What to Know
- Fosselman's Ice Cream Company
- 1824 W. Main in Alhambra
- Pumpkin, Black Walnut, and Licorice returned in late September, for a limited time
When we encounter pumpkin, as in the dessert-delightful flavor, and not the globular, carve-it-up fruit, it is very often served warm.
Warm, toasty, or hot, or at the very least room temperature-ish, which seems to enhance some of the pumpkin's inherent mellowness.
Think of pumpkin pie (generally room temperature, though some prefer slightly chilled), pumpkin bread (heated is the way to go with many, with a melty pat of butter for emphasis), and pumpkin cookies (straight from the oven and piping when held in the palm).
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But there is a winning way to address your pumpkin-based yearnings, here in Southern California, if you're more of a fan of the frosty side of the fridge.
It's probably accurate to say that Christmas sees far more freezer desserts than Halloween — after all, the sharper character of peppermint lends well to cold confections — but there is a scoopable fall favorite that you have to snap up when you see it.
That is, if you're particularly partial to pumpkins. And if you are, best roll with your squash-celebrating squad straight for Main Street in Alhambra, where the oh-so-popular Pumpkin Ice Cream has returned to the case at Fosselman's Ice Cream Company.
You can get a scoop or two there, or take home a pint, if you need something to put alongside your homemade pumpkin bread or cookies. (Now there's a notion, especially when both of those baked goods are still warm.)
Not only is real pumpkin involved in this glacial goodie, but cinnamon is, too, upping its autumn cred.
But wait: If you're a longtime Fosselman's fan, and "longtime" could mean decades, as this storied parlor is now over a century old, then you know that Black Walnut and Licorice return around this time of year, too.
And so they have, as September 2021 comes to a close.
What would a Licorice, Pumpkin, and Black Walnut sundae taste like? We can only imagine the spoon-dippable dessert would be the frostiest of fall flavor fantasias.
For more on this enduring gem of a dessert shop, one with plenty of charm, family history, and local love, click.
