When my doorbell rang and I received a box of Las Paletas ice creams (owned and co-founded by Jason Sandell and Diana Chavarro) I had scenes from my favourite heartbreak movies running through my head. My delicious frozen treats ranged from strawberry, chocolate, brownie cheesecake and Dulce De Leche. I immediately began wondering which poses I would take up in front of the TV and which movie I would watch with each different flavour. Is crossing your legs and sitting under a blanket a requirement for these types of sessions? Do I have to shout at the container first? Do I slam the deep freeze door?
Well the truth is I don’t know, because although all these thoughts ran through my mind, when I got my little parcel, none of that happened. The first flavour journey I chose to embark on was the Brownie Cheesecake. The first half was scoffed down by my almost three-year-old daughter, so to me that is already a massive thumbs up! The flavour did take me by surprise though. I couldn’t quite place the taste I was experiencing. It wasn’t sweet and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Suddenly the packaging caught my eye again and the word cheesecake just jumped out. That is when my brain made the connection. It’s cheesecake Mathew… then I got it and it was delicious. I was really swirling brownie cheesecake in my mouth, with massive brownie pieces in the mix.
With my daughter having eaten a massive amount of my first ice cream, I did the guilty thing I’m sure most parents do at some point. I waited til she wasn’t around to eat more sweet treats. My next share of bliss was on a cold winter’s morning believe it or not. Aaah I have Belgium Chocolate Ice Cream in my freezer. Yes, I did it… I had ice cream on a cold rainy winter’s day in Cape Town. The Belgium Chocolate was creamy, not too sweet and so much chocolaty goodness. I’ll admit that I did eat this one legs crossed under a blanket but in front of my laptop.
I waited for a little reprieve from the rain and a sunnier day for my next indulgence. Let’s face it, strawberries deserve to be enjoyed in the sun. My oh my… can we just talk about using real ingredients. Pure strawberry sorbet on a warm day is absolutely delicious.
You know the saying, I think I’ve died and gone to heaven? Yeah well you haven’t at least not until you have tried Las Paleta’s Dulce De Leche. Let’s first talk about the smell you get the second you crack that seal. So Latin-American with real cinnamon in the mix and Bam! The most delicious caramel flavoured ice cream I’ve ever come across. Yes EVER!
What I loved the most out of all these ice creams, aside from the fact that I got to eat them, was that Las Paletas makes sure that you only get the highest quality ingredients and the flavour to match, with no artificial flavours and colourants. They are healthy to boot. These artisanal and hand-made ice creams and sorbets are definitely worth every penny and live up to the fuss.
With a cool concept like hand made lollies comes great responsibility and what a better way to exercise that responsibility than to cater for corporate events, sell to the public, and wholesalers and my absolute favourite weddings. Why greet your guests with the boring and expected Mimosa when you can say “Welcome to our celebration” with a Pineapple and Chilli or a Watermelon and Mint flavoured ice lolly?
Be brave, be different and order Las Paletas for any occasion. It will absolutely be worth the indulgence. I’m off to go get the Pineapple and Chilli sorbet from their website right now because it sounds like it could be my new favourite.
You can do the same at https://laspaletas.co.za/shop-online/ and they deliver!