Steve's Review of Blue Bell Mardi Gras King Cake (Seasonal, Gulf Coast Exclusive)

Wow! Mardi Gras season down here in Cajun country doesn't start until January 6th, but I was pleased to pass by my local Walmart and notice that Blue Bell has gotten a jump start on those festivities by releasing Mardi Gras King Cake, a flavor exclusive to the Gulf Coast region, stretching from the Florida panhandle to east Texas. Blue Bell says that this is a Cinnamon ice cream with pastry pieces, candy sparkles, and a cream cheese swirl, which by my reckoning hits the major King Cake ingredients, and since I always enjoy a good King Cake, I plunged the spoon in eagerly.

This ice cream is pretty delicious! The best part is the base, which tastes like the same rich cinnamon concoction that works so well in their Gingerbread House flavor. Also noteworthy are the pieces of pastry, which are really round chunks of cake. While these do not have the consistency and taste of classic King Cake pastry, their cinnamon spiciness is welcome, they are provided in generous quantity, and combine very nicely with the thick green cream cheese sauce that winds its way throughout. Unlike in some Blue Bell flavors, the candy pieces are substantial, they add taste and are not just window dressing, but they do have the aesthetic effect of reminding you that this is a "King Cake" offering.

Overall, the combination of the cinnamon base, pastry/cake pieces, and cream cheese sauce adds up to a very satisfying treat. I was initially unsure how cinnamon ice cream might combine with cream cheese, but the impact on the taste buds is pleasurable. I rate this flavor a half-notch below the top level but still, this is well-worth grabbing if you live in Mardi Gras territory in the deep south.

Where Steve Found It: Walmart
Steve's Grade: A

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: Mayfield Snickerdoodle

The bright yellow cartons of Mayfield ice cream always catch my eye when I'm browsing the freezer aisles. I've always assumed that this was a low-quality, mass production operation that based their company on quantity sold rather than quality involved. But lately, this Braselton, Georgia based dairy has been placing some impressive sounding selections into circulation. Born and bred in the South, Mayfield makes a long list of products, including milk, sweet beverages, cottage cheese and of course, ice cream. After being enticed by flavors such as Blueberry Cream Pie and Peppermint Stick, I ultimately decided on Snickerdoodle to act as my first sample.

I've always been envious of those who had the opportunity to try Ben & Jerry's Snickerdoodle Cookie, so this was a chance for me try a flavor based on one of my favorite confections. After pulling off the yellow lid and removing the plastic seal, the first layer leaves a lot to be desired. Containing only 150 calories per half cup serving, this seems to be consistent with companies like Edy's. Although not marketed as a seasonal offering, Snickerdoodle cookies always tend to remind me of holidays spent with family. The cinnamon cookie flavored base breaks away easily as my spoon begins to scoop out a big bowl.

I secure a sample of the base ice cream and dig in. Although it's overly sweet, the cinnamon cookie aspect brings about some spice to balance out the overall flavor. The density is comparable to that of Blue Bunny or Turkey Hill, lacking the gummy texture of frozen dairy dessert. It doesn't take long to begin melting down, but still should provide a suitable foundation for the actual chunks of cookies. Although I was hoping for some homemade hunks of Snickerdoodle, these weren't entirely up to my standards. Completely uniform in size, these small tidbits were closer to cookie dough in appearance than actual baked cookies.

These were denser than standard cookie dough, but contained the same granular texture as they break down, a trait that I've grown to take enjoyment from. Bursting with cinnamon and butter, these bits of Snickerdoodle compliment the cinnamon cookie base efficiently enough. Although I would have loved an incorporated swirl, for only 150 calories per serving, this was still pleasant. I'll definitely keep an eye out for some of their more interesting flavors to bring on board to the blog in the future.

Where I Found It: Ingles Markets
Grade: D

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Chunk (Discontinued, Refreeze Edition)

This post is a bittersweet one to write. Ben & Jerry’s recently discontinued Oatmeal Cookie Chunk is regarded by many as the company’s best flavors. It has also been the pint that has eluded me for the entirety of this blog’s existence. I’ve made multiple attempts to arrange shipping from other ice cream enthusiasts across the country, but it just proves too difficult and too expensive in the end. That is until a fellow ice cream enthusiasts realized my agony and became my new best friend by parting with one of this own personal pints of Oatmeal Cookie Chunk.

Fast forward two days. The package has arrived and unfortunately the dry ice hadn’t survived the cross country trip. I sat looking at the soggy pint with disbelief and quickly popped it into the freezer and covered it with ice to salvage anything inside. Nothing had leaked out of the pint itself, but I could tell everything inside was like soup. After letting everything harden overnight, I popped open the top to find what you see below. At this point it would seem fate just doesn’t want Oatmeal Cookie Chunk and I to cross paths.

I’ve only had a melted and then refrozen pint once before. While the taste was slightly effected, the consistency is really what becomes compromised. There’s still no way that I wasn’t going to at least try a few bites of what used to be a 260 calorie per serving combination of sweet cream cinnamon ice cream with chunks of oatmeal cookies & fudge.

As expected, the first few layers were rock hard. It was also worth noting that there weren’t any mix-ins throughout the first two thirds of the carton. They’d all settled at the bottom before being refrozen. The result was that the last few layers were pure oatmeal cookies and chocolate bits. Of the few bites I did try, the cinnamon seemed to be a nice touch to the sweet cream flavoring as far as the actual ice cream was concerned and seemed to work very well with the cookies and chocolate. It was a bit odd seeing fudge instead of the usual raisins found in oatmeal cookies, but wasn’t a deal breaker.

I’ll hold judgement until the ice cream gods can finally bring us together, but I see this sneaking into the upper echelon of my personal rankings once that time comes.

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

READER REVIEW: Elliot's Review of Greenfield Decadent Chocolate Sorbet, Vanilla Honey Crumble and Sticky Pecan

This composite review summarizes my thoughts on a few flavors already covered on ICI. My expertly packed shipment from Greenfield Ice Cream Company (est. 2011) arrived frozen solid, awash with a wide variety of flavors. The flavors we reached for first have already been covered on this site. We wanted to weigh in, too.

The Decadent Chocolate Sorbet is something special. The depth of flavor is excellent. I'd love to see them try some other non-traditional sorbets, like a peanut butter sorbet.

Greenfield Decadent Chocolate Sorbet

For their ice creams, Greenfield steeps the ingredients in their custard base. This results in a deep, full-flavored taste without exception for both flavors : Vanilla Honey Crumble & Sticky Pecan. Inclusions and variegates are also nicely flavored, and balance well with the ice cream with regard to flavor. However, achieving an excellent balance of flavor and texture is extremely challenging, especially without stabilizers or thickeners.

Greenfield Vanilla Honey Crumble

The Vanilla Honey Crumble melted down into a puddle almost immediately. The moisture penetrated the crumble, creating a slightly soggy texture. While the vanilla flavor was lovely, pronounced and accentuated by the sweetness of the honey and sugar, the ice cream itself was flat.

Greenfield Sticky Pecan

The Sticky Pecan flavor was also nicely seasoned. The pecans themselves were very sweet; nicely sugared and spiced. The ice cream here was noticeably higher overrun; a casualty of batch mixing. I'd take a bite and the ice cream would disappear on my tongue like cotton candy, revealing the air mixed into the base in the batch freezing process.

Greenfield Sticky Pecan

From Greenfield : "We cook our custard from scratch and hand churn to keep the quality the highest possible as you would make it in your own kitchen. We then hand number each pint in batches which are no bigger than 3 gallons." While that sounds like a plus, the downside is that consistency is better achieved on a larger scale. Batch freezers are great for producing ice cream quickly for a dinner party or in a restaurant setting, but they beat up the ice cream and force a lot of air into it creating an inconsistent and higher overrun product. Producing a consistently balanced product using a batch freezer to make small batches is extremely challenging. To compete successfully with heavyweight artisan producers means firing on all cylinders and consistently producing a complete product that is balanced in terms of flavor and texture.

Where Elliot Found Them: GreenfieldIceCream.com
Elliot's Grade: B for all

REVIEW: Jeni's Sweet Potato with Torched Marshmallows

After Jeni’s Loveless Biscuits + Peach Jam nearly stole the top overall spot on my all time favorite ice cream list, I had heightened expectations for the other pint I brought back with me from Nashville. Sweet Potato with Torched Marshmallows is broken down as pulverized roasted sweet potatoes (grown for us at Hirsch Fruit Farm in Chillicothe, Ohio) blended into grass-grazed cream with red-hot Vietnamese cinnamon and studded with made-from-scratch (blow torched) marshmallows. Sweet Potatoes are one of my favorite foods, both sweet and savory, so I was really looking forward to this one; especially at an easily manageable 220 calories per serving.

Like all the past hand packed pints I’ve bought from Jeni’s, this one was also filled to the brim with a pale orange ice cream that showed off the red-hot Vietnamese cinnamon flecks. The consistency is top-notch as expected and the taste is just as impressive. The initial flavoring can easily be mistaken for pumpkin, but once it fully develops, the distinguishable taste of a sweet potatoes come through. While it may sound strange, it was delicious. The large, made-from-scratch marshmallows were worthy sidekicks to the unique base and almost gave this the effect of a sweet potato pie ice with their blow torched exterior. While this couldn’t quite top the performance of Loveless Biscuits + Peach Jam, this was still an easy A.

Where I Found It: Jeni's 12 South Scoop Shop (Nashville, TN)
Grade: A

REVIEW: Blue Bell Gingerbread House (Holiday Favorite Limited Edition)

While most companies have barely rolled out their Fall and Thanksgiving flavors, Blue Bell has wasted no time getting straight into the Christmas Spirit. After reading the description of this gold-rimmed beauty above, it seems like I've saved the last of Blue Bell's holiday favorite's flavors for last. Having previously reviewed Christmas Cookies, Pumpkin Pecan Spice and Peppermint, this half gallon of Gingerbread House combines cinnamon ice cream with gingerbread pieces, festive sprinkles, miniature marshmallows and a vanilla icing swirl together to create this succulent sounding selection. Besides the festive sprinkles that are also found in their Christmas Cookies flavor, this will be my first experience with nearly all of the components included inside this gingerbread based ice cream.

210 calories per serving seems like a small price to pay for the plethora of goodies packed inside this carton. After lifting off the lid, I'm left looking at a first layer that looks nearly identical to that of Christmas Cookies, perhaps only a slightly darker shade of beige as a result of the cinnamon base. This is one of the rare occurrences where a flavor shows it's entire hand from the beginning. The cinnamon ice cream is riddled with red and green sprinkles, loaded with small white pillows of marshmallows and not so effectively hidden hunks of real gingerbread. Much like their other seasonal selections, this is right in line with the consistency of previous Blue Bell flavors I've had.

As I begin to fill my bowl to the brim, my excitement waxes, while my patience wanes. I throw the scoop aside and grab a spoon to secure some of the cinnamon base. The thick and flavorful foundation is overly sweet, but incorporates just enough cinnamon spice to balance out the sugar. Seeing as how the base is so bombarded with other ingredients, it's really hard to taste only the cinnamon. The red and green sprinkles make their way into nearly every bite, adding a slight crunch that gives way to the subtle flavor of the Christmas colored candies, all while enhancing the aesthetics. The visible vanilla icing swirl adds even more texture and is certainly reminiscent of the piped icing lining gingerbread houses during the holidays.

Marshmallows are usually incorporated into ice cream in the form of a swirl, but after having a few of these, I'm willing to jump ship to the authentic mallow cylinders found in this container. Adding the unique, squishy texture that only marshmallows possess, these fluffy mix-ins set the stage for the highlight of the carton. As you can see from the pictures, every serving is loaded with a ton of gingerbread. These pieces bring back memories of the soft, chewy cookies found in Christmas Cookies. The unmistakable flavor of gingerbread is the perfect addition to all the sugar and cinnamon.

Don't expect to find stale, month old gingerbread house leftovers inside this one. These pieces taste fresh out of the oven, even retaining their pliability despite sitting in a half gallon of frozen ice cream. Although these pieces are larger than any of the other mix-ins and there's a decent amount of spice incorporated, the gingerbread only adds to the sweetness. My insatiable sweet tooth was highly impressed. So much so that Gingerbread House shot ahead of Dessert Trio in the Blue Bell rankings.

Where I Found It: Publix Super Markets
Grade: A

READER REVIEW: Steve's Review of Blue Bell Spiced Pumpkin Pecan (Holiday Favorite Limited Edition)

After having sampled Blue Bell's Christmas Cookies and Fudge Divinity, I felt compelled to give yet another one of their Holiday seasonal flavors a try, so say hello to Spiced Pumpkin Pecan. The container promised a spiced pumpkin ice cream with sugar-coated pecans and rich cinnamon-honey-praline sauce. Since I love every single ingredient mentioned, I couldn't wait to dig in!

Peeling back the lid, I was greeted by a pleasant sight: the base ice cream, rather than looking like a vanilla with some kind of pumpkin flavoring feebly mixed in, had the rich brownish-orange look of pure pumpkin. Even better was the sight of a thick dark honey-colored ribbon of cinnamon that was pooling plentifully on the surface. Digging in, my spoon quickly encountered the crunch of the pecans. However, at first glance these pecans were disappointing: Instead of the larger, whole-sized pecans Blue Bell mixes in to their Pecan Praline flavor, these were the smaller pecan pieces that characterized their Fudge Divinity offering, pieces that added little to that flavor's taste. But this initial evaluation proved to be misleading: Biting in to the ice cream, I quickly realized that the sugar-coating on these pecans makes them a very welcome addition to Spiced Pumpkin Pecan's taste. Still, the real reason I polished this tub off in record time is the fantastic base and copious cinnamon swirl. The base ice cream has a rich, nutmeg-pumpkin flavor definitely evocative of a good pumpkin pie filling. Complimenting this perfectly is the thick cinnamon ribbon that does indeed combine both honey and praline flavors. As can be seen below, this ribbon is provided in a generous quantity that drenches the ice cream and pecans making each spoonful a blissful treat. I am not sure that even this picture does justice to the sheer quantity of cinnamon swirl, as my spoon constantly broke through what appeared to be a solid ice cream surface into yet another rich subterranean pool of sauce.

I highly recommend Spiced Pumpkin Pecan to anyone with a sweet tooth aching to be satisfied with a smorgasbord of pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, pecan, honey, and praline flavors. At this time of the year, it hit just the right spot! But a warning: If you are in more of a savory mood, pick something else, as this flavor is sweet with a capital "S".

Where Steve Found It: Winn-Dixie

Steve's Grade: A

READER REVIEW: Elliot's Review of McConnell's Churros Con Leche

When McConnell’s arrived at a local grocer a few months back, one of the flavors that the staff recommended was Churros con Leche. This is one of the new flavors that the team at McConnell’s developed since company ownership changed hands in early 2012.

My love for cinnamon sugar flavors is expansive, ranging from cinnamon buns to apple pie, whether incarnated in ice cream or pastry form. Churros are one of the best imaginings of fried dough ever created, and something I’d not encountered in ice cream. My predilection combined with some strong recommendations set off what I hoped to be a countdown to ecstasy.

At first taste, the essence of the vanilla and cinnamon base remind me of a nice, cool horchata, exactly what McConnell's was aiming for. As rich as their bases are, I was captivated by the way this flavor broke down into a thinner viscosity reminiscent of a horchata, adding authenticity to the experience.

The churros pieces themselves are scattered evenly throughout the pint. Their texture is closer to churro cookie dough pieces, denser and doughier than a hot, crisp churro, providing a grainy, sugary mouthfeel. This was the first McConnell’s pint I re-purchased, even before making my way through the broad local selection. It is one of a kind. Arriving at a dinner party with this in hand is a sure fire way to be invited back.

Where Elliot Found It: Straub's Market
Elliot's Grade: A