Pokey O's Has the Goods for 'Homemade' Treats
By SARA MANCUSO / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

Pokey O's Cookies & Ice Cream may mean the death of the prepackaged Chipwich.

The shop near SMU has 13 ice cream flavors and 14 cookie choices, meaning there's a cookie sandwich combination ($2) for everyone. One to-die-for combination: A scoop of cake-batter ice cream between a pair of sugar cookies.

But as if that weren't enough, Pokey O's offers other options. Say you're having a party (or a really bad night). Ready to help is their 10-pound bucket of cookie dough. Dough to Go comes in several flavors, including peanut chip, oatmeal cinnamon raisin walnut, and chocolate chip. You make out with baking instructions and 84 cookies for $29.99.

Now let's say you're heading to the ballpark or on a picnic. Pick up a Pokey Pack to Go ($9.99) in a very totable cooler. (But get where you're going in less than 45 minutes "before it gets really messy," warns Chad Piepenburg, operations manager of the shop.)

Then crack open the eight-pack of cookies, ice cream scoop and pint of Blue Bell for make-your-own cookies-and-ice-cream.

"Be careful not to smash the cookies together," says Mr. Piepenburg. "Just twist it with your palm."

Now those directions are easy to swallow.

Sara Mancuso is a Dallas freelance writer.