f all the sweet treats capable of taming summertime's extreme heat, there's a relative newcomer to the St. Louis, the national dessert of Korea. At Spoonful Desserts in Creve Coeur, owner Monica Lee serves up the signature offering, which Lee describes as “deceivingly labor-intensive.” A special machine produces a mildly flavored, finely shaved ice that resembles freshly fallen snow. The product is shaved to order into brass bowls, then layered with chilled condensed milk and toppings, from fresh-fruit blueberry, strawberry, honeydew, and mango compotes to the more esoteric matcha with red bean paste. “ can be made using pre-shaved ice and pre-made fruit toppings, but then the quality suffers,” says Lee. Among the dozen crowd-pleasing options are Biscoff cookies with caramel, as well as cereal toppings, such as Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Puffs with Cookie Crisps drizzled with chocolate sauce. Because is not overly sweet, sweetened condensed milk is served alongside to pour on top. “I love this dessert so much,” says Lee, “and want to show it in its best-possible light.” .
