Whereas it’s exhausting to construct a snowman in Sarasota, you possibly can create a shaved snow deal with on the new candy store Vampire Penguin. Just lately opened by childhood mates Austin DeGroot and Lucas Morris, the co-owners are excited to be bringing a novel confection to the neighborhood.
“We have been in search of one thing completely different after we stumbled upon Vampire Penguin. It’s not like what anybody else has,” says Morris.
Akin to shaved ice or Japanese kakigōri, the sunshine, fluffy dessert is a less-fattening, low-sugar, typically dairy-free various to ice cream. DeGroot says it is an uncommon, health-conscious choice that delights style buds of all ages. “[Lucas and I are] each family-oriented folks. It’s so enjoyable to observe kids are available in and take a look at it for the primary time,” he says.
So how do you construct the snowy deal with?
First, choose your snow! There’s a rotating number of flavors that embody every part from the classics—chocolate, strawberry and vanilla—to whimsical decisions similar to pineapple, Thai tea and cotton sweet. The snow is made on-site out of contemporary substances (the strawberry snow has little seeds in it) and molded into colourful wheels, that are saved in a specialty icebox. When ordered, a frozen wheel is put right into a machine that grates off a bowl’s value of melt-in-your-mouth flakes.
Subsequent, choose your toppings. Resolve if you wish to add syrup, caramel or white chocolate, maybe. There’s additionally all kinds of garnishes to select from, together with contemporary fruit, boba, marshmallows, graham cracker crumbs and whipped cream.
The dessert comes served on a frosty plate to maintain issues cool when you eat.
Should you’re overwhelmed by decisions, you possibly can at all times begin with a preconceived mixture. DeGroot and Morris take pleasure in experimenting with new snow flavors and creating particular month-to-month editions. The menu presently contains the Mexican Sweet, made with mango shaved snow, watermelon, Chamoy sauce, Tajin and caramel, and the seasonal Winter Wonderland, with chocolate shaved snow, sweet cane, Oreo crumbs, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. There’s additionally the signature Vampire Penguin, made with inexperienced tea snow, almond slices, strawberries, candy purple bean and condensed milk.
And why is a shaved snow parlor known as Vampire Penguin, you marvel? “It’s so distinctive and superb, it shouldn’t exist—similar to a vampire penguin,” DeGroot explains.
The store can be celebrating its grand opening on December 18. Rumor has it that Santa is a good friend of Vampire Penguin and can make an look from 4 to six p.m.
Vampire Penguin is situated at 4976 S. Tamiami Path, Sarasota, (941) 923-8155. Store hours are
