READER REVIEW: Elliot's Review of Greenfield Decadent Chocolate Sorbet, Vanilla Honey Crumble and Sticky Pecan

This composite review summarizes my thoughts on a few flavors already covered on ICI. My expertly packed shipment from Greenfield Ice Cream Company (est. 2011) arrived frozen solid, awash with a wide variety of flavors. The flavors we reached for first have already been covered on this site. We wanted to weigh in, too.

The Decadent Chocolate Sorbet is something special. The depth of flavor is excellent. I'd love to see them try some other non-traditional sorbets, like a peanut butter sorbet.

Greenfield Decadent Chocolate Sorbet

For their ice creams, Greenfield steeps the ingredients in their custard base. This results in a deep, full-flavored taste without exception for both flavors : Vanilla Honey Crumble & Sticky Pecan. Inclusions and variegates are also nicely flavored, and balance well with the ice cream with regard to flavor. However, achieving an excellent balance of flavor and texture is extremely challenging, especially without stabilizers or thickeners.

Greenfield Vanilla Honey Crumble

The Vanilla Honey Crumble melted down into a puddle almost immediately. The moisture penetrated the crumble, creating a slightly soggy texture. While the vanilla flavor was lovely, pronounced and accentuated by the sweetness of the honey and sugar, the ice cream itself was flat.

Greenfield Sticky Pecan

The Sticky Pecan flavor was also nicely seasoned. The pecans themselves were very sweet; nicely sugared and spiced. The ice cream here was noticeably higher overrun; a casualty of batch mixing. I'd take a bite and the ice cream would disappear on my tongue like cotton candy, revealing the air mixed into the base in the batch freezing process.

Greenfield Sticky Pecan

From Greenfield : "We cook our custard from scratch and hand churn to keep the quality the highest possible as you would make it in your own kitchen. We then hand number each pint in batches which are no bigger than 3 gallons." While that sounds like a plus, the downside is that consistency is better achieved on a larger scale. Batch freezers are great for producing ice cream quickly for a dinner party or in a restaurant setting, but they beat up the ice cream and force a lot of air into it creating an inconsistent and higher overrun product. Producing a consistently balanced product using a batch freezer to make small batches is extremely challenging. To compete successfully with heavyweight artisan producers means firing on all cylinders and consistently producing a complete product that is balanced in terms of flavor and texture.

Where Elliot Found Them: GreenfieldIceCream.com
Elliot's Grade: B for all

REVIEW: Greenfield Vanilla Honey Crumble

As we continue to cruise through our shipment of pints from Greenfield Ice Cream Company, the leaves are changing and the weather is getting much cooler here in North Carolina, but for us true connoisseurs, we all know that dropping temperatures and cold fingers can't keep us away from our ice cream. After flavors like Sticky Pecan and their Decadent Chocolate Sorbet were able to secure top marks, we were overly optimistic when it came to reviewing Greenfield's Vanilla Honey Crumble: vanilla ice cream with chunks of our own crumble and ribbons of honey drizzled throughout. That optimism came full circle once we lifted off the lid to expose this phenomenal first layer.

We've seen this terrific vanilla base before in Sticky Pecan, but this time it's paired with honey and a crumble made with oats, flour, butter, light brown sugar, cinnamon and sugar. The refreshingly short list of items in the ingredients list reiterates the fact that this Tuxedo, New York based company leaves preservatives to the major ice cream conglomerates. This lack of extra "stuff" and more emphasis on the all-natural, fresh ingredients results in a better product and this difference is evident immediately.

The luscious looking first scoop involved all three ingredients and instantly won us over. The top-notch vanilla bean ice cream was complex, full of flavor and the ideal consistency after letting the pint sit out for a few minutes. The bits of brown sugar coated oats meshed perfectly with the vanilla base and got even better when the honey drizzle entered the equation. We've had some great vanilla based ice creams over the past few years, but Greenfield and their Vanilla Honey Crumble just might be the best.

Where I Found It: Greenfieldicecream.com
Grade: A

REVIEW: Jeni's Splendid Brambleberry Crisp

Finding it easier and easier to justify spending the loot on Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, I headed back to The Fresh Market to make another investment. After sampling the majority of the small selections available in the South, I'm down to only a few more flavors before I'll have to opt for ordering online. Judging on appearance alone, this is the most aesthetically pleasing of any Jeni's selection I've seen. The violet-colored berries create a vibrant design against the outside of the container as they cut through the off-white ice cream.

I've been trying to track down Jeni's Ugandan Vanilla Bean for some time now, so I'm hoping the honey vanilla bean ice cream can provide me with a thorough preview. Having recently cultivated some bramble bushes myself, as well as wishing I had made some jam with the fruit, I'm excited to see both blackberry and black raspberry jams have come together to create the vivid swirls inside. Knowing Jeni's, I'm sure the oat streusel will be up to the task of pushing this pint up the rankings.

Filled to the brim as usual, the first layer looks angelic. As I size up my first bite, it's really difficult to get the honey vanilla bean all by itself considering the influx of other ingredients. The complexity of these base flavors used by Jeni's always seems to catch me by surprise. Building on an already complex vanilla ice cream with visible large flecks of vanilla bean, they've also utilized an intense aftertaste of honey to finish off each bite. It's hard to avoid the lavish spread of jams and after only one bite of the base, I stop trying. This isn't your standard fruit swirl. This is real, ready to spread on toast, handmade jam that still has remnants of whole berries inside.

The freshness of the jam is evident from the beginning. The natural sweet and sour combination of the slightly tart berries is lovely, especially when combined with the sweet honey vanilla bean base. I wasn't able to really differentiate the blackberry and black raspberry jams, but I don't dwell on that problem for long. No what matter bramble bush they originated from, they're both incredible. As you can see from the picture above, the oat streusel isn't faint-hearted. The majority of the bits of sweet crumble are the size of whole berries, but some get much larger.

After enjoying my first large clump, the oat streusel fills in the taste and texture of what the other components aren't able to cover. Initially adding a slight crunch, the streusel becomes chewy as it breaks down, creating a flavor profile of a softer, chewier granola. It's way sweeter than the base ice cream and jams, so everything seems to pair perfectly. The fact that this feels hand made and hand packed is hard for me and my taste buds to ignore. You can tell the jam wasn't made by machines. The streusel was baked in house and broken up by hand, allowing some of those larger chunks to slip through the cracks. I taste the love and suggest you do the same.

Where I Found It: The Fresh Market
Grade: A

REVIEW: Private Selection Sweet Honey Baklava

Before my recent move back to my hometown, I used to live just down the street from this lovely, little Lebanese joint that I frequented a few times a week. Whether I was getting a lamb shawarma or baba ghanoush, I always added on a flaky square of baklava to my order. That traditional Mediterranean pastry containing thin sheets of phyllo dough, generous portions of walnuts, drizzled with sweet syrup and butter, then baked until flaky and golden brown won me over from the beginning. With so many companies churning out creative ice creams these days, it’s hard to run across a concept that hasn’t been tried before, but on a recent visit to Kroger, I noticed they offered a Sweet Honey Baklava Ice Cream as part of their Private Selection premium lineup.

Although I’m typically against generic ice creams because of the lackluster taste and seemingly poor quality ingredients, the promise of baklava beckoned me to press onwards. At 220 calories per serving, this was a little heavier than most premium options, but still lighter than some of the super-premium pints. After tearing off the plastic top, I catch my first view of pieces of baklava, walnut and honey sauce folded into honey ice cream. The honey base looks pretty plain, but I’m hoping there’s some serious flavor hiding inside. The small pieces of baklava poking through the top had me ready to dig in.

The consistency of the all-white ice cream was slow to melt, however had plenty of overrun to give it a fluffy feel. As far as taste was concerned, the base was mild for the most part and tasted more like a honey-infused sweet cream instead. Although the base wasn’t bad my any means, the flavoring could have certainly been improved upon. Before long, I began to run into the squares of baklava strewn about. Some of the pieces were soft and chewy, while others were crunchy. It reminded me of how some baked goods tend to have crunchy corners that are in direct contact with the outer pan walls and the center remains chewy and slightly uncooked. They were plentiful and tasted of cinnamon, honey and sugar, but balked on tasting like authentic baklava.

The honey and walnut whirlpool of sauce had been nearly nonexistent through the first half of the pint. Luckily, they came on strong during the second half. The swirl sported an intense sweetness, as well as a slight crunchy texture that was attributed to the flakes of walnuts flowing throughout. When all three ingredients are scooped in the same spoon, slight hints of actual baklava are evident, but Private Selection still missed their mark for the most part. I was initially blinded by the idea of baklava ice cream and kept talking myself into giving this honey-heartbreaker a higher ranking than it deserved. Although Kroger is worthy of kudos for their attempt, this just didn't pan out. Attempting to recreate a flaky fare in frozen form is a tough task, but being enveloped in ice cream is certainly counterproductive in preserving that attempted texture.

Where I Found It: Kroger
Grade: C

REVIEW: Blue Bunny Chocolate Caramel Cashew (Limited Edition)

Although most of Blue Bunny's products fall slightly underneath what I consider to be premium ice cream, some of their selections still seem to pretty solid. A few weeks ago at my local Wal-Mart, I stumbled across their limited edition, White Chocolate Caramel Cluster. The thought of a white chocolate base with chocolate, caramel and peanut candies had enticed me into picking up a carton. Unfortunately, the overall result was a bit of a letdown. When I wandered back into Wal-Mart earlier this week to grab a few things, I noticed that their Chocolate Caramel Cashew was now sitting in the slot where White Chocolate Caramel Cluster once had. This latest limited edition is made up of silky chocolate ice cream loaded with chocolate flakes, honey coated cashews and a caramel sauce. As soon as I arrived home, I popped off the patented lid-lock tab and peeled back the top to investigate further.

Despite the fact that I usually prefer high quality to high quantity, the lower calorie count contained in many of Blue Bunny's products is a welcomed sight when you're watching your weight. The 160 calories inside Chocolate Caramel Cashew are much easier to fit in someone's diet than some of the 250 plus calories found in most super-premium pints. My first reaction came from the silky chocolate base, which was one of the lightest shades I've seen from any ice cream featuring cocoa. The coloring approached a grey and was only broken up by a few of the cashews and chocolate flakes sticking up through the top. My first bite of the light and fluffy base scooped out easily and the taste was less intense than other similar low-calorie, chocolate offerings. The flavors found in your run of the mill chocolate ice cream are usually artificial and overly rich, but this lived up to its silky description by remaining smooth.

All of the other ingredients are small in stature, but provide complimentary flavors and texture to the overall theme. The fudge flakes are thin, slightly crunchy and build on the richness of the chocolate contained in the ice cream. The cashews are soft, easy to chew, release all their honey-roasted flavors when chewed, and were my personal favorite. Chocolate Caramel Cashew finishes with small stripes of caramel sauce, which always seems to compliments a chocolate base. Blue Bunny’s most recent release isn’t going to win any awards for creativity or performance, but wasn’t a disappointment either.

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

REVIEW: Steve's Blackberry Honey

Following my first few encounters with Steve’s Ice Cream, I figured if I were ever going to enjoy a non-dairy dessert, this Brooklyn-based brand would be the one to win me over. The other pints contained in my shipment were all chock full of incredible ingredients swirled with their super-premium ice cream, so after reading the description of Blackberry Honey, I remained skeptical that this could live up to the others. The simple summary of blackberry swirled with wildflower honey is further expanded upon on the back of the carton: tart and sweet blackberry coconut crème made with fresh berries and swirled with a delicate ribbon of aromatic wildflower honey. At first glance, the view through the transparent pint is perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing of them all and proudly displays the beautiful, bright purple base and large concentrations of golden honey through the plastic.

Considering this was the first non-dairy frozen dessert I’d be reviewing, I took a closer look at the ingredients list than I normally would. It’s surprising to see that this still contains 210 calories per serving despite the first five ingredients being filtered water, coconut cream, organic agave, organic sugar and safflower oil. As soon as I open the top, I draw in a deep breath through my nose to savor the unbelievable scent of the wildflower honey. Aromatics are usually blanketed by the frozen nature of ice cream, but the cold temperature does little to hide the fragrance flowing out of this pint. Although the fuchsia-colored first layer is a little softer than Steve’s standard ice cream, the blackberry base retains an above average texture; especially considering there is no cream or milk involved. It remains smooth, creamy and the leftover blackberry seeds gave it an interesting texture.

Even though coconut cream was second on the list of ingredients, the taste can’t manage to break through the boldness of the blackberries; but still enhances the overall feel. The texture is enhanced even further when the wildflower honey came into play. This sticky swirl coats the outside of the carton, cuts in between layers along the way, pairs wonderfully with the blackberries and is the highlight of this pint. The fresh, bright flavors provided by Steve’s Blackberry Honey wasn’t quite up to par with their full-bodied, diary options; but it’s not far behind either.

Where I Found It: Steve's Ice Cream Online Store
Grade: B

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry's Vanilla Honey Caramel Greek Frozen Yogurt

During my trip to Vermont, the people working at Ben & Jerry’s seemed very excited about the latest additions to their Greek frozen yogurt lineup. Liz Lemon had been the most publicized due to its association with Tina Fey and 30 Rock, but Pineapple Passionfruit and Vanilla Honey Caramel had also joined the ranks. Considering I prefer vanilla and honey over pineapple, I chose Vanilla Honey Caramel as my next test subject. Yoplait had recently rolled out a nearly identical flavor, however it had received a poor rating due to the odd texture. Hopefully Ben & Jerry’s combination of vanilla Greek frozen yogurt with a honey caramel swirl would be able to win me over as Liz Lemon and Banana Peanut Butter had done in the past.

Most flavors from Ben & Jerry’s tend to check in above 200 calories per serving, but this simple concept comes in at only 190; making it among the lightest in their repertoire. After removing the lid, the first layer glows a bright white and shows only slight hints of the honey caramel swirl hiding below the surface. The only noticeable consistency difference between their ice cream and their Greek frozen yogurt seems to be that the latter scoops out a little easier and melts down a bit faster. As far as taste is concerned, the vanilla base focuses much more on the pleasant sourness of the Greek frozen yogurt than the banana and lemon versions had done. Each bite leads with this unique tartness and slowly incorporates the sweetness of the vanilla on the backend; but still remains much less sugary than the majority of their other offerings. Like many of the other Greek-based flavors I’ve sampled, the sourness takes some getting used to, however ends up growing on me as I work through this pint.

After removing the first few layers, I begin to run into the small stripes of honey caramel swirl. These are far more petite than the standard swirls mixed into most of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and add only a minimal amount of texture. Most of the caramel-based swirls found in their pints, such as those in Triple Caramel Chunk of Brownie Chew Gooder, are thick and substantial. These smaller versions share the same consistency as honey, adding an influx of the familiar flavoring as well. The caramel comes in on the backend, which effectively compliments the vanilla Greek frozen yogurt base. Vanilla Honey Caramel far outperforms the version from Yoplait, but I’d still rather have Banana Peanut Butter and Liz Lemon over this selection.

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

READER REVIEW: Caitlin's Review of Turkey Hill Baklava Greek Frozen Yogurt

After stopping by ShopRite for what was supposed to be just a quick run for milk, I ended up finding something I had so dearly missed: Turkey Hill's Greek Baklava Limited Edition Flavor Frozen Yogurt. This product is not new, however, although it may seem that way for most shoppers as it is just about impossible to find! Last year I tried it for the first time after finding it in a Redner's (out of its specified "month" it was to be sold during). This year, I had anticipated trying it again when I found out it was on their limited edition flavor calendar again! Unfortunately, after stopping by Redner's, Walmart, Target, Safeway, additional ShopRites, and countless other stores, this product seemed almost nonexistent. I had assumed maybe Turkey Hill's website made a mistake, but perhaps it was just so good people ran out and bought all of it, like I almost did today (I was kind enough to spare two for other shoppers, but if it's there tomorrow I'm reclaiming them!).

Sure enough, there it was on the shelf. Four of them. How could I resist? As I recalled from last year, this frozen treat is ADDICTING. Even my family (who hates all things yogurt, especially frozen, especially Greek) loved it! I knew it was time to take our love to the next level, so I grabbed two containers (they were originally priced at $3.29 each, or two for $5.00, so I had to).

When I got home, I had no self-control. I dug right on into the first container and had a small bowl immediately. It was even better than I imagined it. The ingredients seem fairly healthy in comparison with other frozen desserts, as well! For a ½ cup serving this product has only 130 calories, 5 grams of protein, 15% of your daily value of Calcium, yogurt cultures, and its first ingredient is nonfat milk. Not only will you love this product, you won't hate yourself afterwards (unless you eat all 12 servings, then you may. But still… questionable. It is worth it, believe me).

Upon opening the container, as you can see, small bits of baklava are prevalent within the vanilla yogurt. It also has quite a prominent honey smell (not surprisingly as a Honey Cinnamon Swirl is its second ingredient).

On Turkey Hill's website, this yogurt is described as a "Vanilla GREEK frozen yogurt with crunchy baklava pieces and a honey cinnamon swirl." As you take your first spoonful, this dessert exceeds the standard set by this description. It has countless crunchy baklava pieces of all shapes and sizes (though mostly small), and heaping, gooey globs of cinnamon-infused honey. The ice cream itself has a sweet vanilla cream flavor, without any of the tartness you may find in other frozen yogurt products. The texture is very smooth, and not tough to scoop out at all. Even after sitting in the freezer all day, it never quite hardens to be as icy as certain ice creams, which I personally prefer.

Overall, between the texture and overall flavor I found this Greek frozen yogurt to be very high quality in its taste. The price I paid for two of them was a steal, and I feel it was worth the $3.29 per container price tag. Turkey Hill truly does not skimp on their baklava pieces, cinnamon honey swirl, or rich, sweet, creamy vanilla ice cream in this flavor! Seriously, if you have not tried this yet, I strongly urge you to before it's gone! I give this frozen piece of heaven an A+, but only because there are no ratings higher than that.

Where Caitlin Found It: Shoprite
Caitlin's Grade: A

REVIEW: Yoplait Honey Caramel Greek Frozen Yogurt

After introducing myself to the Greek frozen yogurt craze with Ben & Jerry's Banana Peanut Butter, I discovered Yoplait had also started rolling out their own lineup of low fat flavors. They now offer a handful of straightforward options; Black Cherry, Blueberry, Peach, Strawberry, Vanilla, Raspberry Fig, but I opted for the pint of Honey Caramel. Neither the carton nor their website had an official description of what exactly made up this flavor, but it seemed simple enough. Although they're typically known for their work in the traditional yogurt market, they've started targeting a wide array of markets with their low-calorie products. Recently, Yoplait branched out to the freezer aisles in an attempt to capture the attention of the health-conscious, protein seeking consumers looking for a sweet treat.

Honey Caramel contains only 130 calories per serving, barely breaking 500 calories for an entire pint; among the lowest I've reviewed. I decided to follow a tip from a fellow ice cream enthusiast who informed me that I should let the Greek frozen yogurt flavors from Yoplait thaw out for a bit before beginning. For whatever reason, this consistency of this frozen yogurt is rock-hard right after taking it out of the freezer, which makes letting it melt down almost mandatory. When I returned 10 minutes later, I found the base much more pliable and it scooped out with ease. The bright white base wasn't quite as smooth as the one from Ben & Jerry's and had more of a yogurt-like texture in the traditional sense. As far as taste was concerned, the subtle sweetness resembled that of a lightly sweetened unfrozen yogurt with hints of honey and caramel attributed to the hairline swirls that made its way into most bites.

The golden stripes of honey caramel swirl work well with the mild flavoring of the base and assists in giving the overall taste more texture and depth. Every bite containing a larger concentration of the swirl receives a rich, caramel finish, but there just wasn't enough to offset the overly mild nature of the seemingly unflavored Greek frozen yogurt. I was hoping for something along the lines of Ben & Jerry's had been able to capture in their Greek frozen yogurt lineup, however this couldn't hold a candle to that. This may be an option for you if you're really watching your weight and seeking out a low-calorie selection, but there are far-superior, lighter flavors available.

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