I went to college in Upstate New York, where, as anyone who’s spent a fair amount of time in the region will attest to, the winters can be downright brutal. In fact, the weather got so cold at times that I actually found myself going weeks on end without eating ice cream for fear that doing so might cause my insides to frost over. But no matter how cold it got, I’d eventually come to miss my ice cream, at which point I’d head over to Wegmans and pick up a carton of Perry’s.
Years later, I came upon an amazing discovery while venturing over to a not so convenient but somewhat local Wegmans: Perry’s ice cream is actually available in New Jersey. I didn’t think this was possible, but sure enough, with a visit to Wegmans (a treat unto itself) came the opportunity to stock up on one of my all-time favorite brands.
Since I’ve been on somewhat of a caramel kick lately, I decided to dig into Caramel Cup Craze, a flavor described as “vanilla ice cream with caramel swirls and mini caramel cups.” Now if you’ve never had Perry’s ice cream before, the following may be a little difficult to grasp, so I’ll do my best to explain: The base had that unmistakable richness and creaminess Perry’s is known for. There’s just something about the way Perry’s makes ice cream that results in wonderful airiness and flavor, and Caramel Cup Craze is no exception. And while the base itself is satisfying on its own, the swirls and cups do a fantastic job of infusing some strong caramel flavors into the vanilla without going overboard on sweetness.
Of course, the fact that Perry’s is fairly generous on the mix-ins helps this flavor shine. The caramel cups are more than abundant, and they serve the dual purpose of enhancing the vanilla while offering a nice degree of textural contrast.
You know how sometimes you build something up in your head and eventually wind up disappointed when you realize you overhyped it? Yeah, that didn’t happen here. After many years of longing for Perry's, I was convinced that the ice cream wouldn't end up tasting as good as I remembered it, but Caramel Cup Craze truly exceeded my expectations. And as an added bonus, this time I got to eat it without freezing my tail off during the heart of winter in Upstate NY. I’d call that a win-win situation all around.
Where Mo Found It: Wegmans
Mo's Grade: A
