This was the last pint standing in my way of conquering all the Target exclusive pints. It's been quite the voyage thus far. I was an advocate of Volun-Tiramisu. I went nuts over Peanut Butter World. Berry Voluntary was awfully average. Despite some rather unflattering reviews, I remained optimistic as to what I may uncover with Brownie Chew Gooder. Brandishing the description, "Vanilla Caramel Ice Cream with Fudge Brownies & a Caramel Swirl," they've combined three proven favorites together in one convenient package.
A base only slightly darker than a standard vanilla houses one of my favorite mix-ins of all time. After first encountering these in Chocolate Fudge Brownie, I always keep an eye out for flavors utilizing this euphoria-inducing bits of brownie. Both the thick caramel swirl and chunks of fudge litter the initial layer. The clear view of two large chunks of brownie have me ready to start the sampling.
By itself, the vanilla caramel base was a welcomed change of pace. Normally, I wouldn't prefer the vanilla caramel base over a standard vanilla, but in the case where a caramel swirl is involved, it only makes sense. The thick, dense ice cream is consistent with other flavors from Ben & Jerry's and takes a while to melt once placed in your mouth. Maybe I just got lucky with this pint, but the caramel swirl was one of the thickest I've ever seen. It was stringy. It was sticky. It was eerily similar to extracted Twix caramel. But the best was yet to come.
My love affair with the brownies from Ben & Jerry's is no secret, but after seeing all the brownies in this pint, I was ready to scream it from the mountaintops. These were large, carried a chewy consistency and had soaked up copious amounts of that base ice cream. The dozen or so brownie chunks in this pint, enclosed with the vanilla caramel ice cream and covered in thick caramel, were enough to keep the mix-in crown on the head of the brownies from Greyston Bakery.
The richness of Chocolate Fudge Brownie is avoided with the vanilla caramel base, and combined with the other ingredients create a beautiful blend of flavors. If it wasn't for the completely unexpected prowess of Peanut Butter World, this would have been my favorite of the Target exclusive bunch. Maybe it's just my love for their caramel swirl and bold brownies, but I think this may be one of Ben & Jerry's most underrated flavors.
Where I Found It: Super Target
Grade: A
