrup on top of the first scoop of ice cream. 4. Put the second scoop of ice cream on top and firmly press down until the fruit or syrup can be seen coming to the outside of the dish from between the scoops of ice cream. 5. Drizzle the remainder of syrup or fruit over the top of the sundae. 6. Sprinkle the malted milk powder over the top of the syrup. 7. Place on a sundae saucer with a package of vanilla wafers on the left and the spoon on the right side of the saucer. 8. Serve with moist and dry napkins. Serves one. [Back To The Menu] Fizz 7 ounces of soda water 1 ounce of flavor or juice from fruit. Mix the ingredients well. Serves one. Since you probably don't have a tank of CO₂ and a carbonator to mix the carbon dioxide with the water, you can use Club Soda as a substitute. Canada Dry is the best for this recipe, if you can find it. [Back To The Menu] Ice Cream Cones Sounds simple enough. Use your favorite type of cone and ice cream. 1. Place the ice cream ON TOP of the cone. Never pack a cone, with ice cream. 2. Hand the cone to the customer with a paper napkin around the cone. Remember, he or she will be eating the cone and doesn't want your finger prints all over their cone. Great Grandpa's notes also state: Half the fun of eating an ice cream cone is pushing the ice cream into the cone, with your tongue. His thoughts. Not mine. I want my cone filled up with ice cream. [Back To The Menu] Ice Cream Cooler 6 ounces of soda pop⁷ 2 large scoops of ice cream 1. Put one scoop of ice cream in a metal mixing cup and half the pop, and put on the mixer. When the ice cream is smooth put the second scoop and the last half of soda pop in the mixing cup and continue mixing until smooth. 2. IF the consistency is too thin put the metal mixing cup in the quick freezer for 10 seconds and then put it back on the mixer for another 15 to 20 seconds. (Remember to use the white wool gloves when handling the metal mixing cup after it has been in the quick freezer.) Those are the instructions in the book. I would venture a guess that you don't have a quick freezer, a metal mixing cup or an old fashion mixer. (The kind with a single shaft with rippled blades that whipped air into the drink, as well as blended the ingredients together.) So, this is how to get around that: Use a blender and if the mixture gets too thin add more ice cream OR put the mixture in the freezer for about a half hour. Serves one 12 ounce drink. (Depending on the size of scoops of ice cream you use.) [Back To The Menu] Ice Cream Float 4 ounces of pop 2 scoops of ice cream 1. Fill a soda glass up half full and put two scoops of vanilla ice cream gently in the glass. 2. Pour the rest of the pop over the ice cream. 3. Place soda glass on a soda saucer. 4. Put a package of vanilla wafers on the left side of the saucer. 5. Place a packaged straw at the top of the saucer. 6. Place a soda spoon on the right side of the saucer. 7. Serve with moist and dry napkins. Serves one. [Back To The Menu] Ice Cream Soda⁸ 6 ounces of soda water 1 ounce of soda syrup⁹ 2 scoops of ice cream (customer's choice) 1. Put the syrup in a Soda Glass and spray soda water into the glass, filling it up about half full. 2. Put two scoops of ice cream in the Soda Glass. DO NOT push the ice cream into the glass. 3. Spray soda water down one side of the Soda Glass until the bubbles have reached the top rim. 4. Place Soda Glass on a Soda Saucer. 5. Place a package of vanilla wafers on the left side of the saucer. 6. Place a packaged straw on the top of the saucer. 7. Place a Soda Spoon on the right side of the saucer. 8. Serve with a moist and dry napkins. Serves one. [Back To The Menu] Ice Cream Sundae 2 scoops of ice cream (customer's choice) 2 ounces of syrup (customer's choice) 1. Put ¼ ounce of syrup in the bottom of a Sundae Dish. 2. Put one scoop of ice cream in the Sundae Dish. 3. Put ¼ ounce of syrup on top of the first scoop of ice cream. 4. Put the second scoop of ice cream in the Sundae Dish and press down firmly, until the syrup in the middle of the two scoops is visible thru the glass. 5. Drizzle the remaining syrup over the ice cream. 6. Place Sundae Dish on a Sundae Saucer. 7. Put a package of vanilla wafers on the left side of the saucer. 8. Place a packaged straw on the top of the saucer. 9. Place a Sundae Spoon on the right side of the saucer. 10. Serve with a moist and dry napkins. Serves one. [Back To The Menu] Malted Milkshake 1 teaspoon of malted milk powder 4 ounces of whole milk 1½ ounce juice from fruit (customer's choice) 2 scoops of ice cream (flavor of customer's choice) 1. Put the two scoops of ice cream in a metal mixing cup. 2. Pour the milk over the ice cream. 3. Pour the syrup over the milk. 4. Put the mixing cup on the mixer until the ingredients are blended to a thick consistency. 5. Put the malted milk powder in the cup and return to the mixer for another fifteen seconds. 6. Fill a Soda Glass with the mixture. 7. Drizzle a small amount of the flavor of syrup over the top in the Soda Glass. 8. Place the Soda Glass on a Soda Saucer. 9. Put a package of vanilla wafers on the left side of the saucer. 10. Place a packaged straw on the top of the saucer. 11. Place a Soda Spoon on the right side of the saucer. 12. Serve with a moist and dry napkins and the remainder of the mixture in the mixing cup. Serves one. [Back To The Menu] Milkshake 4 ounces of whole milk 1½ ounce juice from fruit (customer's choice) 2 scoops of ice cream (flavor of customer's choice) 1. Put the two scoops of ice cream in a metal mixing cup. 2. Pour the milk over the ice cream. 3. Pour the syrup over the milk. 4. Put the mixing cup on the mixer until the ingredients are blended to a thick consistency. 5. Fill a Soda Glass with the mixture. 6. Drizzle a small amount of the flavor of syrup over the top in the Soda Glass. 7. Place the Soda Glass on a Soda Saucer. 8. Put a package of vanilla wafers on the left side of the saucer. 9. Place a packaged straw on the top of the saucer. 10. Place a Soda Spoon on the right side of the saucer. 11. Serve with a moist and dry napkins and the remainder of the mixture in the mixing cup. Serves one. [Back To The Menu] Phosphate Get ready to pucker up like you've never puckered up before. This one is really sour. Ingredients: 7 ounces of soda water 1 ounce of flavor or juice from fruit. ¼ ounce citric acid Mix the ingredients well. Serves one. [Back To The Menu] Suicide I've saved the worst concoction, in the book, for last. My dad says these things sold really well, too. Believe it or not. 1. Mix whatever flavors you have available together with soda water. 2. Mix in ½ ounce of citric acid into the mix and you have a suicide. Serves however many that can get it past their taste buds. YUCK!! It's even worse than the phosphate. [Back To The Menu]
NOTES: ¹ Quoted from American Heritage Dictionary. [Back To Where I came From] ² You can get about the same consistency using a blender on the chop speed. You don't want the berries puréed. You should have pieces of the fruit about the size of the end of a pencil eraser.) Strain the juice from the chunks of berries. [Back To Where I came From] ³ The box I found great grandpa's recipe book in also has hundreds of letters from people as far away as Chicago, Illinois and Ft. Wayne, Indiana that would drive up to Grayling, Michigan just to have a something from the fountain made with his Chocolate Syrup. One must remember that back when my great grandpa had his Ice Cream business there weren't any expressways north of Bay City, Grand Rapids or Lansing. There were only two lane roads. So, getting up to Grayling, from the southern cities must have been an experience of itself. [Back To Where I came From]
⁴ Chocolate out sold every other flavor by five to one. [Back To Where I came From] ⁵ Real maraschino cherries. Not the black cherries that have had their color bleached out of them and colored to look like a real maraschino cherry. [Back To Where I came From] ⁶If the customer asks for nuts they are to be sprinkled on before the whipped cream is added. [Back To Where I came From] ⁷ Usually Root Beer, but any flavor is fine. [Back To Where I came From] ⁸ There is only one difference between an Ice Cream Soda and an Ice Cream Float. The Float is made with soda pop and an Ice Cream Soda is made with syrup that contains a product called Foam. [Back To Where I came From] ⁹ Soda syrup contains Foam. The Foam causes the syrup to foam when it is sprayed with soda water from a fountain. You can get the same effect by using a seltzer bottle to spray the club soda into the syrup. You don't get as many bubbles without the Foam in the syrup. But whose counting bubbles, anyway? You can use one egg white per soda, in place of foam, and get the same results as using commercial liquid Foam. All of the preparations were done where the customers could see the whole process of the creation of their choice from the menu. None of it was done in a kitchen or preparation area. [Back To Where I came From] [Back To The Menu]


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