Sweet Science - Milk and Cookies

Milk and Cookies - Vanilla Ice Cream with Soft-Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies and Dough

The local Sweet Science brand recently snuck a new flavor on to its menu in November called Milk and Cookies.  The Golden Fig on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul stocks the collection of flavors near me and when I went down there to pick up the November flavors, I saw this flavor that I did not recognize and I scooped it up.  When I got home, I saw this instagram post explaining it's addition.  It says it will be around for a few months.  It has a light vanilla base with chocolate chip cookie and chocolate chip cookie dough mix-ins.  I like these types of ice cream.  Cookie mix-ins often imply Oreo (or Oreo-like) cookies and it's fun when chocolate chip cookies are used instead.  Then some cookie dough is used as well.  Looks interesting!

Removing the lid, the vanilla base has the expected off-white color and several of the mix-ins are visible right away.  The vanilla base is quite tasty and soon I encounter the cookie mix-ins.  These are chunks are about the size of sugar cubes.  Each chunk delivers quite a bit of chocolate chip cookie flavor.  It was not always obvious as I ate the ice cream which chunks were cookies and which were cookie dough.  I like my cookies a little dough-y, so this is not a complaint.  It's all quite good, but there is a lot of plain vanilla in between the mix-ins.  I was not always able to get mix-ins into each spoonful.

This is a good implementation of a vanilla & chocolate chip cookie flavor from Sweet Science.  Checking my archives, the gold standard for this type of flavor is still McConnell's but I also like Ben & Jerry's.  Milkjam also had a non-dairy version of this flavor during the state fair.  If I had a quibble with the Sweet Science flavor, it was the large sections of vanilla in my pint.  I did like the large chunks, though.  Perhaps if they crushed a small fraction of the chunks into smaller pieces so that every spoonful would at least have some cookies in it.  This is a rare complaint from me for Sweet Science as I usually find their flavors amazing.  Maybe I got an odd batch.  It's still good, though.  If you are at their scoop shop and in the mood for cookies, then check it out.

Jeni's - Pistachio Macaron

Pistachio Macaron - Pistachio Ice Cream infused with Honey and Almond

 

The next flavor from my holiday shipment from Jeni's Ice Cream is called Pistachio Macaron (instagram link here).  A note to local readers that I bought this online and is unlikely to be available in Minnesota.  I have had a pistachio-themed flavor from Jeni's before called Pistachio & Honey.  Today's flavor adds almond into the mix.  The intent is to mimic the flavor and appearance of French-style Pistachio Macaron cookies.  Indeed a quick check of recipes online shows that macarons are made with almond flour.  As an additional side, I learned today that macarons are almond-based cookies, while macaroons are coconut-based.  (See discussion here).

On to the ice cream.  Removing the lid and peeling back the seal, the ice cream appears to be two ice creams marbled together.  The lighting is not ideal in the photos below, but one color is greenish yellow and the other color is a yellowish green.  They match the two colors on the front of the carton.  Digging in, I taste good pistachio flavor.  The honey sweetens it a little and keeps it from getting too earthy, but it is not overly sweet.  The effect of the almond flavor is fairly subtle.  The combination is quite delicious, but it is hard for me to pick it out specifically.  I have talked before about how some flavors are "fruit blends".  This flavor appears to be a bit of a "nut blend".   I do not notice a difference between the flavors of the two colors.  At first, I thought one might have more almond than the other, but I think they just might be colored differently.  Checking the ingredients, Jeni's uses pumpkin extract and spirulina extract to create the two colors.  Perhaps they just colored the same ice cream differently twice and then marbled it.  It does look really cool.

This is an excellent pistachio blend flavor from Jeni's Ice Cream.  The mixture of pistachio, honey and almond is very well crafted here.  It's still primarily pistachio -- so it will appeal to pistachio fans -- but the blend moves it to another level.  In my opinion, this could easily replace their old Pistachio & Honey flavor as their primary pistachio flavor.  I will be curious to see if they do that or if they keep it as an annual holiday special.

OddFellows - Passionfruit Apricot Pistachio

Passionfruit Apricot Pistachio - Passionfruit Ice Cream with Apricot Jam Swirls and Pistachio Pieces

 

The next flavor from my recent shipment from the Brooklyn-based OddFellow's Ice Cream is called Passionfruit Apricot Pistachio.  Here I drop a quick aside to local readers that I bought this flavor online and I am not aware of any Minnesota grocery stores that stock OddFellows.  OK, now that that is out of the way, what an interesting combination of flavors!  I have only had apricot once before in a Spumoni flavor from Sebastian Joe's.  Passionfruit, I associate with tropical flavors and it is not often that I see pistachio used as a mix-in nut.  This should be fun!

Removing the lid, the passionfruit base has a yellow color.  I can see some orange on top from the apricot jam and I can see one of the green pistachios on top as well.  As I eat my way down, the orange color disappears, but I still taste some apricot.  It looks like the apricot jam has almost fully blended into the passionfruit base and the orange on top is from a diffusion towards a surface that sometimes happens.  The blended passionfruit apricot flavor is pretty good!  As tropical as passionfruit can be, the flavor can be a bit bitter in isolation.  The apricot provides a bit of sweetness to counter that.  The pistachios provide a bit of crunch and the pieces are large enough that I can taste some pistachio as well as I bit into them.

This is a very interesting and well-done flavor from OddFellows.  It is a very unique combination combination of flavors.  After reviewing hundreds of flavors, I greatly appreciate something completely new from time to time.  The flavor is mainly passionfruit, but some sweet apricot in the mix as well and pistachio is a premium nut for mix-ins.  If you are in the mood for something fruity and new and this flavor is available to you, then check it out.

Jeni's - Mexican Hot Chocolate

Mexican Hot Chocolate - Chocolate Ice Cream with Vietnamese Cinnamon and Cayenne Pepper 

 

I made a holiday order from Jeni's Ice Cream of Columbus, Ohio!  Rather than wait for the Black Friday sale, I pulled the trigger early this year as I am worried about shipping delays this year.  A reminder to local readers that although Whole Foods, Kowalski's and a few other places, I have never seen the holiday flavors in stock at local grocery stores.  Ok, I have had a few of the holiday flavors before (Sugar Plum, White Chocolate Peppermint and Cognac with Gingerbread), so I will refer you to those reviews.  The first new flavor from the shipment is called Mexican Hot Chocolate (instagram link here).  This flavor used to be called "Queen City Cayenne" and is one of Jeni's earliest and most favorite flavors.  It is a chocolate ice cream seasoned with Vietnamese cinnamon and cayenne pepper.  This mexican or spiced chocolate flavor is not uncommon.  I have had implementations from Häagen-Dazs, Steve's, McConnell's, and Sebastian Joe's.  Jeni's themselves even had a similar flavor called Xocorosa which had slightly different spices and was spiked with rosé.  Let's dig in!

Removing the lid, the chocolate base has a medium brown color -- about normal and not "dark".  Digging in, I taste the spices in the chocolate right away.  Mainly I taste the the cinnamon.  I taste a little bit of the cayenne pepper as well.  I have a high spice tolerance, so for me it just raises the level of the cinnamon to that of  Big Red gum.  But here in the Midwest, people have lower spice tolerances, so they may feel more of a kick.  I do not mean to belabor these spice-level observations -- this is delicious!  This is a homogeneous flavor with no mix-ins.

This is a solid implementation of a spicy chocolate from Jeni's.  It is simple and flavorful.  Part of me wishes it was a bit hotter, but that could be my high spice tolerance talking.  This is spicy enough for most.  Enjoy.

Milkjam Creamery - Pumpkin Dulce Crunch

Pumpkin Dulce Crunch - Roasted Pumpkin Ice Cream with Dulce De Leche Swirl and Crunchy Pepita Crumble

The next November flavor (instagram link here) from Milkjam Creamery is called Pumpkin Dulce Crunch (instagram link here).  Like the recent Sour Cream Apple Pie flavor, today's flavor is again another permutation upon a flavor from last November.  Last November's Pumpkin flavor was called Roasted Pumpkin Dulce.  Both flavors include a roasted pumpkin base and a dulce de leche swirl.  Today's flavor adds a pepita (pumpkin seed) crumble.  Let's dig in!

Removing the like the roasted pumpkin base has an earthy dark orange color and there are some darker brown chunks visible.  Digging in, the pumpkin flavor is quite good -- a bit of a darker flavor and not as sweet.  The chunks here are a mixture of a dulce de leche and crunchy pepita crumble.  The dulce de leche adds some sweetness in a darker, more caramel-like way and the pepita crumble adds crunchiness to the pint.  This is quite a delicious combination.

This pumpkin flavor from Milkjam Creamery is quite well done.  It is a bit earthier than some pumpkin implementations -- a bit of a pumpkin caramel blend.  It is a lot like last year's Roasted Pumpkin Dulce, but I think the pumpkin seed crunch does improve things.  Perfect for those in a holiday mood.  Will this flavor return next year or will they refine it again.  It will be fun to see.

OddFellows - Ricotta Lemon Sponge Cake

Ricotta Lemon Sponge Cake - Sweet Ricotta Ice Cream with Swirls of Lemon Curd and Chunks of Sponge Cake 

 

The next pint from my recent shipment from the Brooklyn based OddFellows Ice Cream is called Ricotta Lemon Sponge Cake.  A note to local readers that I bought this online and I am not aware than any place in the Twin Cities sells OddFellows.  This flavor features a ricotta cheese base with a swirl of lemon curd and chunks of sponge cake.  I have not had a flavor featuring ricotta cheese before.  Ricotta cheese is an Italian whey cheese made from the whey which can be left over when making other cheeses (ricotta means 'recooked' or 'refined' in Italian).  I have enjoyed lemon ricotta pancakes in the past, so the lemon ricotta combination makes sense to me.  Let's check this out.

Removing the lid, the base ice cream is quite white and I can see some bright yellowish sections as well.  Digging in, I can taste the lemon flavor right away.  It is stronger in the yellower sections but still evident throughout.  I think the lemon curd swirl is partially blended into the base -- not a bad thing, just an observation.  The ricotta here acts as a cream-cheese-like balance for the lemon.  It is quite good.  The sponge cake pieces are small, but provide a bit of spongy chewiness when you bite into them.

I liked this pint very much.  Lemon is one of my favorite flavors, but it can be tricky working it into an ice cream flavor.  Using ricotta is a great idea and it works quite well.  Checking my archives, the closest flavors I can find is Lemon Sponge Cake from Izzy's scoop shop days and Van Leeuwen's Royal Wedding Cake.  Both of those added a berry swirl into the mix.  Today's OddFellow's flavor is all lemon.  Lemon lovers should check it out.

Milkjam Creamery - Sour Cream Apple Pie

Sour Cream Apple Pie - Sour Cream Ice Cream with Caramelized Apples and Pecan-Oat Granola

 

The third of Milkjam Creamery's November flavors (instragram link here) is called Sour Cream Apple Pie (instagram link here).  This flavor looks similar to a flavor which they had last November called Cute Guys and Apple Pies.  Both feature a sour cream and buttermilk base, apples and granola.  In the old flavor, there was more apple in the base and some apple butter swirl.  This flavor has caramelized apple chunks and the granola now includes pecans.  I guess that's enough to warrant a new review!  Ha ha... Let's go!

Removing the lid, the sour cream and buttermilk base is a bright white color.  I can see some of the nutty granola but I can also see some small chunks of caramelized apple.  Digging in, like last year's flavor, this sour cream and buttermilk base is quite tangy.  I really like it, but I guess I could see someone being caught off guard.  Balancing the buttermilk are the caramelized apple pieces which include just the right amount of apple pie spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger) so as to make me feel like these chunks came from a caramel apple pie.  The pecan granola is also quite good and gives me the crunchy illusion of eating a slice of pie with my ice cream.

This is an excellent pint of ice cream.  Apple pie flavors such as those from Bebe Zito, Talenti, Sweet Science and Sebastian Joe's are usually quite good -- and the apple-y parts of this are good, too -- but Milkjam's addition of the tangy sour cream and buttermilk base really makes this uniquely delicious.  It is quite a bit like last year's Cute Guys and Apple Pies, but I think I like this flavor better because it's got more apple.  I look forward to another permutation of this next November.  Enjoy.

Sebastian Joe's - Chocolate Cha Cha

Chocolate Cha Cha - Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips

 

Today I am back with another flavor from the Minneapolis-based Sebastian Joe's Ice Cream.  This flavor is called Chocolate Cha Cha (facebook link here).  A fun flavor name.  I bought it at their scoop shop on Hennepin & Franklin in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis.  This flavor features a chocolate and peanut butter base with chocolate chip mix-ins.  I am looking forward to checking this out.

Opening the lid, the ice cream is densely packed in there!  They are often quite generous packing the ice cream into the carton at Sebastian Joe's.  The base ice cream is quite dark.  If I didn't know the flavor description, I would assume it was just chocolate -- perhaps even "dark" chocolate.  Digging in, chocolate is indeed the dominant flavor, but significant notes of peanut butter are also evident as well.  This is a good blend.  Next I encounter the chocolate chips.  These don't really add much more chocolate flavor to what is already a very chocolatey base, but they do provide a welcome change in texture.  It is very delicious and also very rich.  I am quite full after finishing this.

This is a successful chocolate-peanut-butter pint from Sebastian Joe's.  Chocolate and peanut butter are a common and winning combination in ice cream and there have been many ways that places combine the ingredients.  This one is really heavy on the chocolate.  If you're in the mood for a rich, chocolate-heavy version of the chocolate-peanut-butter combination, then you'll enjoy this.

Milkjam Creamery - Cranberry Almond Crumble

Cranberry Almond Crumble - Cranberry Almond-Milk Ice Cream with Toasted Almond Crumble 

The second November flavor (instagram link here) from the Minneapolis-based Milkjam Creamery  is called Cranberry Almond Crumble (instagram link here).  This is their non-dairy featured flavor for the month.  It has a cranberry almond milk base with toasted almond crumble for the mix-in.  Seem like a good idea for a Thanksgiving flavor.  They had a non-dairy cranberry flavor last November as well called Lyndale Fog, but today's flavor switches it up and has a cranberry base instead of cranberry mix-ins.  Let's check it out.

Opening the pint, the cranberry almond milk base has a deep pink color.  Some of the almond crumble is visible on the top of the pint.  The first spoonful contains that distinctive tart cranberry flavor.  The texture is thick and dense.  I can tell it is non-dairy from how thick it is, but still scoops smoothly -- this is not a sorbet.  The almond crumble provides some fun crunch into the mix.  

This is a solid non-dairy cranberry flavor from Milkjam Creamery.  The tartness of the cranberry probably keeps this from being an all-year favorite, but it feels fun and seasonally appropriate for this time of year.

Sweet Science - Toasted White Chocolate Almond

Toasted White Chocolate Almond - Caramelized White Chocolate flecked throughout a gentle Almond-Vanilla Ice Cream

 

The local Sweet Science brand has one November flavor which I have not tried yet.  That new flavor is called Toasted White Chocolate Almond.  Their email-list says that it is actually an older flavor which they had available at the tastings they used to do before they had any scoop shops, but I haven't had it yet.  The base ice cream is an almond-vanilla and the mix-ins are caramelized white chocolate.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, the almond vanilla base is very light in color with lots of light brown strips of caramelized white chocolate visible.  Visually, it almost looks like strips of toasted coconut, but of course that is not what it is.  Digging in, the almond flavor in the base is fairly subtle.  I notice it, but it is not overpowering.  The goal of the base here is to serve as a vehicle for the mix-ins.  The 'strips' of caramelized white chocolate are quite interesting.  White chocolate is mainly cocoa butter and sugar so it makes sense that you could caramelize it.  It has a bit of a caramel-like flavor.  It's pretty good.

This is an interesting and well-done ice cream.  Caramelizing white chocolate is a good idea.  I don't know if I like it as much as regular caramel (caramelized sugar) or dulce de leche (caramelized milk) but it has a very similar caramel-like flavor.  The almond-vanilla base is quite good and helps bring the pint all together.  Try this out if you like caramelized thing and are curious.

Milkjam Creamery - French Silk Pie

French Silk Pie -  Freckled Milk Chocolate Ice Cream with Pie Crust and Whipped Meringue 

 

The first of Milkjam Creamery's November flavors is French Silk Pie.  This is a bit exciting for me because French Silk Pie was a favorite in my family's household growing up.  We still pick up a French Silk Pie from Baker's Square when my sister visits from out of town.  How do they this flavor pie into an ice cream?  They used a "freckled" milk chocolate base and have pie crust mix-ins along with a whipped meringue swirl.  Let's check it out!

Removing the lid, the ice cream has a charcoal brown color with some darker chocolate mix-ins visible and some hints of the swirls of meringue.  Digging in, the chocolate base is quite delicious.  It is a bit of a mousse-like flavor just like the pie.  The "freckles" are basically small pieces of the chocolate shavings that you often see on the top of a French Silk Pie.  They're perfect!  It totally makes me feel like I am eating a slice the pie.  The whipped meringue is basically a whipped cream -- it is not tangy or crunchy like some meringues -- but that also matches my pie experience as well.  Then everyone once in a while I encounter some pie crust pieces which provide a bit of a crunch.  Not too many, but enough.

This is an uncanny and quite excellent implementation of a French-Silk-Pie-as-ice-cream flavor from Milkjam Creamery.  This is a new twist on chocolate ice cream for me.  I guess it is in some ways similar to the Frozen Hot Chocolate flavor from Serendipity, but chocolate dessert connoisseurs will be able to tell the difference (plus I like this Milkjam flavor a little better).  If you are also nostalgic about French Silk Pie -- or even if you just like chocolate and whipped cream -- check this out.  I hope this becomes a returning seasonal flavor.

OddFellows - Joe Bananas

Joe Bananas - Coffee Ice Cream with Banana Bread and Walnuts 

 

I made an online order from the Brooklyn-based Oddfellows Ice Cream!  So a quick note to local readers that I am not aware that this brand is available anywhere in the Twin Cities (except online).  The first flavor is called Joe Bananas which was originally released as part of the "ODB Capsule" which honored the hip-hop legend ODB who was one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan.  "Joe Bananas" was one of his nicknames.  OddFellows let me mix and match flavors when I made my purchase, so I did not buy the entire ODB Capsule, but this particular flavor looked pretty good so I picked it up.  The ice cream includes a coffee ice cream base with banana bread pieces and walnuts.  I have never seen anything close to this flavor combination before.  Banana is commonly pared with chocolate, let's see how pairing it with coffee works out.

Removing the lid, the coffee base has a creamy taupe color to it.  A bit creamier than the usual coffee base but not that out of the ordinary.  Digging in, the coffee flavor is decent -- not too strong.  Soon, I run into the banana bread pieces.  These are smaller than I expected.  Because of their small size, they mainly provide some chewy textural difference and not as much banana-bread flavor as I expected.  I ran into some walnuts from time to time, though again not as many as I was expecting.

This is a decent coffee-based flavor.  The flavor name and ingredient list raised my expectations about how much banana bread and walnuts would be included.  So, although this was a pleasant enough flavor which was easy to eat, I feel like there was not enough banana bread.