Dippin' Dots

I've seen Dippin' Dots before. Usually there's a cart at the mall, theme park, or the County Fair. I just have never tried them. I'm one of those people reluctant to try new things.

I chat with the owner, Debbie, of the Fountain Valley Dippin' Dots. She rocks!! Not only does she sell dots, but she's a Twitter Freak. You can find her on Twitter @dippindotwoman.

Before I started chatting with Debbie, I never knew that there were actual Dippin' Dot stores. Who knew? She informed that yes, she does catering, but there is a STORE! I've been so busy lately that I didn't get a chance to go to her store. I did get to meet Debbie at the Just Spotted OC Blogger Awards last week. I tried the Rainbow Ice Dots that night and I was hooked.

Well we finally got a chance to go and visit Debbie's store yesterday. We tried the following flavors: cotton candy, cookies n' cream, and banana split. They were all very tasty. Angry Husband, Angry Toddler and I all shared our portions. Usually we will take Angry Toddler for ice cream and he eats one bite. This time he finished his dots.

But what are Dippin' Dots? How are they made? I got this from their corporate site.

So what exactly are Dippin' Dots? Actually, it's fun to watch "first-timers" expressions when they take their first bite. After overcoming the sight of their ice cream beads "pouring" into a cup there's the look of amazement that ice cream can be "tingly and almost crunchy" (their words!). When the smooth, creamy ice cream begins to melt in their mouth...a fan is born! It's truly a treat for kids of all ages. And finally, to answer the question, Dippin' Dots are made from fresh dairy ingredients flavored with fun, fruity, enticing and even exotic flavors. The mixture is frozen almost instantly in liquid nitrogen, a common element in the atmosphere used commercially for flash freezing. After production, Dippin' Dots are packaged and shipped worldwide.