After dropping by a local supermarket, one that I rarely visit, I strolled down the freezer aisle before I made my way to checkout. I had thought I might miss out on this month's limited edition flavor from Turkey Hill since I hadn't been able to find a store that offered more than a few of their standard, non-seasonal selections. Sitting in a row all by itself, this lone, violet-rimmed carton of Gertrude Hawk Box of Chocolates and I had been destined to cross paths. The combination of milk chocolate ice cream with dark chocolate raspberry cups, chocolate almonds and white chocolate chunks swirled with chocolate chips sounded like the perfect ice cream to examine considering the circumstances. As an added bonus, the $2.99 sale price would prove to be much easier on the wallet than what I had planned with my own Valentine later that evening.
After removing the lid, the first layer showed a full array of chocolate components. The light brown, nearly grey, milk chocolate ice cream didn't make much of an effort to hide the raspberry cups, chocolate almonds, chocolate chips, or white chocolate chunks that poked through to the top. Turkey Hill's Box of Chocolates contains 170 calories per serving, but still has that light, fluffy consistency that tends to remain in it's frozen state more effectively than many others of the same density. Since this was my first experience with their chocolate ice cream, I was a bit underwhelmed by how mild and uncomplex their chocolate ice cream proved to be following my first bite. Banking on the fact that the other chocolate ingredients would push this flavor forward, I moved on to the fudge covered almonds, which can be found broken up inside nearly every bite. Their redeeming quality lies in the fact that the almonds have stayed connected to the chocolate outer shell, which adds a bit of texture and a rich aftertaste. The white chocolate chunks are found less frequently than their almond counterparts. These deserve not to be chewed, but allowed to melt down slowly so their unique taste can be fully appreciated.
The real highlight of this limited edition flavor comes in the form of the dark chocolate raspberry cups that are found buried among the milk chocolate ice cream. The mini mix-ins have a crunchy outer shell, that when cracked, release a sweet, then slightly tart raspberry sauce to commingle with the varying chocolates. Even the consistency of the sauce inside is the same stuffing you'd find inside an actual Dark Chocolate Raspberry Heart from Gertrude Hawk chocolates. Despite all the differing chocolates contained inside this carton, Box of Chocolates avoids the overly rich attribute others can't seem to avoid. This results in an ice cream that's easy to eat, but isn't able to beat out some of it's limited edition competition, Pumpkin Pie and Coconut Cream Pie. Considering the season, this one still deserves seeking out so you can share a bowl with your significant other.
Where I Found It: Food Lion
Grade: C
