During the sweltering days of summer in Westchester, there’s no occasion as sweet as ice cream sundae hour during a barbecue or cookout with family and friends. It’s that time when, after noshing on hamburgers and hot dogs galore, sweet teeth of all sorts come together to savor the creamy goodness of just-scooped ice cream, maybe with a drizzle of hot fudge and a smattering of rainbow sprinkles on top.
With summer’s bounty in full swing, however, why not switch things up with a seasonal riff on everyone’s favorite summer dessert? Here, L’inizio’s Heather Fratangelo offers a Manhattan cocktail-inspired sundae that leans into the cherries and peaches of the season. She likes using local whiskey and Hudson Valley-based Crown Maple syrup, but feel free to pull from whatever you have on hand. Cherry-vanilla ice cream would also be excellent here.
L’inizio is a 2024 Best of Westchester Editors Pick winner for house-made pasta. The restaurant’s pasta is prepared daily and uses local and fresh ingredients to craft melt-in-your-mouth pasta dishes. The Ardsley restaurant is currently celebrating 10 delicious years as one of Westchester’s favorite Italian eateries with a Best of Westchester Pasta Celebration. The swoon-worthy celebration features pasta entrees for $10 and includes bucatini cacio e pepe, rigatoni pesto, campanella marinara, creste di gallo, pappardelle mushroom marsala, and fusilli. Add a glass of wine for $10 or a barrel-aged cocktail for $12.
It’s no secret the pasta is the star of the show, but there’s always room for dessert. On the restaurant’s menu, keep an eye out for bomboloni, cheesecake cups, bread pudding, affogato, and Penny Lick ice cream. One taste of those delights is all you need to convince yourself that yes, you do need to make this sundae recipe at home. There’s no doubt in our minds that the star of your next summer barbecue or party will be this Manhattan sundae topped with grilled peaches, cherries, and a drizzle of cherry-maple-bourbon. Say when!
Grilled Peach-Cherry Manhattan Sundaes
Course: Dessert6
servings10
minutes35
minutes45
minutesIndulge in this sweet seasonal dessert ideal for any outdoor get-together. The above photo is by Andre Baranowski.
Ingredients
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1 lb fresh cherries, halved, pitted, and stemmed
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6 medium peaches, halved and pitted
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3 Tbsp butter, melted
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2 Tbsp granulated sugar
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½ cup maple syrup
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5 Tbsp bourbon
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2 pints vanilla ice cream
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Shortbread or other butter-based cookies for serving
Directions
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes.
- Heat grill to medium heat.
- Thread cherries onto skewers.
- Brush cut side of peaches and cherry skewers with melted butter, and sprinkle with sugar.
- Place on hot grill and cook cherries for 3-4 minutes, peaches for 10-15 minutes, with the lid closed, until the fruit is tender with defined grill marks.
- Whisk together maple syrup and bourbon and toss with warm cherries.
- To assemble sundae, place two warm peach halves in a bowl, and top with vanilla ice cream.
- Spoon cherry-maple-bourbon mixture over the top, drizzling sundaes with extra syrup, if desired.
- Serve with butter cookies.
