REVIEW: Blue Bell Fudge Divinity (Holiday Favorite Limited Edition)

When I think of the best flavor combinations offered by Blue Bell Creamery, their Holiday Favorite collection immediately comes to mind. Featuring flavors like Banana Nut Bread, Christmas Cookies, Gingerbread House, Spiced Pumpkin Pecan and Peppermint, almost every single selection has received top marks from me, so you can imagine my excitement when Blue Bell announced they’d be adding another member to the lineup: Fudge Divinity. Although I’m not sure how this particular combination ties in with the holidays, marshmallow flavored ice cream, roasted pecans and milk chocolate sauce were more than enough to have me off looking for this latest release.

All of Blue Bell’s options seem to come in below the 200 calorie per serving threshold, but Fudge Divinity manages to come in right at 200 calories per serving, which is surprising considering there aren’t any large, dessert-like mix-ins. The marshmallow flavored ice cream used in here isn’t one that I’ve experienced from Blue Bell before, but one I’m very excited about trying. After getting rid of the gold lid, the first layer looked promising. While it was almost impossible to miss all the roasted pecans littered about, I was able to secure a bit of the base to serve as my first taste. Much like I’d imagined, Blue Bell does a pretty nice job with this uniquely flavored ice cream. The texture is thick and slightly sticky, while the taste is sweet and easily identifiable as marshmallow.

The bits of roasted pecans were enough to add a little crunch to most bites, but as nuts in ice cream often do, don’t really add much by themselves. Luckily, Blue Bell has finished off this flavor with one of their thick, visually appealing swirls. Forgoing the option for some overly decadent fudge sauce, Blue Bell instead chooses milk chocolate. This decision results in an equally impressive looking swirl without overpowering any taste buds when combined with the already-sweet marshmallow base. Instead, the smooth, milk chocolate only compliments the other components. While the overall experience was pleasant and I really enjoyed the creativity with Fudge Divinity’s base, it still wasn't able to compete with some of the other options in this Holiday Favorite lineup.

Where I Found It: Ingles Markets
Grade: B

REVIEW: Blue Bell Dessert Trio

I had passed on this barrel of Blue Bell a few times, but it wasn't until reading the description on their website that I decided to invest in a full half gallon. The trifecta of cookies in Christmas Cookies in July had no problems winning me over, so as I break down the bevy of goodies involved in this flavor I'm hopeful this can claim the top Blue Bell spot on the blog.

Powerhouses such as chocolate chip cookies, pecan brownies, chocolate-coated cake and a swirl of chocolate sauce come together inside their vanilla ice cream to create one incredible-sounding rundown. The quality of their vanilla is unquestioned, and having crossed a few variations of some of the other ingredients involved, I have no problem preparing for something special out of Dessert Trio. Tossing the brown lid aside, I'm left looking at an off-white base marbled with a swirl of rich, chocolate sauce. Utilizing a higher concentration of swirl than I had originally expected, it appears that a mixture of chocolate and vanilla base ice creams were used.

Much like it was in their Coconut Fudge flavor, the chocolate sauce swirls out of control. It breaches the top layer and remains constant throughout the entire container. This thick, ganache-like chocolate works it's way into every nearly every bite. A pretty impressive ingredient on it's own, the chocolate sauce soon gets overlooked as I hit my first piece of pecan brownie. These cubes of brownie are moist, dense and the addition of pecans bring some complexity to boot.

The oddly-shaped chocolate chip cookie squares were just as incredible as their round counterparts from Christmas Cookies in July. Providing additional density and a chewy texture, these cookies added some butter to the equation as well. But fate definitely saved the best for last. Large chunks of chocolate-coated cake filled in the gaps missed by the brownies and cookies. These were much more dense than the others, providing a stiff chocolate coating surrounding the soft, moist cake inside.

The amount of mix-ins in this container was outlandish. Every bite included a lot more than just vanilla ice cream. And it wasn't a mashup of mediocrity either. Every component was relevant, distinguishable and worked perfectly with one another. The unassuming name of Dessert Trio gives little hint at what's contained inside this tub.

Where I Found It: Super Wal-Mart
Grade: A

REVIEW: New Orleans Ice Cream Co. Red Velvet Cake

Soon after unwrapping the chilled contents of the Styrofoam cooler sent by New Orleans Ice Cream Co. & Ice Cream Source, my red velvet radar begin to spike. Red velvet based ice creams are among my favorite and this version sounded unlike any other. Most companies use just a simple combination of ice cream and cake, but New Orleans Ice Cream Co. spice things up with a unique spin on this classic concept. Their interpretation is made up of rich red velvet cake, the belle of southern desserts, and is blended with their traditional Creole Cream Cheese ice cream; with a chocolate swirl for lagniappe. For those who don’t know, lagniappe is a small gift given to a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase (such as a 13th doughnut when buying a dozen).

Most companies use their own red velvet variation as a base, but considering New Orleans Ice Cream Co. has Creole Cream Cheese in their repertoire; they’ve chosen that to act as the building block for this flavor. This pint of red velvet cake ice cream, like many other super-premium varieties, contains 250 calories per serving and shares the same dense feel as the base-only foundation it uses. The slow-melting, heavy ice cream allows the richness of the cream cheese to fully envelop your mouth and successfully soak into the chunks of cake stuffed inside. Although it takes longer to encounter the whole pieces, small bits of the red cake make their way into every bite; effectively turning the entire ice cream a light shade of pink. These cake crumbs give each bite a texture that’s just as unique as the taste.

Almost every company has been able to produce impressive pieces of red velvet cake, but the pieces of New Orleans Ice Cream Co. are among the top. These blood-red spheres of cake require chewing to break down; providing a tremendous texture and a burst of genuine, cocoa-infused flavoring as they do. The small streaks of chocolate sauce drizzled throughout only enhance the authentic feel even further. The New Orleans Ice Cream Company left no component overlooked when creating their version of the classic dessert and have created a top-notch red velvet ice cream as a result.

Where I Found It: Ice Cream Source
Grade: A

REVIEW: High Road Caffeine & Cacao

When I wander into a Whole Foods, it's usually to pick up some organic produce or some specialty item I can't find at a generic supermarket. On my most recent visit, and after racking up a beefy bill at their hot bar, I browsed the assortment of High Road Craft ice creams in their freezer isle before heading to checkout. With all the unique combinations and local appeal, I was in. After searching through some of their base-only offerings, I ultimately picking a pint that hit close to home.

As a bleary-eyed, frequently-hungover undergraduate student at the University of Georgia, a cup of Jittery Joe's coffee got me through many a painful morning. Three or four of these local coffee shops littered Athens, Georgia and I visited them numerous times a week throughout my college career. Owing my middling GPA to the jolt of java Jittery's Joe's provided me over the years, I felt it necessary to pay homage to my old caffeine dealer by choosing High Road's Caffeine & Cacao. Pulling off the charcoal top to the container, I uncovered an unassuming layer of light-colored ice cream with chocolate ganache cascading down the sides; all for only 190 calories per serving.

Securing a sizable scoop of the coffee-flavored ice cream, my first impression was a bit surprising. I was expecting an enormous rush of bold mocha flavoring, but instead I ended up with an overly mild, super-creamy base. Typically small-sized operations tend to be more robust with their flavors, leaving cautiousness to the major ice cream conglomerates. but that wasn't the case here. As I put a few more spoonfuls down, I was coming around. The taste was similar to that of a cup of premium roast that had been overly creamed. It wasn't something I disliked, just something I wasn't expecting. This would be the perfect coffee flavor for the non-coffee drinker. The sensation of cream and sugar come into play well before the bitterness and floral undertones of the beans ever have the chance to materialize. Then I encountered some of the chocolate ganache.

This luscious combination of milk chocolate and cream is flowing down the outer edges from top to bottom and you can taste the high quality chocolate. It's thick, rich and strings from the carton to your spoon with every bite its involved. It shared the same consistency of melted chocolate fondue, despite the fact it was surrounded by frozen ice cream. The intensity of the ganache isn't something I'd be able to handle in every bite, so their decision to relegate the rich drizzle to the outer portions of the pint was fine by me. The calm, coffee ice cream also included some crunchy pieces of chocolate-covered coffee beans that added another textural component. This 2011 Flavor of Georgia winner wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly pleased with the end result.

Where I Found It: Whole Foods Market
Grade: C