Jeni's - Campfire Chocolate

Campfire Chocolate - Smoky Milk Chocolate with Homemade Marshmallows

 

The second pint in my recent four-pint shipment from the Columbus-based Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream is called Campfire Chocolate.  It is a new flavor released for the 2020 holiday season.  A note to local readers that I bought this pint online and I do not believe that it is available in local grocery stores.  This is a milk chocolate with smoke flavor added and homemade vanilla marshmallow mix-ins.  I have had a couple of flavors billed as "smoky" before.  Both involve the McConnell's brand and it is the almonds which are smoky (links here and here).  In this Jeni's pint, it is the chocolate which is smoky.  Here it is a milk chocolate which is used.  Jeni's has both milk chocolate (Milkiest Chocolate) and dark chocolate (Darkest Chocolate) bases.  All dairy ice creams contain milk, but Jeni's adds evaporated milk to enhance the flavor of their milk chocolate.  I checked the ingredient list and that's what they do here as well.  Here of course, they add both "smokiness" and marshmallow mix-ins.  Let's check it out!

Removing the lid, I see the milky brown color of the milk chocolate base and a hint of one of the marshmallow mix-ins.  Digging in, I taste the smokiness in the chocolate right away.  It is a cool an interesting aromatic effect.  I wonder how they do it!  It is still primarily chocolate, though.  The chocolate is rich and creamy with extra milky undertones just like their Milkest Chocolate flavor (which I liked to above).  Soon, I encounter the marshmallow mix-ins.  I can tell that these are homemade because they have an irregular shape.  They look a bit larger and more irregular than the marshmallows that Jeni's used in their Roxbury Road flavor, but they are both 'homemade' (not pre-packaged) and the flavor is similar.  As I eat my way down the pint, my palate acclimates itself to the smokiness a bit.  The most intense effect was in the first couple of spoonfuls, but the flavor still remains more aromatic than usual throughout the rest of the point.

This is an interesting flavor from Jeni's.  It's the chocolate base from Milkiest Chocolate plus similar marshmallows to Roxbury Road with some infused smoky aroma.  It's interesting that they kept it with only chocolate and marshmallow.  It's like a rocky road without the almonds or a s'more flavor without the graham crackers -- but again with smoke.  I did enjoy Campfire Chocolate, though.  If you are a fan of chocolate and marshmallow and are curious about the smokiness, give this one a try.

Bebe Zito - Manda Chuva

Manda Chuva - “The Bringer of Rain” Gooey Brownies, Chocolate-covered Dots Pretzels and Salted Caramel

 

Today's flavor is from the Minneapolis-based Bebe Zito and is called Manda Chuva.  The flavor page only mentions all the mix-ins (brownies, pretzels, caramel) and not the base, so I assume it is probably a sweet cream.  The pretzels used here are Dot's Pretzels, the brand created about ten years ago by a North Dakotan named Dorothy Henke while wintering in Arizona (see story here).  The brand has been gradually spreading its reach from both locations since.  The name of the flavor, Manda Chuva, literally means "Bringer of Rain" in Portuguese and there is a Brazilian connection with both the Bebe Zito name and one the co-owners.  For a literal translation, I checked google translate and it checked out.  (google translate link here), but figuratively "manda chuva" also means "big shot".  My favorite use of the term in the figurative sense is that Manda Chuva is the translated name of the old Hanna Barbara cartoon Top Cat.  Also, "Bringer of Rain" (in English) is the nickname of Minnesota Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson which he says he got from the Spartacus: Blood and Sand television show.  So, let's check out to see if the flavor of this ice cream matches its billing. (ha ha)

Removing the lid, I see a lot of the mix-ins right away.  This is common for Bebe Zito, they add extra mix-ins to the top of their hand-packed pints right before placing the lid.  I see one of the Pretzel's partially covered in chocolate.  I see a sizeable cube-shaped chunk of brownie and I also see some caramel drizzle.  The ice cream underneath as a light beige color.  Digging in, the brownie pieces are excellent.  They seem softer than the ones they used in their Gochujang Brownie flavor -- a darker chocolate flavor as well.  The pretzel mix-ins are not crunchy -- chocolate does not completely coat them so they softened when mixed into the cream.  They do provide a bit of salt to the mix, though.  The caramel swirl was very good.  It is thick and salty.  Eating my way further down, the mix-ins are not just on the top, I continue to find all three as I eat my way down.

I enjoyed this pint from Bebe Zito.  The person who rang me up at the scoop shop told me that this flavor was "like a candy bar".  I can see that because of the caramel and the pretzels.  Checking my archives, most brownie ice creams use a chocolate base (the classic Chocolate Fudge Brownie flavor) but the flavor do not use a chocolate base are similar to today's flavor.  Flavors like Ben & Jerry's Netflix & Chilll'd (brownies & pretzels but a peanut butter base) and McConnell's Sweet Cream Caramel Brownie (brownies & caramel, but no pretzels).  I think Manda Chuva compares well with those flavors.  For me, the star of the this pint was the brownies which are indeed super gooey.  They are almost a cross between a brownie and a clump of soft fudge.

 

 

 

Jeni's - Pumpkin Cake Roll

Pumpkin Cake Roll - Sweet Heirloom Pumpkin Ice Cream swirled with Spiced Sweet Cheese and Cake

 

It's the holiday season and Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream of Columbus, Ohio has released their holiday flavors, so I made an order of four pints had it shipped to me.  A few places in the Twin Cities such as Whole Foods do stock Jeni's, but the pints in this shipment are limited batch so they are only available online.  I did my Jeni's shipment a little differently this year and made the order before Thanksgiving -- mainly because I only needed four pints and I wanted to beat the holiday shipping rush.  The holiday collection includes flavors that I enjoyed from previous years such as Cognac with Gingerbread and White Chocolate Peppermint as well as flavors that are new to me like Campfire Chocolate, Sugar Plum and today's flavor:  Pumpkin Cake Roll.  This flavor was new last year, but it sold out before I could get it so I am happy to see it return this year.  It is a pumpkin ice cream swirled with spiced sweet cheese and cake.  I am curious to find out what 'sweet cheese' is.  I am guessing it is similar to cream cheese.  Anyhow, let's check it out!

Removing the lid, there is a cool saying on the plastic seal for the top of the pint.  I have seen this one before, but it's worth seeing again (see below).  Peeling back the seal, I can see both the pumpkin and the cheese on top -- each swirled into a spiral.  If I look closely, I can see small crumbs of the cake.  Digging in, the pumpkin flavor is mildly spiced and quite good.  The cheese swirl is indeed sweeter than I expected.  This is almost as sweet as a pastry creme, but not quite.  I would say it is about halfway between a pastry creme and a cream-cheese/cheesecake.  The cake pieces are dispersed throughout the pint.  These are small in size and are like little pieces of pumpkin bread.  Pumpkin bread is a holiday favorite of my family, so I liked these.  The pieces added additional pumpkin flavor and gave me something soft to chew on once in a while.

This is a fun pumpkin flavor from Jeni's.  It is sweeter than the average pumpkin flavor -- it more closely replicates the flavor of a pumpkin pastry rather than pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie.  So, if you're in the mood for a sweeter pumpkin dessert, check this out.

Sweet Science - Vanilla Cardamom

Vanilla Cardamom - Vanilla Cardamom Ice Cream

 

Saint Paul's Sweet Science Ice Cream has another new flavor for the fall and it is called Vanilla Cardamom (instagram link here).  I picked it up at the Keg & Case Market in Saint Paul.  As I write this, the scoop shop had to close because Keg & Case closed with the most recent pandemic shutdown, but there is still curbside pickup of pints available.  This is the fourth vanilla or near-vanilla that I have had from Sweet Science.  I have had their regular vanilla (Vanilla Bean), their Honey Vanilla and their Malted Vanilla.  I am excited for this vanilla because I am fan of cardamom.

After removing the lid, the top of the pint looks like most other vanillas -- slightly off-white.  Digging in, I immediately taste the cardamom.  It's quite fragrant and potent.  I like it!  Continuing to eat my way down, the flavor of the cardamom holds up -- my palate acclimates to it a little bit, but not completely.  This is a homogeneous pint with no mix-ins.

I enjoyed this cardamom flavor from Sweet Science very much.  Cardamom often plays a supporting role adding aromaticity to other flavors, but since vanilla is the only other flavor it is allowed to take center stage here.  The most similar flavor to this that I have tried is Dad's Cardamom from Three Twins.  I liked today's pint better and Three Twins is no longer in business, so this is my new favorite cardamom flavor.  I would recommend this for a vanilla to accompany a slice of pie.  The cardamom adds quite a bit of flavor and it is strong enough where it might be better a scoop at a time.  Also, since Sweet Science is a premium brand, I feel like I am getting my money's worth with the extra flavor.

Pumphouse Creamery - Heather's Peanut Butter Cookie Milk

Heather's Peanut Butter Cookie Milk - Peanut Butter Cookie Milk Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Cookie Pieces

I have not been to Pumphouse Creamery in south Minneapolis in a while, so I stopped by to see if they had any new flavors.  They had a couple, so I picked them up.  They have limited hours during the pandemic (and the winter), so check their website for hours if you plan to go.  They only have takeout pints right now, but that's great for me because that's what I always get!  The first flavor is called Heather's Peanut Butter Cookie Milk.  The flavor is exactly what it sounds like.  It's a 'cookie milk' ice cream made with peanut butter cookies.  Cookie milk ice creams are usually made by steeping the milk-cream-sugar mixture in cookies and then straining them out before chilling and churning.  Here the cookies are from Heather's Restaurant in Minneapolis a few blocks south of Pumphouse on Chicago.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, the cookie milk base as a light beige to it.  Digging in, I can taste the peanut butter right away, but it is not very thick or heavy as some peanut butter bases are.  I am pretty sure this the cookie milk effect.  It's quite delicious.  Distributed throughout the pint are small peanut butter cookie pieces.  These are almost like large crumbs, but they do provide some variation in texture.  I debated whether or not to include them in the flavor description -- they could be an artifact of the straining process -- but I do like how they are in there and it is not quite a homogeneous pint.

This is delicious new flavor from Pumphouse.  Delivering the peanut butter flavor by way of peanut butter cookie milk makes for a lighter peanut butter flavor than usual which you might be in the mood for from time to time.  Check it out.

Milkjam Creamery - Cute Guys and Apple Pies

Cute Guys and Apple Pies - Apple Pie Sour Cream Buttermilk Ice Cream with Spiced Oat Crumble

 

The fourth and final of the November flavors from Milkjam Creamery is called Cute Guys and Apple Pies (instagram link here).  Apple is a fun flavor.  Milkjam just had an apple sorbet flavor called Poison Apple last month as a Halloween flavor.  I also had an apple pie flavor a couple of weeks ago from Bebe Zito called G.O.A.T. Apple Pie.  In previous years, I have had apple pie flavors from Talenti, Sweet Science and Sebastian Joe's.  I am actually not sure what the flavor name Cute Guys and Apple Pies refers to.  Often it's a pop culture reference but I couldn't find it by googling.  If you know, drop a note in the comment section.  Anyhow, on to the ice cream!

The base ice cream is an almost white color and some of the oatmeal crumble can be seen right away.  Digging in, I taste the apple right away -- which is delicious -- but then I taste a lot of sourness.  I know that sour cream is not necessarily sour, but it can be and I might also be tasting the effects of the buttermilk as well.  It's quite delicious though.  I immediately want to eat more.  The oat crumble plays the usual role in these types of flavors -- a little bit of crunch.  I do taste a little bit of cinnamon in the crumble, but it could be that there is cinnamon in the apple butter swirl as well.  I am really enjoying the sourness of this pint, though.  It is quite unexpected, but works very well.  There's a creaminess to it which makes it very palatable and it is still very much an apple flavor.

This is an excellent apple pie flavor from Milkjam Creamery.  The sourness means that it might not be for kids, but for adults this is delicious in a unique way.  Since I have eaten so many different kinds of ice creams, I really appreciate unique types of deliciousness.  That concludes my survey of Milkjam's November flavors (previous flavors: Roasted Pumpkin Dulce, Yeah Yeah Yams and Lyndale Fog).  Today's flavor is my favorite of the four, but they are all pretty good.  I am looking forward to next month, already.

 

Sweet Science - Goat Cheese and Blackberries

Goat Cheese and Blackberries - Goat Cheese Ice Cream with Blackberry Compote

 

Today's flavor is from the Saint Paul-based Sweet Science Ice Cream.  It is called Goat Cheese and Blackberries (instagram link here) and I got it at the Keg & Case Market in Saint Paul.  I have had goat cheese in an ice cream once before from Jeni's with their Goat Cheese with Red Cherries flavor.  The mix-in is different here (blackberry compote instead of roasted cherries) but it will be interesting to see how the two goat cheese bases compares.

Remove the lid, I see a lot of the blackberry swirl against an off-white colored base.  It looks great!  Digging in, the goat cheese base has the consistency of a cream cheese base, except I can tell it is not quite the same.  It feels a little less thick and perhaps a bit chunkier.  The flavor is fairly mild and it serves here as a vehicle for the blackberry swirl.  This blackberry swirl is excellent.  One of the better berry swirls that I have had in a while, right up there with Jeni's Brambleberry Crisp and Pumphouse's Honeyberry Crisp.  Very delicious.

This is a very good pint from Sweet Science.  I braced myself, but tangy goat cheese in the base, but surprisingly it plays a supporting role here to an excellent blackberry swirl.  The goat cheese acts like a cream cheese to complement this delicious swirl.  I think the Jeni's goat cheese flavor packs more specific goat cheese tangy flavor into their pint, but I still recommend this flavor because of the blackberry swirl.  Enjoy.

 

 

Milkjam Creamery - Lyndale Fog

Lyndale Fog - (16) - Dairy-Free Ice Cream flavored with Earl Grey Tea and Cranberry mix-ins

Today's flavor is the third of the four November flavors from the Minneapolis-based Milkjam Creamery.  This flavor is called Lyndale Fog (instagram link here).  I picked it up at their south Minneapolis scoop shop.  This is a vegan ice cream flavored with Earl Grey tea and has cranberry mix-ins.  The flavor name is a play on London Fog which is an Earl-Grey-Tea-based beverage and Lyndale Avenue which is the street where the Milkjam Creamery scoop shop is located.  This is actually the first pint that I have tried which includes cranberry.  Cranberries are true botanical berries and are related to blueberries, huckleberries, bilberries and lingonberries.  They are bright red in color and have a distinctive acidic tartness to their flavor.  They are commonly served to accompany large meals during the holiday season.  So it makes sense that it's part of a November flavor. Let's check it out!

Removing the lid, I see the beige color of the Earl Grey base and one of the cranberries is visible right away.  Digging in, I can tell right away that it is not dairy.  It has a denser and grittier texture.  The flavor is good, though.  Milkjam specializes in non-dairy bases.  I have written before that at least one of their founders is lactose intolerant which I think gives them extra perspective and incentive to create non-dairy flavors that are good in their own right.  The instagram link above says they use coconut and oat milks to create the base.  The Earl Grey flavor is good -- I can taste the bergamot orange and the tea.  The cranberry mix-ins are beautiful.  They are big and bright red and have a very tart flavor as expected.

I really enjoyed this non-dairy flavor from Milkjam Creamery.  Earl Grey with cranberries is an interesting, unique and successful combination!  The tartness of the cranberries balanced the sweetness of the earl grey base.  To be honest, I do prefer dairy bases, but nobody does coconut/oat 'milk' substitute bases as well as Milkjam does.  Check it out.

 

 

 

 

Bebe Zito - Pumpkin Becky

Pumpkin Becky - Roasted Pumpkin Base with Cafe Miel Sauce throughout with Ginger Molasses Cookie Dough, topped with Roasted Pecans. (No Karens were harmed in the making of this ice cream)

 

Today's flavor is from the Bebe Zito scoop shop in south Minneapolis.  It is called Pumpkin Betty.  It is another pumpkin flavor for the fall.  Like the recent Sweet Science flavor Pumpkin Pepita Brittle, there is creative use of mix-ins in a pumpkin base.  Here, Bebe Zito uses a ginger molasses cookie dough with some cafe miel sauce and roasted pecans.  I had to look up cafe miel:  it is a coffee drink with milk, honey and cinnamon.  (miel is French word for honey). 

The flavor name and flavor description have fun with the terms 'Becky' and 'Karen' which are slang labels people younger than me use for types of annoying people.  I was talking to my mom about this flavor name the other day (she sometimes asks what flavors are in my freezer).  I was expecting to have to try to explain to her about Becky's and Karen's but instead she said "Oh, is that like an Apple Betty?".  You know?  Maybe it is!  There are some similarities with spiced doughy mix-ins inside the base.  Bebe Zito turns  Betty into Becky with its unique twist on the mix-ins (cafe miel).  Just a fun theory.  I am not sure if that is actually what they had in mind.

Enough talk, onto the ice cream!  Removing the lid, I see the pumpkin base with with a fair amount of brown goop on the top.  It looks like brown sugar.  Digging in, I see the chunks of cookie dough.  These are like ginger snap dough.  I can taste the molasses and brown sugar.  It is very tasty.  The pumpkin base is flavorful and goes well with the cookie dough.  The ginger in the cookie dough is not too strong and effectively blends with the pumpkin spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc) in the base ice cream.  I don't specifically taste the cafe miel (honey & coffee) but it could be that it as blended into the mix somehow.

This is an excellent pint from Bebe Zito.  There are a lot of ingredients and I don't specifically taste every one but altogether the brown sugary molasses cookie dough mix-ins go really well with the pumpkin base.  Like Sweet Science's Pumpkin Pepita Brittle, I applaud the use of large flavorful mix-ins in a pumpkin ice cream.  There are a lot of simple pumpkin flavors out there, maybe some with caramel or cream cheese, but if you're in the mood for an extra chunky pumpkin pint during this holiday season, give Pumpkin Becky a try.

 

 

 

Milkjam Creamery - Yeah Yeah Yams

Yeah Yeah Yams - Sweet Potato Casserole Ice Cream with Roasted Marshmallows and Pecans

 

Today is the second of the four November flavors from Milkjam Creamery.  It is called Yeah Yeah Yams (instagram link here).  I picked it up at their scoop shop in South Minneapolis.  It has a sweet potato base with a roasted marshmallow swirl and pecans.  I have had sweet potato bases twice before --   both times from Jeni's (review links here and here).  The second of those pints had marshmallows like this pint does.  Today's pint has pecans, which neither of the two Jeni's pints had.  The flavor name here is I believe a nod to the indie band the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  I remember their song "Maps" which was one of the funnest songs for newbies to play on the Rock Band video game.  Anyhow, let's check out today's flavor.

Removing the lid, I see everything right away on the top of the pint.  The sweet potato base has a pastel orange color.  Glob-like sections of marshmallow are visible (as opposed to marshmallow pieces) and I can see some of the pecans as well.  Digging in, the sweet potato has a light and sweet flavor which is very appealing.  I am always pleasantly surprised by the flavor of sweet potato.  I did not grow up eating it, so I often brace myself for something savory like squash, but it is quite sweet.  The marshmallow sections are soft and they act like swirl.  The pecans are excellent.  They are crunchy and flavorful and complement the smooth sweetness of the rest of the pint.

I enjoyed this pint from Milkjam Creamery quite a bit.  Sweet potato ice cream works!  More brands should try it -- even if it is just for the holidays.  Because of the excellent pecans, I actually like this better than both of the Jeni's pints I liked to above.  If you missed out on a sweet potato side dish this Thanksgiving, maybe this pint will tide you over.  Enjoy.

 

Bebe Zito - G.O.A.T. Apple Pie

G.O.A.T. Apple Pie - Cajeta Caramel Base, Roasted Apple and Cinnamon Jam. Topped with Pie Crumble Streusel

 

Today's flavor comes from Bebe Zito of south Minneapolis.  I picked it up at their scoop shop on 22nd and Lyndale.  The flavor is called "G.O.A.T. Apple Pie".  It has a cajeta caramel base with roasted apple and cinnamon jam and pie crumble streusel.  Here "G.O.A.T.", of course, means 'Greatest Of All Time" and this is an apple pie or apple-streusel ice cream which I have seen a few times before (Talenti, Sweet Science and Sebastian Joe's).  One word that jumped out of the flavor description here is "cajeta" which is a new term for me.  Cajeta is a confection made with caramelized goat milk.  It is the goat-milk version of dulce de leche (caramelized cow's milk).  I usually like apple pie flavors, so I'm looking forward to checking this out.

Removing the lid, there is a big chunk of apple pie filling on the top of the pint!  It almost stuck to the lid which would not have made for a good photo, but I twisted the lid a bit as I lifted it off and got it to stay on the top for a good photo.  The base ice cream beneath it has yellowish-orangish color which is consistent with caramel-apple-cinnamon.  Digging in, this small chunk of apple pie filling is quite delicious.  It's the only chunk like this in the pint, though.  It's quite common for Bebe Zito to give you something extra on top which is not in the rest of the pint.  Rather than be disappointed that there is no more of it, I'll be glad that they added it at all.  Digging down, the apple cinnamon flavor in the ice cream is quite good and there is the occasional swirl which enhanced the flavor in the base.  I liked the cajeta and it tasted like light caramel or dulce de leche as expected.  The apple-cinnamon flavor was strong enough (and good enough) that I was not able to focus closely enough on the cajeta to see what made it taste different than other dulce de leche's.  Maybe if I had it side by side I could judge better here.

This is a very good caramel apple-pie pint from Bebe Zito.  It is fun to have all these apple flavors in the fall.  I liked this better than Talenti (more apple-y) and about as good as Sweet Science.  The Sebastian Joe's had more intense apple-cinnamon flavor, but that might be expected because that flavor did not contain any caramel.  The one chunk of apple pie filling on top is a wonderful topping to this flavor.  Enjoy.

Sebastian Joe's - Raspberry Chocolate Chip

Raspberry Chocolate Chip - Raspberry Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips

 

I picked up today's flavor at the Sebastian Joe's scoop shop in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis.  This is Raspberry Chocolate Chip and it is one of their "signature flavors".  It has been around since 1985 and they almost always have it available in the scooping bin.  Raspberry chocolate chip is a very popular flavor across many brands.  Milkjam has a Pink Lady flavor which uses raspberry sherbet.  Both Graeter's and Talenti have a Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip.  It will be fun to see how this flavor from Sebastian Joe's compares.

Popping open the pint, I see a hot pink color of the raspberry base.  I see quite a few of the chocolate chips as well.  I also see a couple of places where they jammed the scooper into the ice cream in order to pack it in.  This does not have an effect on anything, but it made me smile to see it.  Sebastian Joe's ice cream is thick and it takes some effort to pack it into these pint cartons.  Digging in, this is a very sweet raspberry flavor.  Often with raspberry bases and swirls, there is a balance between sweet and tart, but this flavor definitely falls on the sweet side.  It is not overly sweet, though.  The chcoolate chips are of a decent size and go well with the raspberry.

This is a solid implementation of raspberry chocolate chip from Sebastian Joe's.  It is a sweet raspberry so it has a different flavor than the Black Raspberry implementations from Graeter's and Talenti.  The Pink Lady flavor from Milkjam is probably the closest.  Checking my archives, I did find a Sebastian Joe's flavor called Bailey's Raspberry Truffle which is probably the "adult" version of this flavor.  There, the raspberry is spiked with Bailey's Cream and the chocolate chips are larger and chunkier.  I liked that flavor very much and I'll admit that I liked it a bit better than todays flavor.  That said, today's flavor might be more kid-friendly.