After a nonexistent spring, summer has arrived.
Nature’s thermostat has turned to heat and humidity.
So venture out of the air conditioning and
get the dish on these cool southside treats.
By Sara McAninch
Cold-Brewed Caramocha at Scoops & Treasures
300 Tracy Road, New Whiteland
(317) 530-9900, scoopsandtreasures.com
Scoops & Treasures in New Whiteland is sometimes described as “a smaller version of Cracker Barrel because you can eat and shop,” says store owner Kim Brosnan. Along with Hershey’s brand hand-dipped ice cream, the store also has a variety of locally handcrafted items for sale.
But back to the ice cream; at Scoops & Treasures, you’ll find 24 flavors on a rotating basis throughout the year. While it might be hard to choose one, the Cold-Brewed Caramocha —one of the newest flavors from Hershey’s — has quickly become a customer favorite.
The ice cream starts with cold-brewed coffee, which is brewed with room temperature or cold water during a 12- to 24-hour period. Ice cream made, it’s then combined with nuggets of fudge. As if coffee and fudge aren’t enough, ribbons of salted caramel round out this decadent dessert.
For the young or young at heart, try the Superman ice cream, which is strawberry, banana and Blue Moon ice creams together in one dish; or Blue Moon, which is bright blue in color, tastes fruity and is available typically only in the upper Midwest, is offered as a stand-alone flavor.
While cooling down with a tasty treat, customers can check out the more than 20 booths of handmade items for sale. Some of the options include clothing, signs, jewelry, candles, soap and baby items, like tutus, personalized onesies and hair bows.
If you can’t make it to New Whiteland anytime soon, be on the lookout for the Scoop Mobile, which travels around to various community events and is rentable. In addition to 12 of the store’s most popular ice cream flavors, at the truck you’ll find hot dogs and soft pretzels. Operating throughout most of central Indiana, the Scoop Mobile can be seen at places like Greenwood Freedom Festival, WAMMfest and spirit nights for area high schools.
Yellow Snow at Lickity Slick Snowball Shop
1540 N. Morton St., Franklin
(317) 946-3222, facebook.com/lickityslick
Growing up most of us were told to not eat the yellow snow because, well, gross. But taste the yellow snow at Franklin-based Lickity Slick Snowball Shop and you may reconsider that childhood warning.
You’re likely familiar with the snow cone, an iced confection made of crushed ice cubes and then flavored with a syrup. At Lickity Slick, you’ll find a snowball, which is made of shaved ice and then flavored with cane-sugar sweetened syrup. Sugar-free syrups are also available. From the snowball base, shop manager Carly Swanberg mixes the shaved ice and syrup with ice cream and other toppings to make distinctly delicious desserts.
Yellow Snow, one of the restaurant’s most popular options, starts with a vanilla ice cream base. Shaved ice is added; the flavor is amplified by layers of piña colada flavored syrup, crushed pineapple, coconut flakes and a dash of sweet cream to top it off. One bite and you’re instantly dreaming of tropical island vacations and sandy beaches.
If you’re not into piña colada, never fear: There are 30 to 40 other flavor options available. Some of the other more unique ones include tiger’s blood (tropical coconut), dill pickle and silver fox (vanilla and almond).
Because Lickity Slick operates out of a truck, it often moves around and can be seen at various local events. It’s most often found in the Franklin Tractor Supply parking lot, but check out the Lickity Slick Facebook page for the location before heading out for a shaved-ice treat.
Cake Batter at Hoosier Cupboard Candy, Snacks and Ice Cream
370 E. Jefferson St., Franklin
(317) 346-0680, facebook.com/HoosierCupboardCandy
Walking into Hoosier Cupboard Candy, Snacks and Ice Cream is an experience in and of itself. Built in 1909, the building used to be a train depot that welcomed passengers and freight. Owners Craig and Kim Smith preserved the history by adding a train museum that contains hundreds of memorabilia.
The experience doesn’t end there, though. The shop also offers more than 700 candy items all sold in bulk; old-fashioned glass bottles of soda; an assortment of milk, white and dark chocolate truffles displayed in a 120-year-old case; and 22 flavors of hand-dipped ice cream.
One of the most popular flavors of ice cream at Hoosier Cupboard is Cake Batter. Unlike the usual white cake batter frozen treat, this version has soft chocolate ribbons weaving through a yellow cake flavor. Eating it is nostalgic; you’ll be whisked back to childhood days when grandma or mom would make yellow cake with chocolate frosting.
The shop has other tasty options: Wild Black Cherry, Cookie Dough Extreme, Mint Chocolate Chip and Elephant Ear, to name a few.
In addition to the atmosphere and many tempting treats, Hoosier Cupboard Candy, Snacks and Ice Cream offers on-site parking even during this summer’s construction season. While you shop, one of the four members of the Smith family who owns and operates the store is happy to provide suggestions of other places to visit when you’re out and about.
Fennel Vanilla Bean at Lick Ice Cream
125 E. Brookside Ave., Suite C-11, Indianapolis
(317) 979-0237, facebook.com/LickIceCreamIndy
When some people think of vanilla bean ice cream they think it’s the most boring of all flavors. It is, after all, vanilla. The Fennel Vanilla Bean ice cream at Lick Ice Cream is anything but dull.
The secret to Lick’s extraordinary vanilla bean ice cream is its ingredients: The base consists of custard made from Traders Point Creamery’s organic grass-fed milk and cream. Added to that is a mix of real cane sugar, sea salt, egg yolks and organic vanilla or vanilla beans. Combined, the components of this scratch-made treat make up a cool concoction where every flavor emerges as you eat it.
To make the Fennel Vanilla Bean ice cream, Lick employees infuse crushed fennel seeds into a vanilla bean ice cream base. While the black licorice fennel flavor may not be a favorite of some folks, Lick co-owner Meredith Kong says the ice cream has “more of an earthy, sweet taste.” Pair it with a waffle cone made with farm fresh eggs from Kong’s chickens for a unique indulgence.
For summer, Lick will serve flavors such as Lavender Honey made with local honey from Eagle Creek Apiary, Roasted Balsamic Strawberry, Blackberry and Thyme, and a Watermelon Basil Sorbet.
Have a craving for Lick but can’t make it to the brick-and-mortar store? You can find its ice cream at various eateries and venues around town, including Best Chocolate in Town, Pure Eatery, the Marriott’s Loaf+Vine market, and the Broad Ripple Farmers Market, to name a few.
Birthday Cake Razzle at Mrs. Curl Ice Cream Shop
259 S. Meridian St., Greenwood
(317) 882-1031, mrscurl.com
At Mrs. Curl Ice Cream Shop in Greenwood you can get your standard soft serve ice cream items: cones, shakes, malts, floats, sodas and sundaes. You can also add a little fun with one of the many flavor burst options, such as Bubble Gum, Peanut Butter, Pineapple Delight, Coffee, Banana Ripple and Blue Goo, which tastes like cotton candy or cake icing.
If you really want to jazz up your ice cream, though, try a Razzle. Named after the machine from which they’re served, Razzles typically start with vanilla ice cream, but chocolate or twist (a combination of vanilla and chocolate) can also be used for the base. Add in your favorite toppings and you’ve got a tasty treat. The most popular Razzle is birthday cake: vanilla ice cream with a Blue Goo flavor burst, sprinkles and chocolate chip cookie dough bits. According to store manager Ashley Miller, it’s a fan favorite of kids, teenagers and adults.
You’ll only find outdoor seating at Mrs. Curl, but you will find plenty of atmosphere, including calming fountains, music playing over a speaker and live ducks and fish, just waiting to be fed (fish and duck food runs 25 cents a cup). On Friday evenings in June through mid-August, customers can serenade each other with karaoke. If you can’t get enough of the Razzles at the shop, look for the Mrs. Curl ice cream truck at community events or private parties.
Photo by Stacy Able
