While missing out on excellent flavors available in other regions of the country such as Blue Bell, I am in the prime location for Turkey Hill. Turkey Hill does not challenge the limits of ice cream innovation or present unique flavors, but its combinations are tried and true.
Cookie dough is my go-to-flavor whenever I am trying a brand or parlor for the first time, so it is my barometer for that brand’s appeal and competence. Peeling off the elongated lid on the 12-serving, 6-cup container, the flavor reveals itself as an aesthetic delight hanging true with the description of brown sugar and molasses flavored ice cream swirled with chewy cookie dough and dark chocolate chips (from Turkey Hill’s website). The chocolate chips coyly pop up in the surface like shy kid hiding behind a door; you know that they are there but it will take effort to get them out. One of the two mix-ins are apparent, but the chocolate chips are only the opening act to the main event of the cookie dough pieces. The pieces are the perfect compact size: not too small to be characterized as flakes or shavings and not so large so as to fall off the precipice of your spoon. The three distinct colors of the chocolate chips, cookie dough, and vanilla ice cream provide a visually scrumptious mesh – the ideal spoonful is manipulating a cookie dough piece, some chip pieces, and enough ice cream to cover the mix-ins. You also know that you are in the realm of premium ice cream because the dessert does not melt into a repulsive soup while you are trying to enjoy it, a problem that I have experienced with other so- called premium ice creams.
The mix-ins are abundant, especially the star cookie dough. The ratio suits my liking, though I am sure that it certainly could not suffer through the addition of even more cookie dough pieces. I do not hoard cookie dough pieces in a corner and reserve them for a few glorious bites at the end, but you will have plenty of spoons full if you are so inclined to do so. Each serving contains many dispersed pieces, so you will not be disappointed if you only have a serving or two. The chocolate chips may leave something to be desired (perhaps I’m a little biased because I just had Graeter’s), as they are neither large nor particularly enriching, but they compliment the cookie dough and are spread out evenly throughout the carton. The pictures should convey the even distribution.
Turkey Hill knows what it is doing when it combines the tried and true flavors of the ice cream canon, like chocolate chip cookie dough. A swirl or additional mix-in could enhance this obviously, but if you are looking for a stable flavor with a delicious ice cream and one star mix-in, pick this carton up and enjoy. It lives up to the description, but you may want to add in your own mix-ins for a unique experience. Happy scooping.
Where Arjun Found It: Giant Eagle
Arjun's Grade: B
