What Is Spaghettieis?

From apple strudel and Bavarian creme to black forest cake and Kreppel jelly doughnuts, Germany offers a wide range of desserts that have spread in popularity worldwide. The German treat spaghettieis, however, has largely remained a native phenomenon. It is not a complicated dish to make. Light-colored ice cream is pressed through a potato ricer or specialized spaghettieis maker onto a bed of whipped cream, then topped with strawberry sauce or jam and even brownie balls or doughnut holes to resemble an exaggerated heaping of sweet spaghetti and meatballs.

The ice cream, usually vanilla or hazelnut flavor, is not ready to pass through the ricer until its texture is malleable, but slightly softened. Placing it in the refrigerator for 15 or 20 minutes should produce the desired effect. While the ice cream is softening, a serving plate and the ricer should be chilling in the freezer.

Before serving spaghettieis, chefs must also prepare the toppings. "Meatballs" can be made of chocolate doughnuts or brownie batter. Others just use whole strawberries cut into perfect orbs. Also, a strawberry sauce is prepared by heating strawberry jam and some strawberries — whole or in pieces — over medium heat, slightly reducing it while adding some agave nectar or simple syrup for additional sweetness. Once these ingredients are prepared and the ice cream is the right consistency, the dish's most distinctive element, the "noodles," are ready to be made.

Most start the spaghettieis process with a generous scoop of whipped cream in the middle of the chilled plate. Then, the ice cream is pressed into the potato ricer and squeezed through into noodles that cascade onto the cream, fully encasing it. After a few minutes, the cold casing will toughen the whipped cream's texture, making it a more integral part of the dessert.

After the sauce is allowed to cool a little, so that it will not melt the ice cream too quickly, it is poured over the top of the noodles and meatballs. Some attempt to give the dish even more realism by shaving white chocolate on top just before serving, which looks like grated Parmesan cheese. This does not mean that the spaghetti marinara is the only model for spaghettieis. According to the All Things German Web site, a Schokoladen spaghetti uses chocholate sauce instead of strawberry, and another version uses a medley of fresh fruit instead of just red colored fruits.