How To Make a Hershey's Chocolate Snow Ball

The traditional, icy treat from the now defunct Field's of Pikesville carries on at Gourmet Again.

"We wanted to replace the void when Fields of Pikesville closed: the traditional Pikesville snow ball," said owner Andy Hoffman.

At Hoffman's store, these ice cream, ice and chocolate syrup treats are made with an authentic ice machine that produces crunchy ice--not shaved ice, he said.

The ice cream is Breyer's vanilla, and the syrup is Hershey's, which Hoffman says is best.

"The ice cream really makes a difference," he said Wednesday as he made a chocolate snow ball for me.

I tasted mine in the in-store dining area, and, while I never had one at Field's before it close d last August, I can see what all the fuss is about.

It was cool, crunchy and creamy at the same time: a different mix with every bite. And it didn't melt away.

"It's what a lot of our customers grew up on, it's what I grew up on, so I wanted to make sure we didn't lose that. People always want that place to get snow balls all year long," he said.

Gourmet Again is at 3713 Old Court Road. It opens at 8:30 a.m. daily and closes at 7 p.m. Monday through Friday: at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, and at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.