About a week ago, one of our readers submitted a Freezer Find of a new, limited edition Talenti Gelato flavor that hadn’t been seen in stores before. After speaking to a representative, he discovered that Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel is currently only available in Publix Super Markets throughout the Southeast. Although they didn't divulge any further information, I assume the limited availability means that this latest offering is being tested to see how well it sells before making adding this to their normal list of flavors; much like they did with German Chocolate Cake. After scanning the aisles of three different Publix locations, I finally found the one lone pint pictured above that would serve as my first taste of peanut butter gelato. After unscrewing the lid to this 260-calorie-per-serving, super-premium gelato, the first layer looks similar to many of their others; light in color with plenty of darker striped swirls. I consider Talenti’s caramel base as one of the best around, so I’m hoping for the same success from its peanut butter brethren.
Once I let the clear pint sit at room temperature for a few minutes, I scooped out my first bite; free of any of the chocolate swirls or chocolate covered pretzels. Just as expected, the texture and consistency of Talenti’s gelato are top-notch. As of late, it seems they’ve been able to capture the velvety feel better than in the past. All of their recently released flavors, such as Argentine Caramel and Southern Butter Pecan, just seem smoother than many of their earlier options. As far as taste is concerned, the peanut butter gelato is rich and complex. I’ve had plenty of simple peanut butter bases, but this gelato packs more of a sweet, full-bodied punch than its ice cream counterpart. While this may not be quite as amazing as their caramel gelato, it’s not far behind either. To accompany this peanut butter ice cream, they've chosen to add a chocolate swirl and a lot of chocolate covered pretzels. These long, skinny pretzels are more plentiful than most of the mix-ins I’ve seen from Talenti; enough to make their way into nearly every single bite.
The first few I came across had a rich, chocolate outer shell that melted away quickly and left behind a slightly salty pretzel with an audible crunch. Unfortunately, from them on, nearly half of the pretzels were stale and soggy. The gelato had consistently infiltrated the chocolate coating and had compromised the integrity of the pretzel sitting inside. Considering the effect of the fresh, crunchy pretzels, it’s a shame to see this flavor’s performance be effected by a bum mix-ins. With all the concentration I had been directing towards the pretzels, I nearly forgot about the chocolate swirl. Once again, it left me disappointed. Besides enhancing the pint aesthetically, it doesn’t offer much in the taste or texture categories. I had been extremely excited about the combination of peanut butter, chocolate and pretzels in super-premium gelato, but the mediocre mix-ins really left some serious room for improvement. If Talenti could correct the problem with their pretzels (and possibly ramp up the effectiveness of the chocolate swirl), this would be a real winner. Regardless, with all the chocolate peanut butter pretzels flavors floating around, I still expect to see this option added to their normal rotation sometime soon.
Where I Found It: Publix
Grade: B
