REVIEW: Archer Farms Monster Cookie

Capitalizing on a suggestion made from a fellow ice cream connoisseur, I decided to pick up a carton made by Archer Farms, Target's line of premium food products. Creating an entire lineup of succulent sounding selections, I decided to break this brand into the blog with Monster Cookie. Having seemingly ripped off the idea from Blue Bunny's Cookie Creations Monster Cookie, Archer Farms version utilizes sinfully indulgent peanut butter ice cream and blends it with candy coated chocolate pieces and oatmeal cookies.

As a kid, whenever I was forced to accompany one of my parents to the mall during the holiday season, I used to gawk at the peanut butter and M&M cookies on display at the Great American Cookie Company. If I was on my best behavior, which wasn't often, I'd walk back to the car with one of these giant cookies in tow and a smile on my face. The combination of peanut butter cookie and M&M's chocolate candy happened to be one of the few things that could control my behavior while following my family through the never-ending monotony of department stores. This nostalgic aspect left me with high expectations for my first sample from Archer Farms.

With the lid removed, the lightly-shaded peanut butter ice cream looks completely infiltrated with chocolate chips, only the bleeding candies letting me know there's more underneath. At 220 calories per serving, this is one of the densest ice creams I've found outside of pint-sized portions. Heavy, mix-in filled flavors like this are usually reserved for small, two cup containers. This is confirmed at the resistance provided by the peanut butter ice cream as I scoop some in a bowl. Uncovering a small army of ingredients inside, the chocolate, candy and cookies have me salivating. After taking my first bite of the peanut butter ice cream, it seems Archer Farms has swayed completely towards sweetness. Most of the peanut butter bases I've had in the past all incorporate a bit of saltiness into the mix, even if it's minor, but not here.

The thick ice cream takes a while to melt down, but seems to have a slight gummy texture as it does so, something I've yet to see in such a high butterfat flavor. The texture isn't off-putting, but takes some time to get acclimated with. In addition to the odd texture, the base is so riddled with colorful pieces of chocolate candy coating that it adds another level of texture to the entire ice cream. Everything was going smoothly until I came across the full sized cannonballs of chocolate. Nearly breaking a tooth in the process, the M&M impersonators that missed the chopping station make this flavor a bit dangerous.

Long after the ice cream has melted away, the large candies still remain, taking entirely too long to melt down before they're safe to chew. After nearly losing a molar multiple times, the overall experience was effected. Luckily for Archer Farms, they've covered their tracks with tons of soft, chewy oatmeal cookie chunks. These cookies combine perfectly with the peanut butter ice cream and chocolate candy to reincarnate the popular cookie, as well as this flavor's fate. Relying on the fact that the best flavors include cake or cookies, Archer Farms was able to secure a high score despite nearly sending me to the dentist.

Where I Found It: Target
Grade: C

REVIEW: Archer Farms Tiramisu Gelato

When I make the trip to Target, it's usually to seek out the latest limited-edition or exclusive flavor from Haagen Dazs or Ben & Jerry's; but I tend to overlook many of their home-grown options. Although they offer a line of discount ice creams as a part of their Market Pantry brand, the premium products are labeled as Archer Farms. I've reviewed one of their ice creams, Monster Cookie, however lately I had begun to take notice of the shallow, rectangular containers of gelato. Ben & Jerry's Volun-Tiramisu (also a Target exclusive) and The Fresh Market's Tiramisu and Mascarpone had provided pleasant experiences for this flavor concept in the past, so I opted for their Tiramisu gelato to be my first. I was skeptical of the imported from Italy tagline, but my anticipation escalated after snapping off the top and seeing the cocoa-powder dusted first layer.

Most of the gelatos available from Haagen Dazs, The Fresh Market and Talenti are all calorie dense, so I was surprised to see that Target's version only contained 140 calories per serving; less than 1000 for the entire tray. Soon after sinking my spoon into the rippled first layer, I could tell this was going to be much different than any of the other store-bought gelatos. This blonde-colored base is much lighter and fluffier than anything from any of the aforementioned brands. The smooth, quick-melting gelato possesses a similar consistency to the actual dessert; especially after allowing the tub to sit out at room temperature for a few minutes. The unique texture makes this an interesting option, but the burst of super-sweet, tiramisu flavoring takes this up another notch.

Like others before it, this tiramisu base begins with the mellow taste of mascarpone that fades into a strong, coffee-flavored finish. The small, brown stripes that flow through the entire flavor act as the alcohol component of the actual dessert; bringing about some additional texture and hints of marsala wine to the rich gelato. When combined with the thick layer of cocoa powder, Archer Farm's interpretation of Tiramisu feels the most authentic of them all. This isn't able to compete with the actual pieces of lady fingers and premium ice cream from Ben & Jerry's Volun-Tiramisu, but especially for the calories; this is worth seeking out.

Where I Found It: Target
Grade: C