Knickerbocker From Zamboanga Recipe

This Knickerbocker from Zamboanga is made with a variety of fresh fruit and strawberry jello. Then vanilla flavored cream is poured in and topped with a scoop of strawberry sorbet. It's one cousin removed from Halo Halo.

So the Knicerkbocker! It's a dessert from the Hacienda de Palmeras Hotel & Restaurant in Zamboanga. How did this very New York sounding name end up in the Philippines? My best guess is that the owner Gregorio "Gay" Alvarez had possibly tried this dessert from an American .

I mean the mixture of cream and jello is a very American thing. There is also a Knickerbocker Glory dessert that could have been the inspiration for this dessert.

The origin of the Knickerbocker Glory is a bit of a mystery, but the most fun theory? It might be named after the Knickerbocker Hotel in Manhattan, which in the early 1900s was pink and cream-colored — basically the exact vibe of the dessert itself.

There are other theories floating around too (Washington Irving's fictional Dutch New Yorker, knickerbockers trousers, even a Knickerbocker Ice Company), but honestly none of them have been definitively proven.

The dessert likely originated in the US in the early 1900s, got embraced by the British in the 1930s, and somehow became way more of a British thing than an American one. Which feels rude, but here we are.

The first time I tried it was when I was testing the recipe. I have to say even without the ice it's very refreshing. My version of the recipe keeps it light by just lightly whipping the cream with vanilla and using strawberry sorbet instead of strawberry ice cream.

For the fruit, you can stick to tropical by adding papaya, melon, watermelon and pineapple. Depending where you are in the world use the freshest fruit you have in season.

Ingredients

Variety of Fresh Fruit - you can use any fruit you like just as long as it's fresh and in season. I used blueberries, strawberries, grapes and cantaloupe. Just make sure they are all the same bite size portions.

Strawberry Jello - Just make a packet of jello and eat the leftovers on it's own.

Cream - Use heavy cream. I lightly whipped it but you can just pour it in.

Vanilla - This is optional, but gives the cream a touch of flavor.

Strawberry Sorbet - I liked using the sorbet as it has a more fruity flavor profile. You can also use strawberry ice cream if you want it to be more creamy.

How To Make a Filipino Knickerbocker

How To Make The Knickerbocker Your Own

This would actually be a super fun dessert to make into a dessert bar. You can have all the fruit all cut up and have the cream sitting in ice. To make it even more festive you can have a variety of jello that your guests can add.

Have some fun with the fruit and pick your favorite.

In the end don't forget to mix it all up. You know just like what you would do with Halo Halo. Wink. Wink.

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