Knickerbocker glory

Knickerbocker glory sundae
Type	Ice cream
Main ingredients	Ice cream, cream
Cookbook: Knickerbocker glory

A knickerbocker glory is a layered ice cream sundae that is served in a large tall conical glass, and to be eaten with a distinctive long spoon, particularly in Great Britain and Ireland.

The knickerbocker glory, first described in the 1920s,^[1] may contain ice cream, cream, fruit, and meringue. Layers of these different sweet tastes are alternated in a tall glass and topped with different kinds of syrup, nuts, whipped cream and often a cherry.^[2] The existence of these layers, which create red and white stripes, distinguish the dish from a tall Sundae, and lends the Knickerbocker glory its name.^[3] In the United States, this dish is more commonly known as a parfait, though Knickerbocker glory is occasionally used.^[3]

History and etymology

An early form of the Knickerbocker glory is believed to have originated in New York in the early 1900s.^[4] The name Knickerbocker (as it pertains to the dish) is theorized to be named after The Knickerbocker Hotel in Manhattan, New York. During the early 1900s, the hotel was pink and cream colored, and renowned by the denizens of New York.^[5] After its closure in 1920, a tall, pink, and cream colored dish was created in honor of the hotel. To this end, the word glory was appended to the name of the dish.^[5] At some point in the 1920s, the dish was introduced into the United Kingdom, where it attained great acclaim.^[1]