6 Ways to Sundae

Once a standby at five-and-dime soda fountains alongside egg creams and brown cows, ice cream sundaes have started stealing the spotlight on dessert menus at many of our favorite restaurants across the nation.

Chefs are flexing their creativity with extravagant, artfully assembled newfangled sundaes, taking classic elements-a brownie or cookie base, a scoop of ice cream draped in sweet sauce, crunchy and colorful toppings, a pouf of whipped cream, and a cherry on top-and reinventing the frozen treat in unexpected new ways.

We're embracing the spirit of the modern ice cream sundae here with six sundaes that use a mix of homemade and store-bought flourishes to take a simple scoop (or several) of ice cream over the top. A dollop of whipped cream is reimagined into a dark chocolate-flecked peanut butter stracciatella topping for a Miso Caramel Blondie Sundae (recipe p. 87); Coconut-Candied Cashews (p. 89) provide a satisfying crunch in the tropical Coconut-Mango Kataifi Sundae (p. 89). Is hot fudge where you find your bliss? Turn to three fast-fix saucesBalsamic-Port Hot Fudge (p. 88), MangoCoconut Caramel (p. 89), and Salted Honey-Scotch Sauce (p. 87)-to drizzle over your next scoop.

These sundaes lean on store-bought ice cream in focused flavors such as vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, and coffee that let the toppings shine. You can go as mainstream or as artisanal as you choose with your ice creams: big-batch powerhouse or local craft creamery, smooth and silky or packed with mix-ins and swirls. There's no wrong choice as you go all in on these creamy creations.

HOW TO BUILD

The Ultimate Ice Cream Sundae

1. BOOST CONTRAST WITH CRUNCH