(CNN) — The best flavors come in pairs: peanut butter and jelly, cream cheese and lox and, of course, vanilla and orange via the Creamsicle. Owned by frozen dessert giant Popsicle, the favorite summer treat celebrates its history today on National Creamsicle Day!
According to Popsicle’s website, it all started back in 1905 when “11-year-old Frank Epperson left a mixture of powdered soda, water, and a stirring stick in a cup on his porch. It was a cold night, and Epperson awoke the next morning to find a frozen pop. He called it the ‘Epsicle.'”
As Epperson grew older and started his own family, he made the dessert for his kids, who were always begging their “Pop” for his “‘sicle.” 18 years after that fated, freezing night, Epperson applied for a patent with the now-famous name.
The Popsicle company, which sells more than 30 different flavor combinations, offers three different types of Creamsicles: 100 calories bars, low-fat pops and sugar free pops in orange-vanilla, raspberry-vanilla and blueberry-vanilla. The flavor combination has even inspired other foods, from Creamsicle cupcakes to Creamsicle cocktails.
In honor of the holiday, try this grown-up Creamsicle Crush recipe from Epicurious.com to cool down the remainder of these hot summer nights:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup thawed orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup Grand Marnier
3 tablespoons vanilla vodka
4 cups shaved ice (made with the grater blade of a food processor)
Preparation:
In a small pitcher, mix orange juice concentrate, Grand Marnier, and vanilla vodka. Stir to combine. Using an ice cream scoop, pack approximately 1 cup shaved ice into a paper snow cone cup (or cocktail glass), then drizzle with a quarter of the creamsicle mixture. Repeat with remaining ice.
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