Every once in a while, something pops up on social media that's so wonderfully ridiculous you immediately think..."That might be one of the best ideas anyone has ever had." That was exactly my reaction when I first discovered Paulus' Ice Cream Filled Donuts. An ice cream...filled...donut. Sign me up!
Unfortunately, actually finding the truck turned into a months-long game of cat and mouse. Every time I thought our schedules were finally going to line up, something changed and the opportunity disappeared. Then, on National Night Out in Landisburg, I happened to be scrolling social media about two hours before the event and saw that Paulus' truck was going to be there. Finally! This was the closest they'd ever been to my house, so I immediately rearranged my evening plans. Some adventures simply cannot wait!
When I arrived, I realized my chase wasn't quite over. Now I had to make a decision. Being approximately 63.8% peanut butter, I knew whichever one I ordered was going to involve peanut butter. The menu was packed with incredible combinations, but two immediately caught my eye: the Peanut Butter Ripple and the monthly special, Peanut Butter & Jelly.
After a little internal debate, I ordered the Peanut Butter & Jelly with peanut butter ice cream, strawberry jelly and peanut butter syrup...then politely asked if they could also add the peanut butter chips from the Peanut Butter Ripples. The wonderful lady behind the counter smiled and said..."Absolutely." At that exact moment, I knew my dreams were about to come true! A few minutes later, she looked out across the crowd, made eye contact, smiled and held up a little paper food tray. I knew it was mine.
I happily collected my masterpiece, along with a fork, knife and an entirely appropriate number of napkins before finding a nearby picnic table.
This thing was beautiful! The donut was slightly warm, just enough to gently soften the edges of the peanut butter ice cream. Strawberry jelly glistened in the evening sunshine. Peanut butter syrup dripped down the sides. Peanut butter chips were piled generously across the top. It looked like someone had reached directly into my brain and asked..."What's your perfect dessert?" Then made it.
I took one bite. I'm fairly certain I had an audible foodgasm. The couple sitting at the picnic table with me, complete strangers at least 40 years older than me who were simply trying to enjoy their cheeseburgers, eventually became so intrigued by my very obvious level of happiness that they asked what on earth I was eating. I proudly introduced them to the concept of an ice cream-filled donut...and then immediately went back to eating while making entirely involuntary happy food noises. Absolutely no shame!
I finished the entire thing in record time. Then I spent several minutes seriously considering walking back to the truck for a second one. I showed remarkable restraint. Mostly because I realized I'd rather spend the rest of the summer tracking this truck down and working my way through the entire menu.
If you see Paulus' Ice Cream Filled Donuts at a festival or community event, get in line. Yes, you might have to wait a few minutes. It's worth every second.
As for me...this wasn't the end of my Paulus' adventure. It was just the beginning! There are still a whole lot of ice cream-filled donuts out there waiting for me...and I fully intend to meet every single one of them. read more