REVIEW: Turkey Hill Key Lime Pie (Limited Edition)

Key lime ice creams have been a bit of a conundrum for us over the existence of this blog. Some companies are able to incorporate the tart fruit from Florida with little problem, while others have failed miserably. Even though it took nearly all month to find Turkey Hill’s Key Lime Pie, I was excited to see they had once again opted for a taste of summer to act as December's limited edition; similar to what they did last year with Coconut Cream Pie. This combination of lime flavored ice cream with graham pieces and a key lime swirl comes in at just 150 calories and looked promising from the illustration on the outside of the carton.

With the lid removed, the first layer was made up of a light green base that already showed plenty of the graham pieces, but as soon as the first few layers were scooped into a bowl, we got our first glimpse of the thick, key lime swirl. While the lime flavored ice cream started out sour, sugar soon rushed to the rescue to assist in balancing everything out. Due to the large amounts of graham cracker, the soft, pie crust impersonators are involved in nearly every bite and do wonders texturally. Although not found as often, Turkey Hill’s latest limited edition reaches its full potential when the key lime swirl comes into play. Adding another element of tartness, this brings another level of authenticity, but doesn’t compromise the balance between sweet and sour. Add Turkey Hill to the list of companies that managed not to mess up key lime ice cream.

Where I Found It: Kroger
Grade: B

READER REVIEW: Mo's Review of Adirondack Creamery's Pumpkin Pie

I have a bit of an ice cream hoarding problem, as evidenced by the current jam-packed state of my deep freezer. In fact, I recently promised myself I'd refrain from purchasing any more ice cream until I managed to work my way through at least a decent percentage of my stash. But when I spotted a seasonal pumpkin offering from Adirondack Creamery while doing some last-minute Thanksgiving shopping, the aforementioned deal somehow went right out the window.

Although I've had mixed experiences with Adirondack, I'm pretty much in love with pumpkin in ice cream form, and so I had fairly high hopes that my $5 investment would end up being well worth my while (and well worth the struggle of having to cram yet another pint into my poor, overloaded freezer).

When I first peeled back the lid, I was neither overwhelmed nor disappointed. I mean, the ice cream looked like pumpkin, plain and simple. And really, that was fine in my book. Then I decided to dig in, and after a couple of spoonfulls, I was already regretting not having picked up a second pint.

For a flavor devoid of mix-ins, this ice cream is really darn tasty. The base is rich and creamy, and the spice level is absolutely spot-on. I find that some companies tend to go overboard with their pumpkin offerings, and as a result, those brands wind up tasting somewhat artificial to me. But Adirondack nailed the pumpkin flavor perfectly.

Having that said, I still find myself missing the contrast a mix-in would've offered. This ice cream would really benefit from some crunch, and given the price tag, I think Adirondack could've splurged for some crushed-up pecans (or, you know, pie pieces, as the name suggests) to complement the flavor while adding some texture. But all in all, I'm definitely a fan, and in the grand scheme of pumpkin ice creams, this is one I'll be sure to add to my "must hoard" list for next fall.

Where Mo Found It: Sickles Market (Little Silver, NJ)
Mo's Grade: B

REVIEW: Turkey Hill Coconut Cream Pie (Limited Edition)

Some people enjoy getting away for the holidays. Instead of spending time with friends and family, they'd much rather bask in the sun with a drink in their hand and forget about the flurrying snow back home. Turkey Hill's limited edition offering for the month of December is catered towards these people. To help alleviate the chill of the Winter months for those who can't seem to make it to warmer weather this Christmas, Coconut Cream Pie is intended to hold us over until the calendar turns. Joining their other current limited-edition offering, Pumpkin Pie, these two dessert-inspired delicacies will both be featured in grocer's freezers throughout the remainder of 2012.

Most of the coconut based ice creams I've reviewed on this blog, such as New Orleans Ice Cream Company's Toasted Coconut, Blue Bell's Coconut Fudge, and Coconut Macaroon from Häagen-Dazs, have all received rather high scores, so I'm looking forward to Turkey Hill's latest limited edition. Combining creamy coconut ice cream with coconut cream pie pieces, a single serving will only set you back 170 calories. Removing the limited edition lid reveals a light colored base that looks very similar to the other coconut ice creams I've sampled. Turkey Hill is among the best at retaining a fluffy feel, but still having a substantial consistency. I scoop myself a healthy portion into a bowl and dig in.

The luscious, coconut ice cream from Turkey Hill is a great consistency for a non-super premium option. Completely void of any gummy texture, the subtle sweetness from this base is something I've learned to appreciate through my exploration of all coconut ice creams. Although it begins mild, this has a strong coconut aftertaste as well as a bit of pulp left over on the back end. There wasn't quite as much as you'd find left over in a bite of Toasted Coconut from New Orleans Ice Cream Company, but just enough to make the texture authentic and interesting. Rivaling the toasted coconut flesh left on top of the actual dessert, this bit of pulp adds the perfect parting note to each bite.

The overall flavor wasn't overly complex, but Turkey Hill tries to make up for the fact by adding pieces of actual coconut cream pie. Typically the swirls found inside containers from Turkey Hill are among the most impressive you'll find, but they've decided to forgo that approach in this limited edition offering. These round mounds of coconut cream pie pictured above are the extent of the mix-ins you'll find inside Coconut Cream Pie, but luckily, they're about as accurate as you could hope for. The dense, chewy pieces of pie add some needed sweetness, as well as some cake flavoring to the mild coconut base. Although this can't quite compete with the stellar performance of their Pumpkin Pie, it isn't too far behind either.

Where I Found It: Kroger
Grade: B

REVIEW: Publix Premium Deep Dish Apple Pie

After trying Publix Premium's incredible Pumpkin Pie flavor, I continued my exploration through their limited edition holiday lineup. Consisting of six flavors in total, the second half gallon container I decided to sample was their Deep Dish Apple Pie. Publix takes apple-flavored ice cream with apple chunks and sugar rolled pie crust pieces and swirls them together with rich cinnamon and brown sugar sauce. I recently tried a similar sounding selection from Breyer's, Apple Cinnamon Crumble, but with the ingredient rundown inside here, coupled with the fact that this comes from the same pedigree as their Pumpkin Pie, I'm expecting a better experience with this carton.

After discarding the lid showing grandma baking up fresh pie, as well as removing the plastic seal protecting the first layer from freezer burn, the first layer looks tame enough. Since this offering only contains 170 calories per serving, especially considering the ingredients inside, I was a bit worried about the consistency of this base, but my worries were put to bay as I began to scoop some into a bowl. The ice cream wasn't overly resistant, easily gathering on the end of my spoon, all the while showing off the large pieces of sugar rolled pie crust and swirls of brown sugar and cinnamon. The first thing I notice about the apple-flavored base is the intense sweetness. While Breyer's version had a bit of a tart bite to it, this drowns out the majority of the apple flavoring with cinnamon and sugar, but in doing so creates one of the most accurate apple pie bases imaginable.

Soon enough I begin to encounter the dual swirls. Depending on which one lands on my spoon, the notes of cinnamon or sugar are intensely amplified, all while adding a slight bit of texture because of their liquid-like state. The crowning jewel comes in the form of the pie crust pieces, which have been rolled in sugar incase you haven't gotten enough already. The fragments of crust were large, substantial and varied in texture. Some were soft and chewy, some were crunchy, but they were all bursting with cinnamon-sugar flavor. Although this couldn't quite compete with the quality of New Orleans Ice Cream Company's vanilla ice cream or bits of Hubig's Pie, it wasn't far behind, and seems to be much more obtainable.

Where I Found It: Publix Super Markets
Grade: B

REVIEW: Trader Joe's Pecan Pie

In addition to the S’mores Frozen Sandwiches I got from Trader Joe’s, I also picked up a quart of their super premium Pecan Pie ice cream. They also had a Pumpkin flavor in stock, but my palate is starting to become exhausted from all the pumpkin products I’ve had over the past few months. This Pecan Pie ice cream is described as ice cream filled with actual pecan pie filling, roasted pecans and chunks of shortbread piecrust. Unlike many other in-house supermarket ice creams, Trader Joe’s doesn’t restrict calories and allows this one to balloon up to 300 calories per serving.

The dense base isn’t vanilla as I’d expected, but instead incorporates a healthy dose of the syrup taste typical in pecan pies. The thick stripes of pecan pie filling really intensify the flavoring, while the roasted pecans and chunks of shortbread piecrust add texture and an obvious pecan pie intention. While it didn’t quite warrant an A in my eyes, it still did enough to entice me into picking up another quart of a different flavor on my next visit to Trader Joe’s.

Where I Found It: Trader Joe's
Grade: B

REVIEW: Graeter's Elena's Blueberry Pie

For someone living in the South, Graeter's is hard enough to track down. Flagship flavors like Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip can be found with a little effort, but any of the limited edition or seasonal offerings are typically out of the question. Looking over their traditional lineup, Elena's Blueberry Pie always seemed to catch my eye, especially knowing that I'd probably never be able to find any locally. Graeter's usually sticks to their strengths, combining incredible chocolate chips with their super-premium French pot process ice cream. Only a handful of flavors stray from this proven method, but they've decided to add whole blueberries and pieces of flaky pie crust in this pint.

The idea for this unique creation was created by a loyal customer looking to make a difference. Once a limited edition flavor, Graeter's recently decided to add Elena's Blueberry Pie to their permanent lineup. Not only does this offering sound sensational, but every pint purchased goes towards a good cause. The Cure Starts Now is a foundation dedicated to finding the cure for pediatric cancer and eventually eliminating it completely. With the help of fundraisers, events, partnerships, and now Graeter's, they're looking to make a serious impact in the lives of children cursed with this disease.

The slice of blueberry packed pie on the top of the lid has me excited for what lies underneath. With the lid removed, a luscious, light purple ice cream with visible bits of blueberry and plentiful pieces of pie have me ready to dig in. If the looks alone weren't enough, the aromatic nature of the blueberries produce one of the strongest smelling ice creams I've had. As I dig my spoon across the first layer, the denseness is standard for Graeter's high calorie ice creams.

At 290 calories per serving, Elena's Blueberry Pie is far from the heaviest flavor from Graeter's, but still high for a fruit-centric offering. Based on the information from their website, Graeter's created this flavor by combining luscious blueberries and tasty bits of flaky pie crust with their rich vanilla ice cream. My first bite was full of a bold blueberry taste, as well as some serious sweetness to counteract the slight tartness.

Because the blueberries are blended in whole during the churning process, the bits of left over blueberry flesh are everywhere, adding a great textural aspect to this unique flavor. Flavors like Blueberry Crumble from Häagen-Dazs, Blueberry Cheesecake from Ben & Jerry's and Maine Blueberry Cheesecake from Private Selection all attempted to create a blueberry base, but they just can't compare. This is one of the most impressive fruit bases of all time. With such a great ice cream, I'm hoping the flaky, pie crust pieces are just as impressive.

After tasting my first piece, this is what I've been looking for. A bevy of brands have attempted to incorporate pie crust pieces into their pie-inspired flavors, but no one does this mix-in justice like Graeter's does in Elena's Blueberry Pie. The flaky crust breaks down into a soft, chewy component that rounds out this well-executed offering. I had once believed that it would be hard to beat Blueberry Crumble from Häagen-Dazs, but Graeter's combination of blueberry ice cream and pie crust have made it hard for others to compete.

Where I Found It: Graeter's Online Store
Grade: A

REVIEW: The Fresh Market Pumpkin Pie

We've been on the hunt for Talenti's Pumpkin Pie for weeks and after we were tipped off that a pint had been spotted at The Fresh Market near our headquarters we headed that way. Quickly scanning the freezer section, we were disappointed to find an empty row above the limited edition tag where our sought after gelato had once been stacked. Ironically enough though, we walked out with a product boasting the same name. The Fresh Market had made their own version of one of our favorite themes for ice cream. Their version of Pumpkin Pie is comprised of pumpkin ice cream, spices & pie crust pieces.

Plenty of pumpkin pie ice creams have offered a pumpkin base with pie crust, but most are bland and fall short of living up to a real slice. The first layer of The Fresh Market's attempt looked promising with plenty of pie crust pieces pushing through the top. Our first bite contained just the pumpkin base, but the spices were what sat this foundation apart from others. While most pumpkin ice creams we've encountered are only mildly flavored, The Fresh Market shoves as much cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice as they can to really ramp up the intensity. As far as taste is concerned, this is one of the better bases we've seen.

The consistency of their Pumpkin Pie flavor, especially given that it contains only 160 calories per serving, is better than we anticipated as well. In addition, the rather short ingredient list suggests that this limited edition flavor isn't flooded with preservatives and stabilizers either. The plentiful amount of pie crust pieces make their way into nearly every bite and effectively completes the pumpkin pie theme. The sweet flavor and crunchy texture pairs perfectly with the heavily spiced ice cream. While we didn't find what we came for, we still walked out with ice cream worthy of our coveted grade A.

Where I Found It: The Fresh Market
Grade: A

REVIEW: Cold Stone Creamery Pumpkin Pie in the Sky

Cold Stone Creamery is somewhat uncharted territory for our blog. We've tried some of their prepackaged containers, all of which have scored well, but it wasn't until the release of their Fall signature creations that we stopped in to review something freshly prepared. Bypassing the Campfire Classic (marshmallow ice cream with graham cracker pie crust, chocolate shavings and fudge), we went straight for their Pumpkin Pie in the Sky. Bringing together pumpkin ice cream with graham cracker pie crust, whipped topping and caramel, we opted for the "Love It" sized cup (medium). At around 750 calories for the moderate sized portion, this isn't very much bang for your caloric buck and at close to $5.00 with tax, the signature creations aren't light on the wallet either. Unfortunately for us, our ice cream creator even managed to leave out one of the four ingredients we were paying for by stopping a step short of the caramel sauce drizzle seen on the advertisement.

After being pulverized with two large metal spatula looking ice cream scoops for a substantial amount of time, the combination was at the ideal consistency for immediate consumption. With such relentless mixing, the bits of graham cracker had penetrated practically every bit of the pumpkin base. This not only added some graham cracker taste to each bite, but also a terrific texture; a smart strategy considering the mediocrity of their pumpkin ice cream. We've had quite a few different variations from various manufacturers at this point and Cold Stone Creamery's pumpkin base was middle of the road at best. The whipped topping helped round out the pumpkin pie theme, but added little as far as overall performance goes. We'd suggest checking out some of our other top performing pumpkin flavors before heading into a Cold Stone Creamery for your Fall fix.

Where I Found It: Cold Stone Creamery
Grade: B

READER REVIEW: Elliot's Review of McConnell's Pumpkin Pie

One of the phrases that is thrown around a lot in ice cream reviews is "quality base". What does that really mean? Does it mean the ingredients themselves are high quality? That they are processed carefully and purposefully to result in the best possible mouthfeel, stability, consistency and flavor? The more delicious ice cream I try, the more I appreciate the science of how these delights are built for our enjoyment. The ability to read a label is a valuable skill. Ingredients other than milk, cream, eggs and sugar such as gums, tapioca starch/syrups raise serious questions about a purveyors definition of artisan.

It's all about the sum of the parts. Who cares if you make all your own inclusions and churn a base with the most expensive all natural ingredients if the result is lacking? There is something magical about the ability to build an amazingly good ice cream using real skill and craftsmanship without relying on filers and chemicals for consistency, to increase shelf life and improve mouth feel. McConnell's is relying on the appeal of what's inside (and what’s not inside) their pints to win the hearts of ice cream lovers, rather than a heavy marketing budget, handwritten labels and off the wall flavors and designs. They set out to create a diverse stable of flavors that you'd want to eat all the time.

One of the pints I ordered online from McConnell's is a seasonal flavor - Pumpkin Pie. The freezer section abounds with pumpkin themed ice cream this time of year. I've tried flavors ranging from aggressively spiced nutmeg delivery systems to those crowded with dough pieces emulating a crust component. McConnell's' take on pumpkin pie marries ultra premium ice cream with a pumpkin pie filling, leaving the crust element out of the equation.

Many versions of pumpkin pie ice cream demand a textural element to shift the focus away from an average, gummy, overcooked, stabilized base. Upon tasting this version it becomes clear why the crust component was omitted. The ice cream is skillfully seasoned by a mix of classic spices and molasses proportioned by an epicure, chef Eva Ein. My immediate thought on first bite was that they realize they have one of the best sweet cream bases on the planet, and know to simply accentuate and highlight it rather than distract from it. I am sure they wouldn't be offended if those of us who love the crust element added our own crumble or topped our pie. I personally appreciate having every bit of this pint container full of ice cream.

Where Elliot Found It: McConnells.com
Elliot's Grade: A

READER REVIEW: Derek's Review of Haagen Dazs Peanut Butter Pie

The world of peanut butter and chocolate ice cream creations is a competitive one to say the least. While I tend to shy away from Haagen Dazs due to their subtle use of mix-ins, their special edition Peanut Butter Pie seemed like a different take on a tried and true pairing. Described as “made with ribbons of smooth peanut butter and soft chocolate cookie pieces folded into creamy peanut butter ice cream”, it definitely seemed like a worthwhile pickup. Clocking in at 310 calories a serving, I rip off the seal to see what’s in store.

The surface is rather barren, but I know better than to judge a book by its cover. I delve into the light cream colored peanut butter ice cream. I have never had Haagen Dazs peanut butter base and it definitely caught me off guard. The sweet and slightly salty taste, combined with their well-known super silky consistency, is definitely a winner. The consistency is so smooth and fluffy that I immediately liken it to that of a peanut butter mouse. I’m not sure if my mind is just playing tricks on me, but the peanut butter base is eerily similar to the mouse like pudding found in that of a peanut butter pie. More than delighted with what I’ve already tried, I dig further to get to the mix-ins.

Once the first layer is gone the additions certainly shine. Chocolate cookies and peanut butter ribbons are seemingly endless. With the peanut butter base flavor already lingering in my mouth I first go for the chocolate cookies. The cookies are very soft, almost like that of an Oreo soaked in milk. The contrast with the base is spot on as expected. While I would prefer a more crunchy aspect to pair with the smooth base, the chewy cookies are definitely a unique mix-in that hit the spot.

Finally onto the peanut butter swirl. The peanut butter adds the crunchy mouthfeel much needed in an otherwise creamy creation such as this. The swirl adds the often overlooked salty aspect of peanut butter while going easy on the sweet side. Given that the base and the cookies offer plenty in the sweet notes department, the contrast provided by the swirl is perfect. There really isn’t much more to say here. A phenomenal base, two great mix-ins, contrasting textures and flavors make this arguably the best flavor Haagen Dazs has. All I can hope is this flavor never goes away.

Where Derek Found It: Giant Food
Derek's Grade: A