Sweet Cream

It has been suggested that I spend inordinate amounts of time driving around Broward and Palm Beach counties searching for the ultimate ice cream parlor. This is categorically untrue -- I often return to such places more than once. Kilwin's Chocolates Fudge and Ice Cream(809 E Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-523-7658) is one of these. The first shop opened in Petoskey, Michigan, in 1947. The one on Las Olas started up in 1995, but the old-timey confectionery store looks more like Petoskey at the end of the great war. Because Kilwin's is known for its confections, the aroma of homemade fudge fills the air, and before you reach the ice cream emporium, you must pass by chocolate barks, clusters, brittles, crunches, caramels, 14 varieties of turtles, and nearly that many types of truffles. Some people get hung up on this portion of the store, but my preference is to head straight for the ultrarich and creamy handmade ice cream that comes in dozens of dazzling flavors. Some personal favorites: toasted coconut, chocolate caramel cashew, and banana fudge pie ($3.02 per cone, $3.76 for waffle cone). You can also chill at Kilwin's franchises in Coral Springs, Delray Beach, and Weston.