Smashingly Delicious Treats - The Bend Magazine

Smashingly Delicious Treats

A new freezer favorite has arrived at The Exchange

By: Jacqueline Gonzalez     Photos by: Rachel Benavides

Corpus Christi residents flock to The Exchange, located on N. Mesquite St, for the great atmosphere, the friendly staff, and most importantly – the delicious food. However, behind the scenes is an experimental kitchen where Ashton Rach perfects her craft. When Ashton, one of the many talented cooks at The Exchange, was left alone to work with an ice cream machine, she put her best foot forward and created Smash Cream, a fantastic frozen delight we’ve all come to know and love.

The detailed ice cream making process is perfect for someone who loves culinary arts. Milk, cream, and sugar form a rich base, while different ingredients add beautiful color, flavor, and texture.

“Making each unique flavor is a super huge experiment with all the products available here,” says Ashton. Adding to the vast arsenal of ingredients available to her at The Exchange, Grow Local South Texas donates items from The Farmer’s Market. Ashton gets straight to work on inventive flavors when she gets a new supply of ingredients. Although she gathers inspiration from current flavors, each flavor profile is altered, often by using flavor enhancers to add her own distinctive flair.

Ashton adds chunks of candy, fruit, and bacon to bring a bit of extra flavor and crunch, contributing to the uniqueness of each ice cream flavor. She likes keeping the Southern spirit alive by mixing the tastes of alcohol and sweet fruit. Her latest flavor is the “Elvis,” which honors the King of Rock with a banana bacon ice cream nestled between two decadent peanut butter cookies. Her current project is working on an ice cream sandwich for the menu.

The possible flavor combinations are infinite and endlessly satisfying. Flavors collide to make each treat refreshing and irresistible. Smash Cream is available at $3 a cup, $4 a cone, and $8 a pint. Once you’ve had a bite, you may find it’s too delicious to limit yourself to just one scoop!

Here are a few she’s done in the past:

  • Orange Chocolate Chip

  • Roasted Grape Merlot

  • Banana Split

  • Maple Bacon

  • Mexican Marigold

  • Moroccan Mint

  • Shiner Ruby Redbird

  • Strawberry Oreo