Of the two Walgreens exclusive flavors currently being featured, Midnight Cookies & Cream had been my first choice. The chocolate ice cream, chocolate fudge ribbons and chocolatey wafer cookies had exceeded my expectations, but lately, Pralines & Cream had started attracting some attention around the ice cream blogosphere. Following Mike's most recent review, I couldn't resist the temptation any longer. I had been looking for an excuse to revisit the signature vanilla found in Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough for a while now. I was well aware of how incredible their ribbons of golden caramel could be after encountering them in Dulce de Leche and Caramel Cone. The last ingredient, the sweet and nutty praline pecans, would be the deciding factor on whether or not Pralines & Cream would be able to surpass it's previously reviewed flavors. Judging from the pictures provided by Mike, I should have been prepared for what I was about to find hiding beneath the white plastic seal.
With the top fully removed, it's hard to imagine a more impressive looking first layer. Resisting the urge to dig into the caramel and praline pecans before taking pictures, I glance over the nutrition label, noticing that this particular flavor packs in 280 calories per serving. This is confirmed with the strong resistance against my spoon, especially when compared to some of the lighter offerings from Edy's and Blue Bunny I've been trying lately. The ribbons of golden caramel have become so involved with the vanilla base that it's best to just try them together. This heavy, sweet, succulent mixture of vanilla and caramel melts down slowly, allowing time for full appreciation of all the complex flavors and textures involved. The vanilla ice cream isn't shy with the vanilla flavoring, providing a sweet, more-intense version than that used by others. The caramel swirl is sticky and strings up from the ice cream when pulling out a bite.
The combination of the two provide a near-perfect base for the last ingredient, the sweet, nutty praline pecans. I've never been a supporter of any kind of nuts in ice cream, and only on a few occasions have I really enjoyed a flavor featuring any, but the hard, crunchy texture typically reaps little benefit as far as taste is concerned. At least that's what I thought until I had the praline pecans used by Häagen-Dazs. These nuts are soft and lack the hard, frozen feel that some have suffered from. The super-sweet, sugar-laced coating on the outside immediately made these pecans some of my favorite. When enveloped in vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, this flavor's full potential is finally realized. Although this concept isn't terribly complicated, the attention to detail and high quality of each ingredient bring Pralines & Cream right to the brink of the elite.
Where I Found It: Walgreens
Grade: A
