I scream, you scream....

Today, I would like to raise my waffle cone in belated recognition of Philadelphia's contributions to that frozen delicacy: ice cream.

Frozen custard was introduced to the United States by Quaker colonists who brought their ice cream recipes with them. Confectioners sold it at their shops during the colonial era.

(Unlike custards, Philadelphia-style ice cream contains no egg yolks and does not require cooking. It's based on cream and sugar with few ingredients.)

Ben Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson were known to have regularly eaten and served ice cream. First Lady Dolley Madison is said to have served ice cream at James Madison's Inaugural Ball in 1813. 

African-American candy confectioner Augustus Jackson, who was from Philadelphia, served as a White House chef during the 1820s. By 1832, Jackson had returned to Philadelphia where he not only created multiple ice cream recipes, but he also invented an easier technique to make ice cream. Sadly, none of his inventions was patented.

On Sept. 9, 1843, Nancy Johnson of Philadelphia was issued the first U.S. patent for a small-scale hand-cranked ice cream freezer. Her invention, which is still used today, simplified the ice cream making process and anyone could make it at home.

Johnson lacked the resources to make and market the churn herself so she sold the patent for $200 to a Philadelphia kitchen wholesaler. William Young patented his "Johnson Patent Ice Cream Freezer" on May 30, 1848, and by 1873 about 70 similar ice cream churn patents had been filed.

You can imagine my excitement when I found this broken ice cream maker.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to fix it up and make myself some ice cream.

But what flavor should I make?

Any recommendations?