Making soft serve cool again

When you think of soft serve ice cream, you probably conjure up images of a cake cone piled high with swirls of vanilla or chocolate ice cream that is extra sweet but lacks a flavor punch. While there’s nothing wrong with these treats, they are pretty one-dimensional. However, chefs are thinking outside of the cone and limited flavors to open up a world where soft serve takes on a new (and delicious) attitude.

The article profiles seven chefs who have contributed to the recent surge in ‘artisanal’ soft serve creations. Some creations rely on unusual flavors like smoked oolong tea ice cream that sits in a charcoal-hued waffle cone made with black cocoa. Others earn focus on gourmet toppings, unique cones such as a croissant cone, or fanciful presentations with many layers offering a contrast of flavors and textures, like Parfait Matcha Deluxe, inspired by traditional Japanese sweets. It features five different forms of matcha: soft serve ice cream, chocolate nama, granita, feuilletine, and kanten.

If you are interested in soft serve desserts like the ones featured in this article, you might want to check out a new magazine focused exclusively on ice cream, called so cool. Aimed at professionals, the magazine showcases the world’s most advanced ice cream creations, combining technical innovation with creativity in presentation and concept. Featuring top global experts, it offers technical articles, interviews, and recipes. There is a digital version of the magazine’s first issue (there are two issues so far), if you don’t want to spring for the high price and international shipping. The organization behind this new magazine published a cookbook back in 2018 called Ice Cream, Artisanal Ice Cream Recipe Book with contributions from dozens of chefs around the world. The book is available on Amazon for $66 USD or from the website booksforchefs.com for 29€ (shipping from Spain).