Ice Cream By Mother Moo Creamery

Karen Klemens is intimately familiar with Southland farmers' markets, having scoured them for the best fruit to use in the jams and jellies she sells under her Mothercluck label.

She's now applying that same fruit familiarity–with some other sweet touches–to her new ice cream shop, Mother Moo Creamery, in quaint Sierra Madre.

The no-frills, family-friendly shop features canary-yellow walls, limited seating and an oft-changing handwritten menu.

We scored scoops ($3.50 for one scoop; $5 for two) folded with orange zest and stung with Szechuan pepper, and another made with aromatic Indonesian Korintje cinnamon. Flavors that might appear in the near future include fig and one involving tomatoes. The only flavor that's cemented is Joe Joe Joe, which Klemens named for her son, Joe, and which incorporates Oreo-like Joe-Joe's cookies from Trader Joe's.

Klemens makes her own pliable waffle cones ($1) with more Korintje cinnamon and a touch of Madagascar vanilla, and also assembles root beer floats ($6) with vanilla ice cream and Sparky's root beer.

Mothercluck jellies and jams are for sale by the register for $6 or $12; on our visit, red-currant jelly and McGrath Family Farm strawberry jam were both available.

Mother Moo Creamery, 17 Kersting Ct., Sierra Madre; 626-355-9650 or mothermoo.com