12 Forgotten Desserts of Yesteryear - Atlas Obscura Lists

12 Forgotten Desserts of Yesteryear

Indulge in these deserted sweets before they disappear for good.

History is filled with dessert graveyards. As flavor preferences shift, ingredients vanish, and secret recipes die with their creators, some beloved sweets get left behind. Sometimes, a treat simply gets outshined by a flashier option: Before key lime dominated the Florida dessert scene, sour orange pie was a state favorite. Other times, the treat-producing technology disappears: The Whirla-Whip, an ice-cream mixer that made infinite flavors during the soda fountain era, now exists in only a handful of shops and pharmacies scattered across the United States.

Outside of the few confectioners, ice cream parlors, and intrepid home bakers that still produce them, these deserted desserts have largely faded from tables. Some, such as Lanzi’s Cashew Nut and Rice Candy, have recently been brought back from extinction. All the more reason to track down the classic Chicago sweet. Indulge in Lanzi’s and these 11 other forgotten desserts of yesteryear while you still can.