Five Best Hot Fudge Sundaes in Broward and Palm Beach

Ladies and gentlemen, July 25 is National Hot Fudge Sundae Day. With heaping scoops of ice cream melting underneath heated fudge, lathered in whipped cream, and topped with a maraschino cherry, it's no wonder the dish got itself its own holiday.

The history of the sundae is obscure, but the most popular origin myth is that it was invented in reaction to blue laws that prohibited the sale of ice cream on Sundays. The whipped cream, chocolate sauce, nuts, and other toppings that obscured the ice cream made the dish -- at least for legal purposes -- not technically ice cream.

Another version of the story says it was made from the leftovers of different ice cream flavors at the end of the weekend. For dignity's sake, we prefer the law-defying version.

See also:

-Today Is International Waffle Day: Broward and Palm Beach's Five Best Chicken and Waffles

Regardless of its origins, the dessert deserves to be celebrated right: by binging on the five best hot fudge sundaes around town. Leave tomorrow open -- you'll need time to come down from this sugar high.

5. Stuffed Monkey Bites Sundae, Moonlite Diner, Hollywood

Open from 7 a.m. to late, this metal lunchbox houses some unconventional desserts. With a warm cinnamon roll resting beneath scoops of vanilla ice cream, the Monkey Bites sundae is smothered with caramel sauce and whipped cream and speckled with cinnamon and a bright-red cherry. Don't let the name fool you; this is one monkey bite that won't hurt.

4. Brownie Hot Fudge Sundae, Sloan's, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and Palm Beach Gardens

A kaleidoscope of bright colors, the walls at Sloan's are lined with vibrant candy. This is probably the only place where you can leash your children without judgmental glares. You're served three scoops of the ice cream of your choice -- be nice to your server and he or she will let you pick more than one -- Heath bar bits, hot fudge, whipped cream, and cherries on top. It's aesthetically constructed with colorful streamers and glittery toothpicks. You'll definitely want to Instagram it before it melts (no filters needed).

3. Mint Chocolate Chip Hot Fudge Sundae, Larry's Old Fashioned Ice Cream & Yogurt, Coral Springs

A flashback to the black-and-white Leave It to Beaver days, the ice cream at Larry's is homemade, and the discount wheel isn't rigged. Take a spin and see what you'll pay. If you're lucky, you can get this one on the house. Even if you don't spin your way to some sort of steal, the minty freshness colliding with the chocolate chips and warm chocolate sauce under whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, and bright-red cherry, well, that's too tempting to pass up no matter the price. May the odds be ever in your favor.

2. Half & Half Sundae, Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlour Restaurant, Dania Beach

The ice cream flavors available at Jaxson's are vast, and it would be cruel to make you choose just one. But don't worry; no one expects you to. The half and half sundae lets you pick two hearty scoops of whichever two flavors your heart desires (just think twice before mixing the mint with the peach). Then they drown it in hot chocolate and butterscotch fudge, top it with fluffy whipped cream, and fleck it with toasted almonds. But instead of sticking a cherry on top, they stick two American-flag toothpicks in it, one on each mountain of ice cream. God Bless America!

1. Cherry Smash Sundae, Cherry Smash Ice Cream Parlour, Coral Springs

A nostalgic ice cream parlor with vintage knickknacks and a checkerboard floor, at Cherry Smash, the eponymous sundae is not to be missed. Served in a golden goblet, this frozen dessert calls for the shop's signature Purple Haze ice cream, a blend of chocolate, cherry, and raspberry flavors. Hidden inside are chocolate-covered maraschino cherry candies that need to be unwrapped for consumption. Conglomerating in the mix are walnuts, black cherry sauce, and hot fudge.