Sister Act: Ice Cream Sandwiches

When up in the mountains (or is it hills?) of summer haven Tagaytay, the last thing in anyone's hunger fantasy would perhaps be ice cream. A cup of hot chocolate or ramen is more like it, better suited for the fine weather and chilly nights, for card games, family bonding and that imaginary fire place we wish we had.

But no, in the tradition of truancy, it was a call for the challenge of the cold and survival of the hungry. Summer or chilly, this called for ice cream, or rather, the ice cream called out to us.

I will explain why this temptation was permitted; these little sinister ice cream sandwiches, well, the nuns made them. Sinful and cold-causing as they may seem in the cold weather, they happen to be the creation of the kind-hearted nuns of the Little Souls Church in Tagaytay.

[caption id="attachment_1867" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Neapolitan Ice Cream Sandwich[/caption]

Now before you get into any ideas of sainthood, let it be known that the ice cream sandwiches are not holy, blessed or will grant instant beatification to whomever ingests it. Do not hoard these angelic wafers for the hope of spiritual salvation. If you should hoard them, it should be for charity (I would assume that a portion of its P50 price would go to the church’s cause) and indulgence (delightful desserts they make).

Available in a vast array of flavors from the common (chocolate, avocado, strawberry) to gourmet preferences (blueberry, French vanilla and Neapolitan), the ice cream sandwich is covered with a thin vanilla wafer that blends well with its thick and generously spread ice cream filling. The debate on the ice cream brand raged on till dinner as proponents of Arce believed it as such, but Magnolia was likewise proposed on account of the flavor. Definitely not gelato, in case you decide to join in the chilly discussion.

While the actual ingredients will remain a mystery, it brings us joy to have discovered this cheap and “selfless” treat. One may argue that eating more than one serving cannot be deemed as gluttony but is in fact charity, and I couldn’t agree more. Eat more; share your blessings. Burp.

The Little Souls Church canteen also sells ice candy which my niece swears is fabulous (she had 2) and a mango float dessert that we never had the chance to sample. Next time perhaps.

[caption id="attachment_1868" align="aligncenter" width="578"] Beat the Chill with Mochiko[/caption]

Aside from this blessed treat, mochi-filled ice cream Mochiko seems to be quite a common sight in Tagaytay. With more branches in the south than in my own urban hood, this surely makes Tagaytay the salvation for summer.

Veering away from my favorite Green Tea, I went for the Yogurt with Strawberries in an effort to be "healthy" but this fruity faux pas made me miss out on my tea-rrific treat. Lesson learned.

Amen.

 

Mochiko = My Mochi

Whoever invented Mochiko named it perfectly. That fist-sized ice cream-filled mochi is great for a one-time snack, unfit for sharing and definitely meant to be finished single-handedly. Mochiko roughly translates to "my mochi" in Filipino. My Mochi, not ours, certainly not yours -  just mine.

Let us not lie to ourselves with that delusional thinking that we are selfless and giving. With the sight of this ball of mochi goodness, all those hopes of world peace and brotherhood are sure to dissipate, to be replaced by that inevitable gluttony that we've been harboring all this time.

Best to give in though, as it's rather cheap at about P70 per serving. With an assortment of flavors (chocolate, vanilla, red bean, cookie dough, etc.) you can have a different flavor each day, or until your blood sugar spikes - then you might have to take a break from these sinful balls. Mindless choice for me was, of course, green tea - an unfounded hope for a lower calorie serving.

Surrounded by a thin layer of mildly sweet mochi, the label strongly advises us to let the ball thaw for a few minutes before we get those incisors working. Ever devious, I forced a bite, failed and ended up leaving teeth marks on that still-hardened ball. At least I can't say I didn't try.

Upon reaching the desired thawed state, another attempt was made on this unyielding green fellow and finally, success! I was getting impatient from walking around Eastwood Mall with this plastic ball in my hand, and it didn't help that it was in this horrid shade of apple green.

The thin mochi layer uncovered the creamy goodness of still a perfect ball of green tea if cream. Each bite was a mixture of smooth ice cream with that slight tinge of sweetness and chewy bits from the mochi.

Best way to end any meal is by this ball of indulgence. Best way to burn the calories is to just walk it off as I did.

While I'm no follower of Mochiko, just in case someone asks, I've encountered these little balls of toothy mishap in Mercato Centrale, the Eastwood Weekend Market (at the Eastwood Mall) and Parvati (Trinoma, by the bulk).