Having closely followed and read news and reviews for Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Jam Session flavor, I was dreaming about the aesthetics and taste of the peanut butter base and intermixing peanut butter and raspberry swirls. My impetus for making the bus trip in the torrential downpour after a long Monday was in pursuit of that flavor. I lose all sense of rationality and discipline when I see “peanut butter,” especially in ice cream. While hoarding as many of those pints as a cart could fit, I caught the Rockin’ Blondies flavor sitting on the shelf and swapped a Peanut Butter Jam Session for the sake of diversity.
Whereas my mind was primed for the known and rich taste of Peanut Butter Jam Session, I had no idea of what to expect from Rockin’ Blondies (Fair Trade certified). The description under the cow: buttery brown sugar ice cream with blonde brownies and butterscotch toffee flakes. I do not care for butterscotch, toffee is the ultimate whatever flavor, and the base lacked the visceral appeal of a peanut butter or caramel. Regardless, I embarked on my exotic excursion. One of my favorite aspects of the Ben & Jerry’s pint-demolishing experience is absorbing the aromatics upon lifting off the lid. It passed the smell test with flying colors.
Digging into a Ben & Jerry’s pint is an effervescent feeling that I want to capture and preserve forever. It took a few bites to reach the mix-ins, but the wait was worth it because those mix-ins were glorious. Toffee and butterscotch are flavors I would expect my mother or grandmother to adore – the kind that masquerades around as dessert, but actually is a facsimile. I could not be more off-kilter; the gooey blond pieces were the highlight of the pint and the butterscotch flakes contributed the perfect crunch. Yogurt and ice cream benefit immensely with an added crunch and I endeavored to include those flakes in each bite. I found myself evading the base, seeking out those individual flakes and blonde brownies. Unfortunately, that is an indictment against the base. I am not familiar with blondies nor do I have a connection with them, but I would favor using these mix-ins with a different base, even something like vanilla. The base was totally nondescript and I have a bit of a bad taste in my mouth from it. Despite this being a premium Ben & Jerry’s flavor, the base felt light rather than the density I am acclimated to relishing. Thankfully the mix-ins were abundant and made the pint worth the purchase.
I am glad that I tried out this flavor, but I would have been severely disappointed if I had made the Target expedition for this solely. It is something I would get to knock off the old checklist, but it is not making a challenge for my top five. This is a suitable compliment to Peanut Butter Jam Session, but next time I am there, I will not be swapping Peanut Butter Jam Session for this. If I do, I will have to extract the mix-ins and toss those in with a different base (maybe the Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla flavor).
Where Arjun Found It: Target
Arjun's Grade: B
