We don’t need to go farther than our own county borders to find heaven in a cone. What follows is a rousing roster of the most beguiling concoctions from Westchester’s hottest ice cream shops.
Penny Lick Ice Cream
580 Warburton Ave, Hastings-on-Hudson
Sweet Garlic Ice Cream features bits of slowly roasted garlic in the scoop, which confers a surprisingly yummy caramel quality.
Honorable Mentions: Nonni’s Licorice, in which star anise and licorice root are mellow complements to vanilla bean; Lavender Truffle with 81% dark-chocolate truffles; and Earl Grey, the classic tea in ice cream form (all above).
 |
The Blue Pig*
121 Maple St, Croton-on-Hudson
S’mores Sundae (left) boasts toasted marshmallow ice cream, graham cracker “gravel,” and chocolate sauce.
Honorable Mentions: Honey Vanilla With Lavender ice cream (which they grow themselves and contains locally sourced honey) and Espresso Sambuca, the delectable intersection of ice cream and alcohol. Add chips for the perfect chocolate/coffee experience.
*Flavors change monthly, based on season.
Longford’s
4 Elm Place, Rye
Bear Tracks: Sure it begins with a vanilla ice cream base, but when you factor in the pralines, Heath bar, caramel, and brownies, you’ve got a real potent package of pleasure on (or in) your hands.
 |
Honorable Mention: Lemon Pie is a mix of scrumptious lemon ice cream and Lorna Doone cookies.
Bona Bona
Madison Kitchen, 7 Madison Ave, Larchmont
Madison Kitchen owner/chef Nick Di Bona’s ice cream brand is a “bona” fide hit. With Rainbow Cookie, Di Bona takes the classic tri-color sponge cake covered in dark chocolate and transforms it into ice cream by blending the cookies into his homemade base.
Honorable Mentions: Holy Cannoli; Guava Goddess; and Nutella S’mores.
Village Creamery & Sweet Shop
32 Broadway, Valhalla
Drunk with sexy flavor, Bananas Foster seduces you into submission with real bananas cooked in butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar topped off with dark rum and banana liquor.
Honorable Mentions: Let’s Do Brunch — maple-syrup-flavored ice cream with real bits of bacon and cinnamon French toast; Captain Crunchberry is like a plunge into a creamy bowl of Cap’n Crunch cereal, with a vanilla ice cream base, ground Cap’n Crunchberries, and cereal chunks for a crunchy texture.
 |
Paleteria Fernandez
350 Mamaroneck Ave, Mamaroneck; 914.315.1598
Spicy-sweet with a nice kick, Mango With Chile (left) is a pop that will pique your palate, Mexican-style! Paleteria Fernandez uses chunks of natural fruit in the formula.
Honorable Mention: Avocado, with chunks of real avocado… very creamy, very sweet.
