Almost Banana Banchee

Chocolate Pudding Snowball.


Years ago, we used to make our living off of freshly shaven ice and fruit-flavored syrups.

The front tires on my Sonoma have been oscillating lately and it's starting to get to me, causing me to make a stop at the local Good Year tire for a looksee. Seven minutes later, I'm back out the door with the knowledge that they can't re-balance the tires to eliminate the oscillation, but they can relieve me of $770 for a set of new tires. I'll wait.

To soothe my tire woes, I make a stop at the neighboring SnoAsis snowball stand - our old nemesis. Once the reigning King of snowballs in Timonium, we gave them a good run for their money ten years ago. Today, they're still the King, albeit with a smaller kingdom, and using the same ice and syrup supplier that we used.

My secret favorite snowball from them is the Banana Banchee. Banana syrup with evaporated milk. Simple, sweet and creamy, for me it's a must. However, as I'm standing in line, the lady in front of me is ordering a blitz of something called Chocolate Pudding. Chocolate syrup with evaporated milk - sounds enticing and after a few moments debate, I decide to give it a go.

It's not bad. The chocolate and the cream go together but the ice is still a bit crunchy. I'm not a crunchy ice fan. Give me smoothly shaven ice as fluffy as snow and that's perfection. This one is still short, but at least it's something and doesn't require me to go out, freeze ice, make syrups and pull out equipment just to satisfy a craving.