Talenti - Peanut Butter Crunch

Peanut Butter Crunch - Layers of Peanut Butter Gelato, Graham Cracker Pieces, Brown Butter Sugar Sauce, Vanilla Gelato and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

 

Talenti Gelato has a new special batch layers flavor called Peanut Butter Crunch.  This flavor is the result of the contest that they had on the Bravo Network's Top Chef program.  Bravo has a link here with details.  Talenti has a link here.  They told contestants to create a layered ice cream dessert and that the winner would be turned into a Talenti flavor.  The winner was a chef named Avishar Barua who created a flavor based on Buckeye Bonbons popular in Ohio.  Graeter's of Cincinnati had a flavor based on these treats as well.  This Talenti flavor is a layered flavor and the layers are peanut butter gelato, graham cracker pieces, brown butter sugar sauce, vanilla gelato and chocolate peanut butter cups.  Let's see how this turns out!

Unscrewing the lid, the top of the pint only shows the top peanut butter gelato layer.  For the purposes of taking pictures for the review, I proceed to carve out a slice to show all the layers.  Pictures are below.  The peanut butter base is fairly light in color.  The middle two 'mix-in' layers (graham cracker and brown butter sugar sauce tend to blend a bit and the chocolate peanut butter cups line the bottom of the container.  Slicing out the layers has the benefit letting me easily access all the layers in one spoonful.  It is a good mix of flavors.  The peanut butter gelato is indeed a bit light (not heavy).  The graham cracker brown butter form a tasty swirl.  The vanilla gelato further lightens up the pint and the chocolate peanut butter cups are chocolate-heavy and provide quite a bit of contrast to the rest of the pint.  It's quite delicious.

This is a fun and well-done peanut-butter themed layers flavor.  Talenti already has a layers flavor with similar ingredients called Peanut Butter Vanilla Fudge, but I think they manage to make this flavor unique.  There's much less chocolate in this pint -- it is limited to just the peanut butter cups -- and I like the graham cracker and brown butter sugar sauce better than the peanut butter cookies.  If you are a layers fan who likes peanut butter and chocolate, then check this out.

Baskin Robbins - Cotton Candy

Cotton Candy - Cotton Candy flavored Ice Cream

 

Today is another flavor from Baskin Robbins.  This is Cotton Candy.  I bought it at Cooper Foods on West 7th in Saint Paul.  Cotton Candy is a popular flavor in scoop shops, but I don't often see it in pints.  In these reviews, I have only had it once before -- a limited batch flavor from Graeter's.  Let's check it out.

Opening the lid, I see two bright colors on top -- pink and baby blue.  Looking at the Baskin Robbins webpage, it says they don't use artificial colors!  They use beet and red sweet potato juice for the pink and spirulina for the blue.  Digging in, the ice cream does taste like cotton candy!  What flavor is that is interesting.  Checking the internet, I found this cool article describing one triplet of flavor chemicals that is popularly used to reproduce the flavor: ethyl maltol, strawberry furanone and vanillin.  Checking the ingredient list on this carton, Baskin Robbins does not give away their secret, they just list "artificial flavor".  It's a fun flavor!  Eating my way down, the two colors stay separate.  It looks like they took two batches of the same ice cream and dyed it differently and then marbled them together.

This is a fun cotton candy pint from Baskin Robbins.  It does taste like cotton candy.  This does feel like a sweet flavor for kids, but a lot of people have kids -- or feel like a kid.

Milk Bar - Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie Crush

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie Crush - Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Cookie Crumbs and Fudge Chocolate Cookie Batter

Today I return to the New York-based Milk Bar brand for their Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie Crush flavor.  I bought this flavor at Whole Foods on Selby, but I have also seen it sold at local Target stores as well.  Milk is a fun new brand. I was alerted to its existence in the comment section of an earlier review.  Thanks again to that reader!  Today's flavor features a peanut butter and chocolate base with one swirl of peanut butter cookie crumbs and another swirl of fudge chocolate cookie batter.  Chocolate & peanut butter is a common and popular flavor combination and this looks like a fun and unique way of combining the two.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid and peeling back the seal, I see the light brown color of the peanut butter and chocolate base and I see hints of the two swirls (a lighter orange one of peanut butter and some darker brown for the fudge).  Digging in, the peanut butter and chocolate base is mainly peanut butter flavored.  I checked the ingredient list and there is chocolate in there but it is not very obvious (especially with a swirl also providing chocolate).  That's just an observations.  Some blended are predominantly chocolate, this one is predominately peanut butter.  The swirls are both very well done.  The peanut butter cookie crumb base provides additional peanut butter as well as a gritty texture while the fudge cookie batter provides a lot of chocolate flavor in more of a goopy texture.  The fudge cookie batter swirl is excellent.  It reminded me of brownie batter which is an ingredient which should be used more often.  The strong chocolate flavor of this swirl explains why less chocolate is needed in the base.

This is an excellent chocolate and peanut butter flavor from Milk Bar.  I run into chocolate-peanut-butter flavors all the time, but this is one of the more creative ones that I have tried in recent memory.  It is a relatively smooth pint -- no chunks -- but the flavors are excellent and well balanced.  If you are into chocolate-and-peanut-butter flavors, then check this out and see if you like it.

Baskin Robbins - Mint Chocolate Chip

Mint Chocolate Chip - Mint Ice Cream with Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

 

I return to the Baskin Robbins brand for their Mint Chocolate Chip flavor.  I bought this at Cooper Foods in the West 7th neighborhood of Saint Paul.  Long time readers may recall that mint chocolate chip was my favorite flavor as a kid.  This blog has me trying new flavors all the time, so the only time I get to have mint chocolate chip is when I am reviewing a new brand.  Baskin Robbins is certainly not a new brand, but I was delighted to find out that I have not had their mint chocolate chip before.  Let's see how it compares.

Removing the lid, the peppermint base has a very pale green color to it.  It is almost an off-white green.  It is not as green as I was expecting.  As an old-school brand, I had guessed that Baskin Robbins may embrace the era of artificially coloring peppermint bases bright green.  This is more subtle.  Some of the chips are visible on top as well.  Digging in, the peppermint flavor is cool and refreshing.  The chocolate chips are tend to aggregate in clumps of variable size, so each spoonful as an unpredictable amount of chocolate.  I like that.  This is a delicious pint.

This is a simple, well-done and solid implementation of a mint chocolate chip flavor from Baskin Robbins.  My all-time favorites for this flavor are still McConnell's and Graeter's but I can't complain with this Baskin Robbins pint.  It is cheaper and in some places easier to find.  

Milkjam Creamery - Scotchy Scotch Scotch

Scotchy Scotch Scotch - Boozy Butterscotch Ice Cream with Cranberry Swirl

 

The Minneapolis-based Milkjam Creamery has a bonus December flavor (instagram link here) available in pints only called Scotchy Scotch Scotch (instagram link here).  This flavor features a 'boozy butterscotch' base -- butterscotch and scotch whiskey -- and a cranberry swirl.  The flavor name refers to a seen from Anchorman where Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) is drinking scotch and says 'scotchy scotch scotch' because he likes it so much.  It was the name of a limited batch Ben & Jerry's flavor a while back (before this blog).  That flavor featured butterscotch ice cream as well, but it is more of an adult flavor which puts scotch whiskey in the butterscotch.  Also, this features a cranberry swirl instead of more butterscotch.  It looks interesting.  Let's check it out!

Removing the lid, the butterscotch base has the expected color of butterscotch.  I can see some of the cranberry swirl on top as well.  Digging in, I can taste the whiskey in the butterscotch base right away.  It might be a stretch to call it 'boozy' maybe I am more acclimated to strong flavors than most.  It is definitely more noticeable than most grocery store flavors which bill themselves as including whiskey.  The flavor is good.  Butterscotch has more of a brown sugar & butter flavor to it than simple caramel.  The whiskey keeps it from feeling too thick.  The cranberry is good.  There is a bit of tartness to it, but there is not enough of the swirl for any spoonful to feel overly tart.  It is a good mix.

I enjoyed this scotch whiskey and butterscotch flavor from Milkjam.  Booze, butterscotch and cranbery are all flavors that can feel a bit overwhelming by themselves and this pint does a decent job of balancing them.  I would say that the primary flavor is butterscotch with the whiskey and cranberry acting as accent flavors.

Pumphouse - Gingerbread

Gingerbread - Gingerbread Ice Cream

 

Pumphouse Creamery on Chicago Avenue in south Minneapolis has a holiday flavor that I have not tried before.  This flavor is called Gingerbread.  It's a simple gingerbread-flavored ice cream.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, the ice cream has a light beige color to it.  It's not as dark as gingerbread flavors that I have had in the past.  Digging in, the ice cream has an appealing brown sugar and molasses flavor.  It is a mild flavor, but it is very agreeable.  I can taste a little bit of ginger and cinnamon in the mix, but it is not too strong.

This is an appealing gingerbread flavor from Pumphouse Creamery.  It contrasts some of the other gingerbread flavors where they pack a stronger punch to them.  Compare this to the recent Ugly Sweater flavor from Milkjam Creamery.  This is the kind of spiced brown sugar base that you might expect to use as a scoop accompanying a slice of holiday pie.  For a bolder, stronger flavor you may prefer the Milkjam, but for something lighter and smoother, you could give this Pumphouse flavor a try.

Milkjam Creamery - Velour Tracksuit

Velour Tracksuit - Pomegranate & Mulled Wine Sorbet

 

The next December flavor (instagram link here) from the Minneapolis-based Milkjam Creamery is called Velour Tracksuit (instagram link here).  What a great flavor name?    At first I didn't undertand the flavor name, but reading the instagram link, they mention that it is a sorbet made from a mulled wine which is as "smooth as a velour tracksuit".    That made me look up velour which made me stumble upon this fascinating article about the differences between velvet, velour and velveteen.  I should stop there because I need to focus on the sorbet!  This sorbet is made from pomegranate and mulled wine which is a first for me.  It's a spiced wine.  Here, they spice it with cinnamon, cloves, allspice and orange peel.  I do not actually own a velour tracksuit, but I do have cotton pajamas to wear as I enjoy this pint.  Let's go!

Removing the lid, the sorbet has a deep magenta (purplish pink) color.  Digging in, the sorbet is very dense and thick. I can tell just by scooping it that there is no cream, but it does have a little bit of scoopability to it.  It is not slushy.  The flavor is quite potent.  The pomengranate and wine flavors hit be first and then the spices linger in my mouth as a 'finish' flavor.  A very interesting effect.  I have never actually had mulled wine before.  The cloves stick out the most for me.  I was able to finish the pint in one sitting but it was very filling.  This might have been best sharing with a friend (or two).

This is a solid and interesting mulled wine sorbet from Milkjam Creamery.  I learned about mulled wine and it's not bad and tastes pretty good in a sorbet.  This is a dense and filling pint, though.  Try to split it into two or three bowls.

Jeni's - Banana Cream Pudding

Banana Cream Pudding - Real Bananas, Ultra-rich Coconut Cream and Scratch-made Vanilla Wafers

 

Today brings a non-dairy flavor which I picked up from a recent online shipment from the Ohio-based Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream.  This flavor is called Banana Cream Pudding.  I bought this online, but as a member of Jeni's standard non-dairy line, it might be available locally at places like Whole Foods.  I'm not sure.  This flavor has a coconut cream base with a swirl of banana and vanilla wafter mix-ins.  Jeni's does not get complicated with their non-dairy flavors.  They have only two non-dairy bases -- chocolate and coconut and both are excellent.  They just come up with different things to swirl into one of those bases.  Today is banana with some vanilla wafers as mix-ins.

Removing the lid and peeling back the protective foil, the top of the pint has a very bright color.  I can see the bright white coconut cream base and some marbled swirl of bright yellow from the banana.  Digging in, this coconut cream base is excellent as always.  It just has a very bright, clean and light flavor.  The banana swirl has a sweet flavor like a banana pudding (as opposed to the earthy flavor of  banana bread).  As I eat my way down, I occasionally encounter some crunch due to the vanilla wafers.  There isn't a lot of wafter mix-ins, but enough that most spoonfuls had a little bit of crunch into them.

This is a good non-dairy flavor from Jeni's.  Her coconut cream base is light, airy and delicious.  The banana flavor blends with it well and gives it a tropical feel.  It is certainly not as rich as their dairy bases, but if you have dietary restrictions or are simply in the mood to give non-dairy a try then this is a good pint to try.

Milkjam Creamery - Mexican Hot Chocolate

Mexican Hot Chocolate - Spiced Chocolate with Hints of Cinnamon, Chili, Nutmeg, and Candied Cocoa Nibs

The next December flavor (instagram link here) from the Minneapolis-based Milkjam Creamery is called Mexican Hot Chocolate (instagram link here).  I've recently reviewed a Mexican Chocolate flavor from Jeni's.  Spiced chocolate appears to be in this year.  Here Milkjam uses the usual cinnamon and chili pepper as spices but they also add some nutmeg into the mix.  Interestingly, they also add cocoa nibs.  Checking my archives, both Häagen-Dazs and Steve's had chocolate mix-ins in their spiced chocolate flavors, so that's been done before.  Let's see how Milkjam compares.

Removing the lid, the chocolate base has the normal brown color.  It is always interesting when Milkjam does a standard chocolate dairy base because their signature chocolate flavor is non-dairy and and extremely Black in color.  I can see some of the cocoa nib mix-ins on top of the pint as well.  Digging in, the chocolate flavor is rich, smooth, creamy and delicious.  The spices provide a noticeable kick but are not overpowering.  The cocoa nibs are dispersed throughout the pint and provide quite a bit of crunch-iness.

This is a solid Mexican chocolate implementation from Milkjam Creamery.  It's rich, chocolatey, spicy and the crunchy cocoa nibs are a nice touch.  It's also good to see them show that they can do a quality dairy chocolate from time to time as well.

OddFellows - Apple Cider Donut

Apple Cider Donut - Apple Cider Ice Cream with Chunks of Homemade Apple Cider Donuts

 

The next pint from my recent shipment from OddFellows Ice Cream in Brooklyn is called Apple Cider Donut.  Note to local readers that I bought this online and I do not believe that local grocery stores stock this brand.  This ice cream features an apple cider base and has chunks of apple cider donuts as mix-ins.  Let's dig in.

The top of the pint has a creamy beige color to it.  As I dig my spoon in, I notice that this base is soft and whipped up a bit.  Perhaps the apple cider keeps it from freezing too solidly.  The apple flavor is pretty good.  As I continue to eat down, the donut chunks are noticeable but they are smaller and less prevalent than I was expecting.  The flavor is in there, though.  They overall flavor reminds me of those miniature apple-flavored donuts.  It's pretty good.

This is a decent apple-donut themed flavor from OddFellows.  Although there were not as many donut chunks in the mix as I was expecting, the flavor pretty accurate and enjoyable.  Try a sample of this at the scoop shop to see if you like it.

Milkjam Creamery - Ugly Sweater

Ugly Sweater - Chai Gingerbread Ice Cream with Molasses Meringue and Crunchy Toffee

 

The next December flavor (instagram link here) from the Minneapolis-based Milkjam Creamery is called Ugly Sweater (instagram link here).  This flavor blends gingerbread with chai tea in the base and has a molasses meringue swirl and crunchy toffee pieces.  Looks interesting.  Checking last year's December flavors, Milkjam did have a gingerbread-themed flavor called the Great American Bake-Off but it is substantially different than today's flavor.  Last year's flavor had a gingerbread base and a pumpkin swirl.  Today's flavor has no pumpkin and blends in chai tea into the base and adds molasses meringue and crunchy toffee pieces.  On to today's flavor.

Removing the lid, the color I see is mostly creamy beige.  So, a light colored gingerbread (or the chai tea is helping to lighten it).  The toffee is a similar color and I don't see the molasses swirl yet.  What it does not look like is an ugly sweater!  I think of ugly sweaters being lots of red and green with ridiculous patterns -- not these earth tones.  I kid.  I love the flavor name and I guess it doesn't really have to resemble the ice cream.  Anyway, as I eat my way down, the gingerbread base has a lot of brown sugar flavor which is good.  The effect of the chai tea is noticeable, but subtle.  The toffee pieces are crunchy and good.  I did see some of the 'molasses meringue' around some of the clumps of toffee as I ate my way further down.  It was not the blackish goo that I was imagining.  It was more like a dark brown sugary paste.  Good flavor though.  

I enjoyed this pint of from Milkjam.  Rather than a simple homogenous pint of gingerbread flavored ice cream, this is a very chunky mix of gingerbread and gingerbread-adjacent flavors (brown sugar, molasses, toffee).  It worked pretty well.  The twist of chai was a nice touch as well.

OddFellows - Mandarin Jasmine Brulee

Mandarin Jasmine Brulee - Jasmine Tea Ice Cream with Mandarin Orange Marmalade Jam and Coconut Sugar Crunch

The next pint from my recent shipment from the Brooklyn-based OddFellows Ice Cream is called Mandarin Jasmine Brulee.  Another interesting blend of flavors!  Jasmine tea ice cream, a marmalade jam and a coconut sugar crunch.  Again, I was drawn  As usual with OddFellows, I'll add a note to local readers that I bought this online and it is not available in local grocery stores.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, the ice cream has a yellowish color and I see lots of little yellowish-orange specks in it.  Digging in, I taste the orange right away.  The orange specks are chunks from the marmalade jam mix-in.  In the background, I do taste some tea flavor.  My palate is not refine enough to specifically recognize jasmine, but I do taste tea and the jasmine is likely adding to the overall flavor mix.  The coconut sugar crunch described on the carton blended in with the orange chunks in my pint.  Again, I did not specifically notice a coconut flavor but knowing that this is in there, I can see how it probably added chunky/crunchy texture to the marmalade.

Another fascinating and eclectic blend of flavors from OddFellows.  Not every listed flavor was specifically recognizable to me, but I don't doubt their contribution to the overall blend.  What I did taste was a sweet orange against a tea background which is quite delicious.  It is almost like an inverse Earl Grey flavor -- orange with a twist of tea instead of tea with a twist of orange.  If you have this flavor available to you and are curious, then check it out.