National Ice Cream Cone Day

National Ice Cream Cone Day seeks to draw attention to the invention of the ice cream cone; an important yet, sadly, often overlooked invention that allows people to enjoy their scoops of delicious ice cream combined with a handily portable and edible wafer cone, often whilst out and about.

All it takes to really appreciate this day is to just begin by imagining what the world would be like without the equally useful and also delectable ice cream cone. A scoop of ice cream would have to be eaten with a bowl–and popsicles would probably dominate in the world of on-the-go frozen treats!

But since the world does have ice cream cones, now there’s no need for a paper cup or plastic spoon when eating a cone, there’s less waste, making the ice cream cone a great contributor in helping to save the environment and reduce waste. This is certainly a delicious way to do something small to help save the earth!

Get ready for National Ice Cream Cone Day!

History of National Ice Cream Cone Day

Inextricably linked to the history of its partner, ice cream, the ice cream cone was created in the way of many other newfangled ideas–out of ‘necessity’. While an ice-cream-like food was recorded as having been eaten as far back as the 7th century AD, the cone didn’t make its appearance until much later on.

Many historians have attributed the invention of the ice cream cone to Italo Machioni, an Italian immigrant who had moved to the United States in the late 1800s. The cone was invented in New York City, first produced in 1896, and Machioni received a US patent for his invention in 1903.

However, a similar invention was credited to Ernest A. Hamwi, from Syria, who introduced his waffle pastry at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. Though it was only meant to be sold as a pastry, when the ice cream shop next door ran out of dishes, Mr. Hamwi jumped in and offered some assistance. By rolling one of his wafer pastries into a cone, he was able to solve his neighboring business owner’s problem AND contribute to something that would eventually become an American icon.

In the early days, ice cream cones were sometimes called “cornucopias”, due to the shape. In fact, Mr. Hamwi named his business, the Cornucopia Waffle Company!

How to Celebrate National Ice Cream Cone Day

Eat An Ice Cream Cone, Of Course!

More than just a standard activity, celebrate National Ice Cream Cone Day by testing various different styles and combinations of cones and flavors of ice cream. Debate the merits of the ‘oyster shell’ versus the ‘half cup’. Forget the cup and spoon! Instead, go all out and indulge in that extra large Waffle Cone, which really should be classified as a treat of its own.

Dipped cones, sugar cones, pretzel cones, waffle bowls, and even twin cones (to house two tasty scoops) can be found in ice cream shops or grocery stores all over the world. Some specialty shops choose to hand bake their waffle cones right in the store. Whatever kind of cone is chosen, it’s enough to make an ice cream cone lover extremely happy!

Get Creative with the Kids

Encourage children to create pictures of their favourite ice creams and ponder on what the ice cream cone means to them. Obviously, this conversation and creativity related to ice cream cones wouldn’t be complete without a treat at the end, whether an ice cream cone hand dipped at home or heading out to a local ice cream shop!

Make Ice Cream Cones at Home

Although most people buy them at the store, a special activity on this day would be to start the tradition of making ice cream cones at home. The cake cone probably isn’t an option for a typical home kitchen, but a waffle cone is certainly possible and actually not that difficult.

The most important part of making ice cream cones will be the equipment: a waffle cone maker. This is not the kind that is used to make Belgian waffles with those very deep grooves. Instead, it’s a round, shallow waffle maker that is especially for making waffle cones.

The recipe is fairly simple, with ingredients including egg whites, flour, heavy cream, a small amount of sugar, melted butter, and flavorings according to preference, such as cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt, and/or almond extract.

Once mixed together, simply place a small amount of batter onto the waffle iron and allow it to cook. When finished, place the piping hot waffle onto a towel and use it to roll into a cone shape. Hold for 15 seconds or until it will hold its shape.

Perfect, homemade waffle ice cream cones are ready for a scoop or two (or three!) of various flavors of ice cream !

Learn About the History of the Ice Cream Cone

This may be an area of hotly debated controversy with much discussion about the true origins and antiquity of the cone. So what would be a better day than National Ice Cream Cone Day to dig into the research to uncover the real, authentic story about how the ice cream cone was brought into existence and then placed into the hands (and mouths!) of ice cream eaters everywhere? Whether it was Mr. Hamwi, Mr. Machioni, or even someone else!