A few times a month, my day job requires me to travel out of town. On the return trip I just so happen to pass by a Publix, a supermarket not currently available where I live. With this in mind, I've packed an ice-filled, Styrofoam cooler the past few times I’ve made the trip in order to pick up some usually unobtainable ice cream. Flavors like their Publix Premium Caramel Coast Getaway and Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Sensation were so surprising that I’ve made it a priority to pick up some of their latest limited editions. About a month ago I received a Freezer Finds submission from a reader that let me know they had released three new flavors. While Black Swamp Raspberry Cheesecake and Pineapple Upside Down Cake sounded enticing, I had my eyes set on Lemon Sugar Cookie: lemon sugar cookie ice cream with lemon sugar cookies and ribbons of vanilla icing. I’ve enjoyed similar flavors such as Blue Bell's Lemon Bliss and Lemon Cookie from Three Twins, so I was hoping this generic option could rival that of the competition.
Publix manages to keep their Lemon Sugar Cookie to only 180 calories per serving, a reasonably low number considering this is a premium ice cream containing cookies. After removing the lid and the protective plastic seal, the first layer is a pale yellow color and shows off plenty of the lemon sugar cookies littered about. Similar to many of the other Publix Premium flavors, this one scoops out easily and lacks the density of a high-butterfat pint of super-premium. Although I prefer the feel of dense ice creams, the flavors involved in Lemon Sugar Cookie are hard to argue with. The lemon sugar cookie base is able to accomplish something I’ve failed to find elsewhere. Instead of the typical tartness associated with citrus ice cream, Publix has somehow incorporated a base bursting with the taste of sugar cookies and only a little amount of lemon.
Publix Premium tends to be hit or miss with the amount of mix-ins they decide to include in their cartons, but they decided to go heavy on their chunks of lemon sugar cookies. These bright yellow bits of crumbly cookie started out crunchy and broke down slowly as I chewed; all the while releasing a more concentrated version of the flavors found in the base ice cream. The ribbons of vanilla icing only enhance the incredible combination of lemon cookies and ice cream. This swirl isn’t easily seen, nor does it add much texture, but bites containing some are the best of the bunch. Publix’s ice cream impersonation of an iced lemon sugar cookie is spot-on and just another reason to continue to pack a cooler on my out of town trips.
Where I Found It: Publix
Grade: A
