It's 11 p.m. and I crave swirls of frozen yogurt crowned with chunks of candy bar, a dusting of rainbow sprinkles, and a wisp of whipped cream.

But the dining commons closed over four hours ago.

While the dining commons and its popular after-dinner "fro yo" bar may lock up before nightfall, Yogurt Express serves fro-yo-yearning students from noon until midnight.

Yogurt Express, located on 426 E. College Ave., squats below street-level, with only its glowing "Yogurt Express: A Taste Sensation" sign visible from above.

The eatery's interior matches its basement location. Cavernous and dimly lit, Yogurt Express feels like a stark, but comfortable, pediatrician's waiting room, displaying a teddy bear decoration motif and crammed with office-standard chairs.

The massive, always-churning frozen yogurt machines are central to the shoppe's décor and purpose. The gleaming silver appliances emit not only a soothing hum, but also over eight continuously alternating frozen yogurt flavors.

The yogurt, depending on the flavor, is either low fat, fat free, or sugar free and comes in standards like chocolate and vanilla, but also more adventurous taste sensations like cookies 'n cream, banana and cappuccino.

Yogurt Express also carries Creamery ice cream for those Penn State students and State College residents resistant to abandoning what makes this town so great.

Although a variety of sizes and types of cones are available from $2.29 and up, enjoy your fro yo in a cup to maximize your topping capacity. Cup prices range from $1.69 for a junior to $3.35 for a large, which is pricey, but well worth your hard-earned poor-college-student cash.

For $.60 per topping, you can create an assortment of scrumptious treats using the collection of over 33 topping choices. Be careful though, because your bill accumulates quickly.

Pile on typical fro yo embellishments like sprinkles and chocolate chips, or be audacious and indulge in some unique topping selections.

Bring out the kid in you with gummy bears and Nerds. Go nuts with walnuts and peanuts. Forget breakfast? Go for granola, Cocoa Puffs and Golden Grahams. Create a seductive cookie-themed sundae with cookie dough balls (which taste a lot better than they sound) and Oreos. Or simply go for the maximum sugar and fat consumption with hefty bits of Twix and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Employees, who can be impatient and incompetent, often get backed up in the tedious process of topping the yogurt, which can create quite a long, sluggish line.

The line of fro-yo-famished customers grows especially long at night, the busiest time for Yogurt Express.

Other Yogurt Express delicacies include chocolate chip cookies as big as your hand for $1.39, cookie cakes from $6.99 that can be preordered to incorporate a special icing message, and healthier items like baked potatoes, custom-made wrap sandwiches and muffins baked fresh daily.

To enhance an already appealing situation, Yogurt Express delivers from seven to midnight. Call 814-238-6532 to place your order.

With its convenient location, late hours and unparalleled topping variety, Yogurt Express provides the perfect location to sweeten up your late night study break or grab a bite, or lick, between classes.