An ice cream cone is a cylindrical object resembling an upside-down triangle that is hollow in the center. Placing a scoop of ice cream on top of it makes ice cream a portable, lickable treat loved by all.
There is something distinct and very nostalgic about getting your ice cream in a cone versus a cup. It brings back fond memories of long hot summer days, and visits to your local fair. In fact, it was at the 1904 St. Louis Fair that one version of the ice cream cone, the waffle cone, was born.
One of the ice cream vendors there had ice cream so popular that he ran out of cups early in the day. The ice cream vendor just so happened to be right next to Ernest A. Hamwi, a Syrian man who was selling a traditional dish known as zalabia. Zalabia is a thin, crisp waffle like desserts. Hamwi rolled his pastry into a cone shape while it was still hot and as soon as it cooled and steady and delicious enough to set ice cream on, the ice cream cone was born!
He wasn’t the only one to think that ice cream should go on a cone. Just a year before the fair, in December 1903, an Italian man residing in New York City, Italo Marchiony, was granted a patent for the ice cream cone.
He may have patented it, but St. Louis did a better job immediately capitalizing on the invention. Hamwi founded the Cornucopia Waffle Company. Another St. Louis resident, Stephen Sullivan also capitalized on the invention founding his own “cornucopia” (aka ice cream cone) company. Meanwhile, Marchiony of New York focused more on molded cones derived from a batter that was poured into a mold then baked.
While there may be a debate on who invented them, we can all agree on one thing – ice cream cones are delicious!
Blue Ribbon Homemade Ice Cream Recipes
Mama's Cheery Cherry Ice Cream
”This ice cream is delicious, and it also brings smiling memories to me. My mother told me that when she was carrying me that she craved cherry ice cream. She made her scrumptious ice cream using evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk, and Mama didn’t use the lime juice and zest, but I like cherry and lime together. You can use lemon if you wish.” - Pat
Homemade Nutella Ice Cream
"Oh my goodness, what can I say about this incredibly smooth, creamy and delicious ice cream! Just that I guess because it is so smooth, so creamy and sooo delicious.” - Jeanne
Yummy Lemon Custard Ice Cream
”Delicious ice cream (or is it a sherbet?) made by adding canned frozen lemonade concentrate to vanilla custard.” - Sherry
Sweet Corn Ice Cream
”We had never heard of corn ice cream until we visited the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. We have since experimented with a variety of different recipes and unanimously decided this one is our keeper.” - Karen
Wicked Hot Chocolate Ice Cream
”Almonds and chocolate are a great combination and they add a bit of texture to this creamy chocolate ice cream recipe. The chocolate flavor is so intense ... it's a chocolate lovers dream! Don't be afraid of the cayenne pepper. It adds slight heat, but it's not overpowering and complements the chocolate beautifully.” - The Kitchen Crew
Creamy Peach Ice Cream
”Good, creamy and lovely treat! This ice cream has a condensed and evaporated milk base, rather than a custard, which makes it super easy to whip-up.” - Kay
Red Wine Ice Cream with Walnuts and Cherries
”We were intrigued by this ice cream recipe and honestly wasn't sure if we were going to like it. We didn't like it, we loved it! The spices set the tone for this creamy treat. Individually the flavors aren't special but combined they're magical.” - The Kitchen Crew