The Word "Ice Cream Egg" Senator Was Looking For Is "Quenelle"

It's not just kids who can be persuaded with ice cream. Last Tuesday, Senator Joe "Ice Cream Egg" Manchin (D-WV) was particularly wowed by a dessert served at the White House. The dinner was attended by democratic senators as part of a renewed effort by President Trump to gain wider support for his domestic agenda. Manchin appeared on several talk shows the following morning, including CBS This Morning, where host Norah O'Donnell asked if he had "one scoop or two scoops of ice cream." He had one, and it blew his mind. "I wondered why I was getting an egg with my dessert," he said, with the endearing whimsy of a kid on Christmas morning.

"The ice cream was so perfectly shaped, I thought it was an egg," Manchin later repeated to Joe Scarborough (and an unenthused Mika Brzinski). "I'd had apple strudel before, but I'd never seen an egg come with it. So I'm thinking 'what do I do with this?'" Late-night host Seth Meyers responded with "Oh my god, we are so screwed."

But while we're on the topic, was the word Senator Manchin looking for "quenelle?" In fancier settings, ice cream, sorbet, mousse and other malleable desserts are often sculpted into a football or egg shape by transferring a small scoop over and over between two large spoons. Or one if you want to show off. We're guessing since Trump only likes his eggs cooked over-well (by far the least delicious egg preparation), the ice cream wasn't intended to mimic a soft-boiled. Still, it's good to know that classic French dessert presentation is alive and well in the White House kitchens.