You know the feeling when you walk into a room, and just by the smell of sugar and goodness, realize all’s right with the world? Well I never had that. Until now.
The long awaited CREAM, short for Cookies Rule Everything Around Me, has incited a huge buzz down in Figueroa, proving to be a formidable rival against the longstanding Yogurtland. The first thing that hits you walking into the store is the enticing smell of sugar. It’s everywhere. Baking, churning, and calling out to you from the tubs of creamy goodness lying in wait.
The cookies are freshly baked, with the ovens in full view, and customers are offered an assortment of colorful and delicious flavors, both familiar and exotic. They span from Green Tea to good old Vanilla.
Photo by Sharmilee Sivakumaran
But make sure you take advantages of the sampling, especially with the soy alternatives. You might find it wonky.
After settling for the white chocolate macadamia nut and the Carnival cookie (Because who doesn’t love carnivals. And M&M’s.) as the sandwich base, I had the soy mint chocolate chip ice cream as the filling.
The option to mix and match the cookie sides makes the treat colorful and completely your own, creating an experience that’s lot more fun that having it go down a factory line and handed to you. I love how they make it interactive.
There are also gluten-free and vegan cookie as well as soy options for those who follow a more selective diet.
But now for the most exciting part: the toppings. I was spoiled for choice – should I have sprinkles and Oreos or Marshmallows and Gummy Bears? Should I go nuts with the nuts or go ham with the graham? Decisions, decisions.
Photo by Sharmilee Sivakumaran
Following an intense internal struggle, I finally managed to opt for the fluffy goodness of the mini marshmallows. I steadied myself for the first bite – the crunch of the cookies mingled with the sensual richness of the ice cream and the chewy marshmallows formed an interesting medley in my mouth.
The cookies were a little too crispy for my liking (I like my cookies chewy), but they were not overly sweet which was a good move since an ice cream sandwich can easily be overwhelming on the tastebuds.
There was a fair amount of macadamias in the first cookie, but the Carnival was less colorful than I would have liked. The soy mint chip ice cream had a really enjoyable creamy texture that is indistinguishable from regular ice cream, but lacks the refreshing kick of mint that is its namesake.
Bonus points are given however, for the bittersweet chocolate chips mixed into the ice cream that balanced out the sweetness overall. I was disappointed with the mini marshmallows: they tasted stale and bland, and some of them even had a slight crunch to them (NOT what marshmallows are supposed to be like).
Photo by Sharmilee Sivakumaran
I would say I had the most fun choosing the ingredients for my ice cream sandwich, and watching my server squish the ice cream between the cookies and shower it with a generous amount of mini marshmallows.
Also, depending on when you go, the cookies turn out hotly baked and make the cold ice cream melt in between. The juxtaposition of temperatures and textures are fireworks for your tastebuds. It’s that amazing.
Sure it’s messy and the cookies fall apart, but I’d say the messiness makes the gorging more fun and hardcore.
All in all, to have all that in a sandwich that for just $3.75 is a pretty good deal, I would say. Definitely recommended for first timers, passers-by and all dessert lovers; just STAY AWAY from the marshmallows.
Photo by Sharmilee Sivakumaran
FYI: I typed all this while eating the said sandwich. Ah, the ingenuity.