If the Good Humor Man and Betty Grable had a daughter, she would be Chrissy Michaels. Known as Miss Softee, with her vintage aprons and sassy charm, she harkens back to a kinder, gentler time when ice-cream men remembered their regulars’ cones and doled out smiles like sprinkles.
In her few short years on the streets, Chrissy developed a cult following in Midtown for her specialty cones. Her whimsical-yet-simple creations include the American Cone, vanilla soft serve rolled in crushed chocolate chip cookies and rainbow sprinkles, and the Cherry Dream, cherry dip and vanilla meringue, “which together tastes like a giant Lucky Charm marshmallow.” But Chrissy’s favorite of the dozen plus specials is the Potato Chip Chocolate Dip. A vanilla or chocolate ice-cream cone dipped in chocolate and rolled in crushed potato chips, it’s a perfect treat for sweet and salty fiends and “tastes like dipping your French fries in a milkshake!”
Chrissy’s success as an ice cream queen traces back to her previous life in advertising. After the economy bottomed out in 2008, she decided to pursue a long-suppressed desire to drive an ice cream truck and signed up with Mister Softee, one of the country’s oldest soft ice cream vending operations. Once Chrissy got behind the wheel, she discovered that the streets of Manhattan were far less cushy that her former Madison Avenue gig. “As odd as that sounds in this day and age, one of the biggest obstacles about this job is being a woman,” says Chrissy. With long hours, physical labor, and intimidating rival vendors jockeying for prime spots, the work tends to skew male, and “it takes time to prove that you can do the same job as well as (or better than) the guys.”
It wasn’t long before Chrissy began baking homemade cookies, brownies, pies, and more for “à la mode” specials that kept her regulars coming back. “I run things a little differently than a lot of the other ‘new school’ vendors. First off, I’m a one-woman show! I stock, clean, maintain, park, drive, bake, tweet, and serve for my truck.” The higher-ups at the depot took notice of her success. In 2011, Chrissy was promoted to manage a small fleet of Softees in the city, with a charge to revamp their whole operation: from training and overseeing new workers to rolling out her signature specials on all the trucks in their franchise group. The end of that summer was capped with a dessert Vendy nod and the bittersweet announcement that Miss Softee was going off road, Chrissy was officially hanging up her apron to pursue new ventures.
“Everyone is happy to see you every day. You get to share in celebrations, cheer someone up when they’re having a rough day, and help bring back fond childhood memories dripping with chocolate and rolled in sprinkles.”
Even if Chrissy’s no longer dipping cones, her heart has never strayed far from the kitchen. “As a single parent, my mom worked really hard to raise me and my younger brother with a solid foundation in the kitchen. No matter what was going on, she would cook dinner every single night at home, from scratch.” Lately those skills learned at her mother’s side are being put into use as the executive chef and manager of a small farm-to-table CSA (community supported agriculture). “I create the menu daily and also work with the farmers to curate the packages for CSA members.” Chrissy is also channeling her energy into Chrissy’s Cooking Club, a Brooklyn-based, community-focused nonprofit that she founded in 2011. In her spare time you can find her holed up in a supersecret test kitchen set up in the back of an ice cream truck, where she’s working on developing her own all-natural soft serve.
Adapted from Chrissy Michaels’s recipe
“I’m a renegade, so to the dismay of hardcore apple pie enthusiasts in the Northeast, I like to use Granny Smith apples in my pie,” says Chrissy. The tartness balances well with the sweetness of the crumble, and the apples hold up well to cooking. Not surprisingly, this dessert is best when served warm and topped with vanilla ice cream.
1 cup quick-cook oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
7 medium-sized Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 quart vanilla ice cream, for serving
Move oven rack to the center position and pre-heat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add to the dry mixture. Toss together until the mixture forms into loose clumps in your hand. Set the mixture aside.
In a large bowl, mix together two cups of cold water and the lemon juice. Thinly slice the apples lengthwise and add to a bowl of water and lemon juice as you finish slicing them, to keep them from browning. Once all of the apples are sliced, drain the water, reserving about a cup for the cooking. Dust the apple slices with the cornstarch or arrowroot powder (a thickening agent), and toss to mix until apples are just barely coated.
Pour the reserved water and white sugar in a large saucepan, and slowly heat mixture over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and it becomes a syrup, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the apples and vanilla. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon occasionally until it comes to a boil and a thick syrup forms. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a pie tin, press half of the crumble mixture along the bottom and sides of the pan to form a crust. Parbake crust for about 5 minutes or until firm. Add the apple filling and top with the remaining crumble. Bake until it is golden brown and the crumble is firm, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool before slicing so that the apples can set. Serve à la mode with vanilla ice cream.
Adapted from Chrissy Michaels’s recipe
At the 2011 Vendy Awards Chrissy Michaels, aka Miss Softee, wowed the crowds with her Maker’s Mark®-infused-crumb cake ice cream sundae. Booze soaked raisins and an alcoholic glaze make this dessert one strictly for the 21 and over crowd. Don’t like raisins? You can substitute cranberries, dried apples, or figs. Just make sure that when you’re choosing a dried fruit, you find one that doesn’t have added sugar or preservatives. To optimize the flavor, the fruit needs to be soaked in alcohol for at least 2 days, but the good news is that alcohol-soaked fruit lasts for up to a month stored in the refrigerator. Pressed for time? Chrissy suggests subbing you favorite store-bought crumb cake. After a few bourbon soaked raisins, your guests won’t notice (or care) that it’s not homemade.
1 cup raisins
1 cup bourbon
1¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup quick-cook oats
½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1½ cup all-purpose
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup granulated sugar
6 large egg yolks
½ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 quart vanilla ice cream, for serving
Add raisins to a large sterilized canning jar and top with bourbon. Cap the jar, then shake lightly to distribute the alcohol. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 days or up to a month.
Move oven rack to the center position and pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8 x 8–inch glass baking dish. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Stir melted butter into the dry mixture. Toss together until the mixture forms into loose clumps in your hand. Set the mixture aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In a large bowl or an electric stand mixer beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add egg yolks and beat on medium until just incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture and beat on medium until just incorporated. Add buttermilk and vanilla extract and beat on medium until fully incorporated, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape batter into prepared baking dish spreading with a spatula to distribute. Sprinkle evenly with crumb topping and bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until top is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes.
When cake is near cool, begin preparing the glaze. In a medium stainless-steel saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, stirring constantly. Timing will vary according to your stove and cookware, so watch butter closely as it begins to foam. It will change in color from yellow to a golden brown that’s flecked with browned bits. Remove from heat and transfer butter to a medium bowl. Whisk in sugars, bourbon, and milk until smooth.
Slice cake into equal portions, top with a scoop of ice cream, sprinkle with raisins, and drizzle with glaze.
