This Sweet Treat Named 'Most Iconic Dessert' In VA By Condé Nast Traveler

Luxury and lifestyle travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler recently released a list of the most iconic desserts in each state, and the Mile-High Blackberry Ice Cream Pie made the list for Virginia.

The list titled "50 States, 50 Desserts: America's Favorite Sweet Treats" was compiled after "months of reaching out to sources around the country and whittling the answers down," according to Condé Nast Traveler.

The final list includes a range of desserts, from berry-stuffed pastries and buttery cakes to use-what-you've-got pies and sugary frozen treats.

In Virginia, many visitors come to Shenandoah National Park resorts for the famed Mile-High Blackberry Ice Cream Pie alone, Condé Nast wrote.

Dreamed up in the 1980s by Clyde Gray, a chef at Big Meadows Lodge, it is prepared with simple, local ingredients, including the wild blackberries that grow along Skyline Drive and the park’s hiking trails.

"This towering dessert layers blackberry ice cream, fluffy house-made meringue and blackberry compote within a graham cracker crust," Condé Nast wrote. "When it’s in season (April through November), you can find it inside the park at Skyland and Big Meadows Lodge. It’s the perfect way to end a day spent exploring the mountains — with a side of Blue Ridge views, of course."

It also seems Virginians aren't fans of anyone attempting to tweak or elevate the recipe for Mile-High Blackberry Ice Cream Pie.

“About 13 years ago, we had a young chef come in, and he wanted to change the blackberry ice cream pie,” said Helen Morton, the director of sales and marketing at Delaware North at Shenandoah National Park. She said the chef attempted to change the topping and replace the graham cracker crust with an Oreo cookie crust.

“The guests weren’t happy and expressed their displeasure in feedback from their visits," Morton said. "[The park] reverted to the original recipe within a couple of months."

The full list from Condé Nast Traveler can be viewed here.