Name: Denise Benton
Granite State Candy Shoppe and Ice Cream
How long have you been serving ice cream?
I've been here for almost two years, and I served ice cream for a summer during college.
What is your favorite flavor?
Master rip. It's malted ultra chocolate ice cream with hot fudge and caramel swirled in.
If you could create your own flavor, what would it be?
I have no idea what I would do; there are so many flavors here already. We do have one named “Kate Crunch,” named after one of our employees, and it's chocolate ice cream with toffee and almonds.
Is your ringtone that ice cream truck jingle?
No, but it probably should be.
Is your scooping arm way more muscular than your other arm, or do you alternate?
Whenever we train someone we always say “You're going to get a lobster arm.” But there are different ways to scoop so you don't hurt your wrist. If there are a lot of chips or pieces of something in the ice cream and it's harder, you scoop differently than you do for other ice creams. But you usually use the same arm, whichever arm you're dominant with.
Cone or dish and why?
I like a waffle cone, and I prefer the fancy waffle cone because it's dipped in our candy. And I also like the waffle cone because it's big so all the ice cream melts down.
Soft serve or traditional and why?
I like traditional. I haven't really had a lot of soft serve because we don't have it here, and ours is so good nothing compares with it, in my opinion. I'm hooked on our own stuff. Besides, you can't get chips, and there's no hot fudge or caramel cups in soft serve.
What is the most ice cream you could eat – or have eaten – at one time?
I've eaten a pint. That's about as good as I get. But I've had a pint in one sitting of the blueberry cheesecake ice cream here.
You are in a room with Michael Phelps and Hope Solo and there's one scoop of ice cream: Who gets it?
We'd split it. I'd totally share.
Hidden talent?
Martha Stewart is jealous of my organization skills. I'm very organized. Everything is like a big Rubik's Cube for me and I love it.
Guilty pleasure?
Ice cream. I always gain a little weight in summer when the ice cream is open. This is my fat season.
