The Inside Scoop

As an ice cream confectioner, Kirsten Palmiero serves up homemade ice cream and custom desserts—but she also provides handmade happiness from her shop in Mountain Lakes.

“Ice cream is nostalgic,” she says. “It reminds people of good memories and lifts their spirits.”

The Corner Creamery—complete with its animated cow mascot—is an ice cream dream come true for this mom of two. The shop opened in October 2025 and is named for the corner location on Romaine Road.

A step inside is like a step back in time. Nostalgia is as front and center as the homemade and downright whimsical frozen concoctions.

Soft pastel pink invites lingering, as does indoor seating, with the many games to take advantage of the games on hand. With warm weather on the horizon, benches outside the shop stand ready to enhance the summertime ice cream experience.

Adding to the nostalgia are household items with sentimental value for Palmiero: a breadbox from her mom, a gumball machine, and, on a poignant note, a hat hung on the door in memory of her late father. “It’s like he’s here with me,” she says.

A World of Flavors

In crafting her own recipes, Palmiero works alongside her only full-time employee, Elizabeth Blanco of Cedar Grove, whom she met by way of an ice cream franchise where they both worked.

Standard flavors are available, but together, Palmiero and Blanco whip up ice cream flavors that extend far beyond plain vanilla. Oscar’s Garbage Can anyone?

Oscar keeps good company with the Cookie Monster blend. There are also creative takes on the fruit front, such as Blueberry Pie, Mango Tango, and Toucan Sam Fruit Loop.

Nutella also has a moment, as in Nutella Crisp!

Then there are specialty sundaes, such as Jimmy’s Triple Threat and the Brookie, both named for and created by Palmiero’s children. There’s even a take on the Choco Taco.

A separate drink menu covers all the bases from shakes to floats. Flavors run the gamut from traditional chocolate to cake batter and cotton candy. In keeping with nostalgia, Palmiero offers a line of sparkling beverages called Front Porch Sippers.

Palmiero changes her flavors weekly and incorporates seasonal themes, such as the heated homemade peach topping.

When it comes to her homemade ”mix-ins,” Palmiero abides by a strict no-skimp policy. “You know when you buy butter pecan, and there’s only one or two nuts? Well, that doesn’t happen here,” she says.

The counter is lined candy-store style with traditional toppers, such as confetti sprinkles, chocolate chips, and marshmallows, and sits next to fresh-baked goods such as brownies and cookies. In expanding on all matters homemade, she recently partnered with Sweet Melissa Bake House in neighboring Boonton.

Palmiero also prides herself on producing the entire menu on the premises. The ice cream machine brings her recipes to life, and it takes an eye-opening 45 minutes to complete the deep freeze process.

On the celebratory front, Palermo has crafted her fair share of custom cakes, and all occasions are on the table—birthdays, graduations, even weddings, and there’s a story.

“I did a four-tiered wedding cake once. And you know....” she laughs. “There’s no pressure in doing a wedding cake. No pressure whatsoever.”

While there’s a seasonal aspect to the biz—July is designated National Ice Cream Month—Palmiero is open year-round and adjusts her offerings to the calendar.

Stepping up to Scoop

So, how did this ice cream connoisseur who bid farewell to a 12-year career in pharmaceutical advertising come to scoop her own ice cream creations?

It all started in high school, maybe even before, when she discovered her artistic side and put it to good use through her first job at—where else—an ice cream shop.

“I always knew that I wanted to do something artistic,” she adds.

An art major in college, she continued with her ice cream side hustle before taking a detour into pharmaceutical advertising. Yet, her heart remained in store behind the counter where her creativity flows as freely as soft serve. So, she reversed course and returned to the ice cream scene, this time for good.

This brings us to now.

As the mercury continues to rise and outdoor sports resume, Palmiero anticipates a busy first summer.

While she and Blanco mind the store full-time, Palmiero employs more than a dozen local high school and college kids. It’s a pay-it-forward kind of moment as to how she got her start.

Who knows? Palmiero could very well be training a next-generation ice cream creative with dreams of her own.

The Corner Creamery is located at 5 Romaine Rd. in Mountain Lakes. @cornercreamery_ml.

Ellen S. Wilkowe is a freelance writer and former journalist living in neighboring Denville.

Photographs by Antonietta Henry