READER REVIEW: Elliot's Review of McConnell's Cardamom & Swedish Gingersnaps and Burnt Caramel Apple

Bridging the gap between full on pumpkin mania in October and the onslaught of decidedly wintery flavors (like Peppermint Stick, Winter Cranberry Chip and Egg Nog in the case of McConnell's) , McConnell's churned out a couple of seasonal flavors I was lucky enough to try : Burnt Caramel Apple & Cardamom Swedish Gingersnaps.

First up is Cardamom Swedish Gingersnaps:

Like vanilla, cardamom is an expensive, versatile spice used in both sweet and savory cooking. When it comes to ice cream, while vanilla is the most popular flavor, cardamom is extremely uncommon. I have only had it in ice cream in Phin & Phebe's Vietnamese Iced Coffee. In that pint, the cardamom takes a backseat to the strong, bitter coffee and chicory flavor. McConnell's has prominently featured this heady spice in their custard base. I know how great cardamom can taste in chai tea, but how will it work in ice cream?

Any reservations I had about cardamom ice cream are a thing of the past. McConnell's makes it seem like it's the new Vanilla. Where has the ice cream iteration of this warm, subtle flavor been all my life? Soft, chewy, flavorful Swedish gingersnaps are evenly scattered throughout the pint. The ginger element is limited to the cookies, which avoid any unpleasantly spicy, acrid, pungent ginger element found in some ginger themed ice creams. This is an ice cream I could eat all the time. As I've come to expect with McConnell's, the texture of the ice cream itself is right on the mark. And this is so important.

The overwhelming majority of small batch, "artisan" producers out there capture the spotlight by featuring innovative, occasionally even well balanced flavors that are simply spun in a batch freezer to turn the ingredients into ice cream. The problem with that approach is that it results in an inconsistent, higher overrun (higher air content) product. How important is the consistency and texture of the ice cream itself, no matter how great the custard or mix? Hugely important. McConnell's modified French Pot process is one of the things that sets them apart as a purveyor. They are able to control the amount of overrun in their ice cream, which is about as low as it gets at less than 10%. Ask the next "artisan" producer you come across if they make their ice cream in a batch freezer and see how many affirm this for you, and often with pride. Just because the batch freezers are expensive and have a dial that creates the illusion that they are able to control overrun, the consistency of the resulting products speak for themselves. A quick Google search of batch freezers will reveal that they are designed to produce higher overrun products, and overrun is practically impossible to control in these units.

Where Elliot Found It: http://www.mcconnells.com/
Elliot's Grade: A

Next we have Burnt Caramel Apple:

Judging by the flavor components here, tart apple and burnt caramel, this seasonal flavor has the potential to wreak more havoc on your choppers than an apple Jolly Rancher. One of the potential pitfalls of fruit themed flavors is the inclusion of even a few dreaded frozen fruit chunks. From smoothies to ice cream, the nails on a chalkboard feeling of biting into a frozen fruit fragment is enough to put ice cream lovers off of fruit flavors for good.

Burnt caramel apple is the only apple ice cream flavor I've ever had that successfully captured the tartness without an artificial aftertaste or icy bits of apple. Nothing to fear, there are no frozen fragments of apple. The apple flavor is only represented in the flavor of the base. As you can see in the photos, the dark caramel component is a beautiful, sticky mess, and one I would love to put on most everything. A textural addition such as pie crust, sweet crumbs, roasted peanuts or a peanut butter swirl like they use in their legendary Double Peanut Butter Chip would make this ice cream unstoppable. While the pie / cobbler theme might seem overdone or too pedestrian for McConnell's, there is a dearth of top notch apple pie or cobbler ice cream out there. In any case, I would love to see them dominate that flavor arena.

Where Elliot Found It: http://www.mcconnells.com/
Elliot's Grade: B

REVIEW: Publix Premium Deep Dish Apple Pie

After trying Publix Premium's incredible Pumpkin Pie flavor, I continued my exploration through their limited edition holiday lineup. Consisting of six flavors in total, the second half gallon container I decided to sample was their Deep Dish Apple Pie. Publix takes apple-flavored ice cream with apple chunks and sugar rolled pie crust pieces and swirls them together with rich cinnamon and brown sugar sauce. I recently tried a similar sounding selection from Breyer's, Apple Cinnamon Crumble, but with the ingredient rundown inside here, coupled with the fact that this comes from the same pedigree as their Pumpkin Pie, I'm expecting a better experience with this carton.

After discarding the lid showing grandma baking up fresh pie, as well as removing the plastic seal protecting the first layer from freezer burn, the first layer looks tame enough. Since this offering only contains 170 calories per serving, especially considering the ingredients inside, I was a bit worried about the consistency of this base, but my worries were put to bay as I began to scoop some into a bowl. The ice cream wasn't overly resistant, easily gathering on the end of my spoon, all the while showing off the large pieces of sugar rolled pie crust and swirls of brown sugar and cinnamon. The first thing I notice about the apple-flavored base is the intense sweetness. While Breyer's version had a bit of a tart bite to it, this drowns out the majority of the apple flavoring with cinnamon and sugar, but in doing so creates one of the most accurate apple pie bases imaginable.

Soon enough I begin to encounter the dual swirls. Depending on which one lands on my spoon, the notes of cinnamon or sugar are intensely amplified, all while adding a slight bit of texture because of their liquid-like state. The crowning jewel comes in the form of the pie crust pieces, which have been rolled in sugar incase you haven't gotten enough already. The fragments of crust were large, substantial and varied in texture. Some were soft and chewy, some were crunchy, but they were all bursting with cinnamon-sugar flavor. Although this couldn't quite compete with the quality of New Orleans Ice Cream Company's vanilla ice cream or bits of Hubig's Pie, it wasn't far behind, and seems to be much more obtainable.

Where I Found It: Publix Super Markets
Grade: B

REVIEW: Breyer's Apple Cinnamon Crumble (Limited Edition)

It took months before I was able to work up the courage to sample another Breyer's selection that included frozen dairy dessert. With the exception of a few, the Breyer's Blasts lineup had been a bust, but I hadn't explored any of their original flavors. A few weeks back I posted a news article covering the planned release of their latest, limited edition offering, Apple Cinnamon Crumble. Although not up front about the inspiration, the red bow and gold tags insinuates there might be a Christmas theme behind this all-black carton. The benefit of using frozen dairy dessert comes in the form of a lower calorie count, which is evident here at only 140 calories per serving. Discarding the lid displays a light colored ice cream only broken up by bits of pie crust and a beige apple cinnamon swirl.

The frozen dairy dessert began to melt at the mere sight of my ice cream scoop, but managed to hold together long enough for me to get a few large gobs in the bowl. I sought out a spoon full of the all-white base and took the plunge. The consistency was as can be expected from frozen dairy dessert, slightly gummy and fast melting. I had anticipated a vanilla foundation that Breyer's would then add apple crumble components to, but instead they've actually incorporated apple flavoring directly into the base. The resulting flavor is similar to that of apple pie filling, but not quite as sweet. The cinnamon swirl that seems to sneak into nearly every bite adds a nice burst of sweetness to the fruity frozen dairy dessert. The cinnamon sauce isn't nearly thick enough to add anything texturally, but instead Breyer's leaves that to the plentiful pieces of pie crust they've put inside.

Although most larger corporations tend to have very uniform mix-ins, these pie crust pieces range in size and stature. Some smaller slivers make their way into bites in order to add a bit of crunchy texture, while the larger chunks add a flaky feel and sweet, buttery taste. Considering the base they use to make this flavor, the pieces of crust are actually pretty impressive. They've managed to pack a large amount of flavor and texture inside a small package, all while giving the entire carton an authentic apple cinnamon crumble aura. Seeing as how not many ice creams revolve around apple pie or crumbles, this limited edition carton fills a nice void in the ice cream aisle.

Where I Found It: Publix Super Markets
Grade: D

REVIEW: JC's Caramel Apple Crumble Pie Pops

We've really been enjoying the plethora of novelty items littered about a few of our local specialty food market's freezer aisles. Compared to the outrageous number of carton contained ice creams we've reviewed, the ice cream sandwiches and ice cream bars consistently score higher marks. Combining the tastes and textures of exceptional ice cream with an outer layer of mix-ins gives even distribution of all components at the ideal ratios. One of our new favorites comes from a company we discovered a few months ago: JC's Pie Pops. After reviewing the Key Lime version a while back, we moved on to the sensational sounding Caramel Apple Crumble. These pops feature a smooth apple ice cream dipped in a rich caramel, cinnamon apple and oatmeal cookie crust.

The circular shape of these specialty made pops gives easy access to plenty of stick-free bites before having to abandon the wooden handle; just another great aspect of JC's Pie Pops. Apple ice cream isn't a thing we see often and this was a great example of exactly how it should be done. The smooth, high-quality base only gets better with the outer coating. Gobs of caramel sauce come together with cinnamon apple and oatmeal cookie crunchy crumbs to bring the caramel apple theme full circle. The only problem with these ice cream pops is that they disappear far too quickly and there are only two to a box.

Where I Found It: The Fresh Market
Grade: A

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Apple Pie Blizzard (Blizzard of the Month for September 2014)

Earlier this month we were contacted by Dairy Queen to promote this month's Blizzard of the Month, the all new Apple Pie Blizzard: delicious cinnamon apple with cinnamon pie pieces blended with creamy vanilla soft serve and garnished with whipped topping and cinnamon sprinkles. They've paired this pie themed Blizzard up with an old favorite, the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard. Between these two, they're asking consumers to pick their favorites. Last year, we ranked the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard among the best we'd ever had, giving it a the coveted grade A rating. When we were handed our Apple Pie Blizzard above, it seemed as the competition might indeed be a close one.

Plunging the signature red spoon through the tall layer of whipped cream dusted with cinnamon, we grabbed a bit of everything on the way out. The airy whipped topping quickly faded away to the cinnamon apple infused soft serve sitting below, something we've never seen from Dairy Queen. Adding the ideal amount of crunch and cinnamon sugar spices, the bits of pie crust ties everything together. While we enjoyed the Apple Pie Blizzard, it couldn't live up to the high bar set by the Pumpkin Pie version.

Where I Found It: Dairy Queen
Grade: B

READER REVIEW: Derek's Review of Talenti Caramel Apple Pie

I’ll start this review with the caveat that I have only had Talenti, and gelato as a whole, one time previous to this. I definitely prefer the dense nature of a super premium ice cream, but I will keep an open mind because this concoction sounds quite tantalizing. Talenti Caramel Apple Pie is described as an abundance of real cinnamon sticks are used to make our signature cinnamon gelato. Pieces of apple and sweet flaky pie crust are blended into the cinnamon gelato. Finally a caramel swirl is added for a unique take on caramel apple pie. The caramel swirls visible through Talenti’s signature clear container certainly peak my interest. Upon removing the lid a tiny bit of caramel swirl peaks through the slightly speckled white base. Time to dig in.

The white base didn’t give my high hopes but wow, Cinnamon Buns. They somehow found a way to make a gelato equivalent of one of Ben and Jerry’s signature flavors, a flavor in which pretty much every person I know ranks among their top 5. The gelato has a creamy, almost milky texture that is hard to understand if you’ve never experienced it. At 200 calories per serving, I’m not sure I could ask for much more from this base. Gelato is amazing in the fact that in terms of weight, a serving packs the same heft as a super premium ice cream, but its soft nature makes the act of consuming it so much easier. This can make it very dangerous for those who don’t look to eat the whole pint in one sitting so be forewarned. After the initial shock from the amazing base starts to wear off, I dig deeper in pursuit of the mix-ins.

It definitely doesn’t take long to hit the mix-ins even though the surface was devoid of them. First I went for the caramel. It definitely through me for a loop because I was in full on cinnamon buns mode and was expecting a cinnamon packed swirl, but instead got a smooth natural caramel. The swirl is extremely sweet and packs the punch of a dulce de leche. The caramel immediately sent me back to childhood and the individually wrapped square caramels I used to get from by grandparents. Any ice cream that invokes nostalgia is a winner in my book. The pieces of pie crust are quite abundant immediately under the surface. Their buttery texture and slight crunch give a different mouth feel that is needed in a pint as velvety as this. How they managed to get the consistency of the crust such that it retains its “fresh out of the bakery” texture is beyond me. I think a crispy mix-in is typically vital for great ice cream so the fact that the crust pieces vary in both size and the amount of crunch is welcomed.

Halfway through the pint and I finally hit an apple. To be honest I had been so pleased with the rest of the offering I had forgotten apples were supposed to be a mix-in. The apples provide a chewy mouth feel with the consistency of partially dried fruit. The sweet, natural sugar flavor is unlike anything else in the pint and is quite distinguishable when in a spoonful with everything else. I’m slightly sad it took so long to find one, but the sudden wealth of them now makes it hard to complain. I still prefer ice cream to gelato, but the amazing base combined with 3 unique, well matched mix-ins has gone a long way toward changing my mind on what gelato has to offer.

Where Derek Found It: Weis Markets
Derek's Grade: A

REVIEW: The Fresh Market Apple Pie Ice Cream

Whenever I’m across town near The Fresh Market, I always stop in to see if they have any interesting flavors from the likes of Steve’s, Graeter’s or Jeni’s. After scanning over their selection of pints for a few minutes, I was ready to walk out empty handed. Over the past year, I’d talked myself into trying some of the prepackaged gelatos from The Fresh Market and remembering how they had been above average, I moved on to see what some of the larger containers had to offer. Passing over the gelato, it was their Apple Pie ice cream that caught my attention this time. Apple pie themed flavors always seem to sit well with me and the description of vanilla ice cream with chunks of apple, cinnamon swirls & pie crust pieces sounded particularly enticing.

The $4.99 plus tax that I charged to my card secured me 12 servings of premium ice cream that would set me back a measly 160 calories each. After returning home and lifting off the lid, the first layer looked promising. Littered within the off-white, vanilla ice cream, exposed pieces of pie crust and concentrated splotches of cinnamon swirl had me reminiscing on apple pie ice cream experiences of the past before I dug in. The Fresh Market’s vanilla has a consistency that’s in line with other premium, generic ice creams, which is still dense enough to be considered premium ice cream, while still lacking the high butterfat content to stick around for an extended period of time. Even though I tried to fill my spoon with just the base, the cinnamon-sugar flavoring from the pie crust and swirls had infiltrated the vanilla (in a good way).

Perhaps the most important part of a pie-themed flavor are the pie crust pieces and these rank among the best I’ve had. These various sized chunks not only provide a crunchy texture, but also brings some authenticity to the whole apple pie experience. While the description had me worried about oversized slivers of frozen apples, The Fresh Market keeps restricts their size to avoid an icy consistency. It wasn't until I landed a bite featuring a sizable cluster of pie crust and a large concentration of cinnamon swirl that I realized the full potential of this flavor. The potent, cinnamon sugar stripes combined with the pie crust and vanilla to create one of the better apple pie ice cream interpretations I’ve ever had. So if you’ve tried all the interesting options from the top tier brands at The Fresh Market, keep your eye open for their own brand of gelatos and ice creams. They’ve proven to be pretty dependable.

Where I Found It: The Fresh Market
Grade: B

REVIEW: New Orleans Ice Cream Co. Hubig's Apple Pie

Still elated at the fact that I had just received some samples from New Orleans Ice Cream Company, I had the difficult task of choosing my first victim. Fortunately, there was a clear-cut winner to show me the way. I've had this pint in my cart at Ice Cream Source on numerous occasions, but I've always hesitated to the pull trigger after seeing the high price tag for shipping. I was turned on to Hubig's famous fried pies by a friend of mine on my last trip through New Orleans. All the flavors were tremendously tasty, but the apple ones were a step above the rest.

These little fried pockets of dough and fruit filling are phenomenal all on their own and lucky for us, New Orleans Ice Cream Company has decided to come along, break these heavenly pillows into bite-sized pieces, and throw them into their super-smooth vanilla bean ice cream. Unfortunately for me, I live too far away from Louisiana to get close enough to purchase either of these products. Then to make matters worse, on July 27th, tragedy struck Savory Simon. A fire resulted in a total loss of this New Orleans landmark; a story that gained nationwide attention due to the plentiful amount of Hubig's pie lovers out there. Pie lovers that have gone as far as tattooing the cartoon baker on their body.

Now that these pies won't be produced for a while, and maybe permanently, scarcity is already becoming a factor. These pies are selling regularly on eBay for up to 20 times their original purchase price. Now, against all things logistic, I was holding a pint that was rapidly approaching extinction. Using an ingredient as incredible as these famous fried pies, the vanilla bean ice cream could probably get away with being sub-par, but New Orleans Ice Cream Company wouldn't rely solely on the mix-ins. After pulling off the top to this gem, it felt a bit like I was opening a valuable, vintage Star Wars figurine, still in the original plastic wrapper.

The subtle sheen of the vanilla ice cream looked innocent enough. Only a few small speckles of Hubig's finest have managed to find their way to the top. I spooned out a heaping scoop of the 240 calorie per serving, super premium ice cream and take my first taste from New Orleans Ice Cream Company. Before even hitting the fragments of fried dough, I can't help but notice how exceptional the vanilla bean base turns out to be. Smooth, rich and easily better than most other vanilla ice creams on the market. Usually acting as a vehicle for other components, vanilla can be overlooked, but the fine folks at New Orleans Ice Cream Company put their vanilla bean base on the front line. After fully appreciating the base, I'm ready for the bits of pie.

These start out small, adding a tremendous aftertaste of fried apple pie to the tail-end of each bite. As I worked my way through the pint, the pieces became increasingly more bulky. By throwing different sized pieces of these pies about this vanilla bean ice cream, you get at least a few chunks in every bite, and some rather large lumps along the way: a great approach to ice cream. I greedily wish that all the hunks were humongous, but by varying in size, it really helps the overall performance of the flavor.

The vanilla bean ice cream and Hubig's Apple Pie pieces were accompanied by sweet ribbon of apple fruit filling which added thick, gelatinous texture to the crumbly pie. This slice of Americana was one of those few flavors that live up to the hype of my preconceived notions. It was a bittersweet moment polishing off the last bite. Not only because I was out of this wonderful ice cream, but also because this flavor might be going on a long hiatus until Hubig's can manage to rebuild after such a catastrophic setback.

Where I Found It: Ice Cream Source
Grade: A

REVIEW: Talenti Caramel Apple Pie

It took drooling over a few Reader Reviews we received of Talenti’s Caramel Apple Pie before we were finally able to secure a carton for ourselves. With a description like this, picking up this pint was a no brainer, "An abundance of real cinnamon sticks are used to make our signature cinnamon gelato. Pieces of apples and sweet flaky piecrust are blended into the cinnamon gelato. Finally a caramel swirl is added for a unique take on caramel apple pie.”

After untwisting the signature Talenti top, the tame first layer soon gave way to an ample amount of mix-ins. The cinnamon base is extremely smooth, perfectly spiced, and serves as the perfect foundation for this flavor. The plentiful pieces of apple and pie crust not only add authentic texture, but pair especially well with the actual gelato. Combine all that with a drizzle of Talenti’s coveted caramel swirl and you have an A-worthy creation.

Where I Found It: The Fresh Market
Grade: A

REVIEW: Coolhaus Renzo Apple Pie-Ano Ice Cream Sandwich

Back in July of last year we ran a small story on Coolhaus, a startup company that had started selling gourmet ice cream sandwiches via food trucks, food carts and even a few storefronts. Since launching at the Coachella Music Festival in April of 2009, over 4 years ago, we’d only read about the phenomenon. That is until we stumbled upon some of their prepackaged sandwiches in our local Earth Fare. The Renzo Apple Pie-ano seemed like the perfect place to start.

For this flavor Coolhaus takes two oatmeal raisin cookies and stuffs a substantial scoop of baked apple ice cream. Following our first bite, the 470 calories per sandwich seemed like a small price to pay. The soft, moist oatmeal raisin cookies were good enough to receive praise all on their own, but once they were paired with cool, baked apple ice cream, an elite level was reached.

If you enjoy mix-ins with your ice cream, and even more so if you like apple-themed desserts, it doesn't get much better than this ice cream sammie. While companies like Three Twins have showed us the capability of pre-packaged sandwiches, Coolhaus took things up a notch. We seriously suggest picking up a few of these if you have access.

Where I Found It: Earth Fare
Grade: A