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On a hot summer day, nothing delights the tongue and soothes the soul like ice cream, especially if it’s incorporated into an inventive dessert. Orange County’s multitude of cultural heritages means it has sweet creations from many national origins and culinary imaginations.

Popbar
For a gentle but delicious introduction to custom confections, stop by one of the many Southern California locations of Popbar, such as the one in Anaheim. Your custom Popsicle starts with a stick-based gelato or sorbetto in such flavors as coconut, pumpkin pie, vanilla, or pistachio. Then ask for either a full or half dip in premium dark chocolate or white chocolate. Cover it with as many toppings as you want. Then finish with a drizzle of more chocolate or caramel. You want to eat your creation with your hand underneath it, to catch the toppings that fall off.

Creamy Churro Chabet
Crispy warm pieces of Mexican pastry known as churro swim on top of cold and slightly-sweetened horchata (rice drink) ice cream that’s made in-house. The slightly cinnamon-flavored concoction is then drenched with grandmother’s chocolate to become the Creamy Churro, one of several chabets served at Elado in Anaheim. The small size may prove too rich to finish. Don’t even consider the medium unless there are two of you sharing, or the large unless you and several of your friends want to dig in.

Milky Bun
Two American classics, ice cream and doughnuts, meet in the Milky Bun, which was invented by After’s Ice Cream in Fountain Valley and now, in several Southland locations. It starts with a freshly baked warm glazed doughnut that is then stuffed with such inventive house-made ice creams as Vietnamese Coffee, Jasmine Milk Tea, Banana Walnut Fudge, or Peanut Butter S’mores. Add a topping like chocolate chips, coconut, or peanuts and you’re done. Some locations develop long lines immediately after opening, so get there early.

Mochilato
Take the traditional chewy Japanese rice pastry known as mochi and stuff it with a gelato, and you get a Mochilato, which is the name of an Irvine store that sells these sweets. The large selection of flavors includes mango, green tea, tiramisu, hazelnut, and mint chocolate. Go for a six-pack if you want to try different flavors. They also have gelato-stuffed macaroons among other inventive desserts. Although it’s not an ice cream, the Japanese shaved ice is worth trying since it can contain red bean and mochi.

Custom Ice Cream Sandwich
Also known as the Sweet Stax, the custom ice cream sandwich at Stax Cookie Bar has you first choosing any two cookies like chocolate chip, red velvet, or M&M, which you can mix and match. Then, include one of the rotating ice cream selections such as dulce de leche, Kona coffee, taro, mountain blackberry, or bubblegum. Finish with toppings like almonds or hot fudge. If you prefer, instead of using a cookie, you can put the ice cream on top of a circular brownie made from such options as cookie dough, Nutella, or red velvet.

To find out more about what’s good to eat around our Orange County homes for sale, or want to take a tour of one, please contact us.