Ben & Jerry - Mint Chocolate Chance

Mint Chocolate Chance - Mint Ice Cream loaded with Fudge Brownies

Ben & Jerry's has new flavors for 2022!  The first new flavor is called Mint Chocolate Chance which is a partnership with Grammy-winning recording artist Chance the Rapper.  More links on this flavor collaboration are here.  Profits from this flavor will be donated to Chance's Chicago-based charity SocialWorks.  I also found a fun interview with Stephen Colbert where Stephen ribs Chance about trying to compete with his own flavor Americone Dream.  I bought this flavor at the Ben & Jerry's scoop shop on Lake & Excelsior in Minneapolis, but since then I have seen this at almost every grocery store in the Twin Cities.  It's in full circulation now. 

What flavor ice cream is it?  It's a mint ice cream with fudge brownie mix-ins.  Ben & Jerry's does not have a simple Mint Chip flavor so this is a mint-and-chocolate variant similar to their popular Mint Chocolate Cookie flavor.  Double-checking my archives, this flavor looks very close to a special limited batch flavor in 2016 called Empower Mint.  That flavor had an extra fudge swirl.  Today's flavor contains only brownie mix-ins.  Enough talk, let's get to the ice cream!

Removing the lid, the mint ice cream has a white color (Ben & Jerry's does not use green coloring) and I see a couple of the brownie pieces already.  Digging in, the peppermint flavor is good as always.  Soon, I encounter the chocolate brownies.  These are soft, chewy and chocolatey as always.  Ben & Jerry's helped popularize brownie mix-ins in the mid-1980s and they still do it very well.

This is a fun new flavor from Ben & Jerry's.  Mint chip was my favorite ice cream flavor when I was a kid, so I welcome more mint-and-chocolate combinations.  If I had a complaint it would be that there are not as many brownies as I expected.  The mint-chocolate balance is weighted more on the mint side than I am used to.  I think the extra fudge swirl of the old Empower Mint flavor I liked above was a good idea.  That's something they could tweak later (or maybe I got a mint-heavy batch?).  But it is still delicious and peppermint fans will want to check it out.

 

Pumphouse - Lychee Citrus Sorbet

Lychee Citrus Sorbet - Lychee Lemon Orange and Tangerine Sorbet

Today I return to the Pumphouse Creamery of south Minneapolis for a Lychee Citrus Sorbet.  I checked the website and the citrus flavors used are lemon, orange and tangerine.  Sorbet's are non-dairy by design.  Fruit sorbets are just fruit juice, sugar mixed with crushed ice which is then churned to give it as scoopable of a texture as possible.  Checking the lychee flavor tag on the right sidebar, I have had lychee in ice creams and sorbets several times before.  It is a watery fruit with a very sweet tropical flavor.  It will be interesting to see how it blends with the citrus.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, the sorbet a creamy yellowish off-white color to it.  Digging in, you can definitely tell that it's a sorbet.  But it's not too hard to get the spoon through it.  It was churned pretty well.  The flavor is mainly lemon but it is not too tart.  I am guessing that the orange,  tangerine and sweet lychee are helping to remove the tartness.  The best blends are when it's hard to describe the effect of each individual flavor and that is what is happening here.

This is a fun and refreshing citrus blend sorbet from Pumphouse Creamery.  It is a bit of a sweet and tropical flavor to brighten up everyone's winter.  I tried to imagine that I was at the beach instead of inside escaping the cold.  I hope this flavor becomes part of Pumphouse's "sorbet rotation".

2 Scoops - Banana Cream Pie

Banana Cream Pie - Banana Ice Cream with Marshmallow Ripple and Nilla Wafers

 

Today is another pint from the 2 Scoops scoop shop on Selby & Milton in Saint Paul.  See an earlier review for more background on 2 Scoops which opened in 2020.  I picked up three pints there on my first visit and this is the third pint:  Banana Cream Pie.  I selected this flavor because Banana Cream Pie is my favorite pie!  Banana ice cream is the base Nilla Wafers are the mix-ins and there is a 'ripple' of marshmallow to represent the cream.  I have had Banana Cream Pie flavors from Sweet Science, Graeter's and a banana pudding and wafers flavor from Milkjam Creamery.  Let's see how today's flavor compares.

Removing the lid, I see that the banana base has off-white speckled yellow color -- not a super-bright yellow like some banana puddings.  I can see quite a bit of the marshmallow ripple on top as well.  It is almost marbled with the base.  Digging in, it is a delicious, banana flavor -- sweet like a banana pudding and not earthy like a banana bread.  The marshmallow ripple adds overall creaminess to the pint.  The effect is excellent.  It does remind me of banana cream pie.  Throughout the pint are the occasional Nilla Wafers which provide some pie-crust-like crunch into the mix.  Yum.

This is an excellent banana cream pie implementation from 2 Scoops.  This holds up really well against Sweet Science and Graeter's which are top brands.  Plus, I think this is part of the regular menu of flavors for 2 Scoops so it is available for more than one month of the year.  I could be biased because Banana Cream Pie is my favorite pie, but this is definitely my favorite of my first three pints from 2 Scoops.  I should have reviewed this flavor first so that I started of this brand with the best review possible.  Anyhow, if you're in the Selby neighborhood and you like banana cream pie, then check this flavor out.

Dreyers - Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Cinnamon Toast Crunch - Cinnamon Light Ice Cream with a Cinnamon Graham Swirl and Cereal Pieces

I was at the local Speedway gas station the other day and found some fun novelty flavors using name-brand mix-ins in the freezer case.  I looked at the label and Dreyer's is the one making the ice cream.  I had done a similar pint before with their collaboration with Hostess a few years ago so I figured I would try a try a couple of more of these.  Today's flavor is Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  So, an ice cream based on the cereal from General Mills.  I always liked this flavor when I was a kid.  Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Honey Nut Cheerios were the most sugary of the cereals that my parents would buy when I was a kid, so it was always a treat having it.  Here, the base ice cream is a "light" cinnamon ice cream and there is a swirl of cinnamon graham cracker and some cereal pieces.  I did not realize that this would be a 'light' ice cream.  Checking the container, there are only 450 calories in the entire pint. Interesting!  Well, let's check it out.

Opening the lid, I see the 14-ounce container has some air pockets on top -- that's one way to keep the calorie count down -- and I see some of the graham swirls right away.  Digging in, the cinnamon is good.  It is not a strong or hot cinnamon, but it matches the flavor of the cereal quite well.  The fact that it is light does not bother me at all.  It is not at all thick, but it is quite reminiscent of cereal milk.  The cinnamon graham swirl tastes quite good and provides a bit of gritty texture into the mix.  The cereal pieces were not that distinct from the swirl which is fine because it was all quite delicious.

This was a fun and surprisingly good light ice cream based on Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal from Dreyer's.  I don't usually survey all the light-ice-cream offerings in the freezer case so I don't know how this compares to other brands but this tasted quite good.  It's kind of weird thinking of this as a light ice cream because this cereal was the most sugary that my parents would buy, but I guess breakfast and dessert have different healthiness scales.  This is cheap convenience store ice cream, but it is quite good for that.  Check it out.

2 Scoops - This $&@! Just Got Serious

This $&@! Just Got Serious - Salted Caramel Ice Cream with Sea Salt Fudge and Salted Cashews

 

Last week, I tried my first pint from the relatively new 2 Scoops scoop shop on Selby & Milton in Saint Paul.  Today, I try my second flavor which is called "This $&@! Just Got Serious" -- which is a great name for an ice cream flavor!  I have several place and they do consistently spell the second word dollar-sign-ampersand-at-symbol-exclamation point.  I applaud their consistency and I hope to reproduce the spelling accurately here as well.  What is in this flavor?  It is a salted caramel base with a swirl sea salt fudge and salted cashew mix-ins.  Looks fun!

Removing the lid, I see a big chunk of fudge right away!  Fun!  The salted caramel base has the expected light brown color (like that of brown sugar or cookie dough).  I see one of the cashews right away as well.  Digging in, the base has good caramel flavor like a caramel candy (slopoke, etc).  It is not overly salty.  The fudge chunks are large and generous.  The fudge is a bit sweeter than I expected, but it is still quite good.  The cashews are distributed throughout the pint providing more to chew on.

This is a fun pint from 2 Scoops -- a fun name and a fun flavor.  Checking my archives, I was surprised not to see this combination anywhere.  I think most of the caramel-fudge-nut flavors use almonds or pecans instead of cashews.  I found it more sweet than rich, so smaller servings than a full pint might be more apt -- this is hand-packed from a scoop shop after all.  If you are in the neighborhood and want chocolate-and-caramel, give this flavor a try.

Milkjam Creamery - Marshmallow Sunrise

Marshmallow Sunrise - Orange-colored Marshmallow Ice Cream

 

Today is a bonus flavor from the Minneapolis-based Milkjam Creamery.  It is called Marshmallow Sunrise.  It is not one of their regular menu flavors and it is not one of their monthly specials.  I asked what was in it and the scoop shop employee said "That's just marshmallow ice cream and food coloring".  I don't think I've had plain marshmallow ice cream before.  Let's see how it turns out.

Removing the lid, the base ice cream has a nice orange-ish yellow color.  Digging in, the texture is soft and creamy.  The marshmallow flavor is evident, but it is not overwhelming.  I suppose that was a good choice as eating marshmallow creme right out of the jar would not be appealing -- at least not for a full pint.  So, this is ice cream first and marshmallow flavor second.  It is like a sweet cream with a twist of marshmallow flavor.  I am able to eat the entire pint in one sitting.

This is a decent marshmallow-flavored ice cream.  It is just the right amount of marshmallow flavor.  It is a bit unusual that this is a 'surprise' extra flavor on their menu.  I wonder if they had plans for a more complex flavor with mix-ins and changed their mind.  This would make a decent base ice cream -- perhaps to accompany fresh fruit or something.

2 Scoops - Blue Moon

Blue Moon - Fruit Loops Cereal Milk Ice Cream

 

I am trying a new brand today.  2 Scoops is scoop shop on Selby and Milton in Saint Paul.  A friend of mine had recently picked up a couple of pints from there, so I figured I would give them a go.  2 Scoops opened in May of 2020 by the White family (Brian Sr., Brian Jr, Rdella & Cheryline Elliott).  A couple of articles telling their story are here and here.  I had three pints hand-picked and got them to go.  Today, I try the first of those pints called "Blue Moon".  This is a cereal-milk-based pint with the cereal in question being Fruit Loops.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, the ice cream is bright blue!  Maybe they only used the blue Fruit Loops?  Or they just altered the color because blending all the colors would look a brown mush.  It is beautiful!  Digging in, the ice cream is quite sweet.  There are no chunks of fruit loops in the mix -- this is a homogeneous pint with no mix-ins.  This is more of a cereal milk flavor.  As I continue to eat my way down the pint, the sweetness built up a bit.  This might be a better flavor for one or two scoops at a time instead of a whole pint.

This is a fun cereal-based flavor from 2 Scoops.  I found it a bit on the sweet side for my middle-aged taste-buds but with the beautiful blue color and sweet flavor, I bet it is a big hit with children visiting the shop.  I am looking forward to checking out other flavors that I got from 2 Scoops.

Milkjam Creamery - Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

Peanut Butter Jelly Time! - Salted Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Red Berry Jam, Cookie Dough Brownies

 

Milkjam Creamery of Minneapolis has flavors for January (instagram link here) and today's flavor is Peanut Butter Jelly Time! (instagram link here).  This is a peanut-butter-and-jelly flavor.  Peanut butter ice cream, red berry jam for the "jelly" and they've also got cookie dough brownies.  Maybe the cookie dough brownies represent the bread of the PB&J sandwich?  I have had several PB&J themed flavors from Graeter's, McConnell's (also includes a 'bread' mix-in), Ben & Jerry's and Ample Hills.  Let's see how this Milkjam flavor compares.

Removing the lid, the peanut butter ice cream has a light color and I can the jam swirl and the cookie dough brownie clumped together in the middle.  Digging in, the peanut butter base is a bit lighter than I expected.  Milkjam is actually well-known for their non-dairy peanut butter bases, so a dairy peanut butter is an interesting change of pace.  It's pretty good, but I can tell that the main purpose of this base is to serve as a vehicle of the mix-ins.  Soon I encounter the red berry jam.  It has a good flavor.  None of the instagram posts say which red berries are included.  I assume one of them is raspberry, there could be some strawberry and/or cherry I suppose.  It is a good blend.  The cookie dough blondie pieces are not as numerous as I expected but they provide some thicker texture to chew on.

This is a fine peanut butter and jelly flavor from Milkjam Creamery.  It's fun to have these monthly experimental flavors.  I would rate this in the middle of the pack compared to the other PB&J flavors I listed above.  I think McConnell's is my favorite.  That was a limited batch flavor as well. 

Sebastian Joe's - Café Latte

Café Latte - Coffee Ice Cream 

 

Today's flavor is from the Minneapolis-based Sebastian Joe's Ice Cream and is called Café Latte.  I bought it at the scoop shop on Franklin and Hennepin in the Lowry Hill neighborhood.  This looks like a simple coffee ice cream.  At a coffee shop "café latte" means espresso with steamed milk -- in Italian café means coffee and latte means milk -- but at an ice cream shop, all dairy flavors include milk and cream so the latte designation could be considered redundant.  So, simple coffee ice cream it is.  Sebastian Joe's actually doubles as a coffee shop -- they roast their own coffee blends at the Franklin avenue location.  This has come in handy when I'm out looking for ice cream because they are open in the mornings.  Other ice cream scoop shops don't open until lunch (or even later in the winter).  I do not see any information as to which blend they use in their coffee ice cream, though.  Anyhow, let's check it out.

Removing the lid, the coffee base has a light beige color consistent with other coffee bases.  As I dig into the ice cream, I taste the coffee flavor and it pretty good as expected.  I am not a coffee afficiando, so I don't know how to compare it.  It is not super strong (some coffee bases give a big kick of caffeine).  It is not overly bitter.  I don't taste any grounds (some turkish coffees and cold brew coffees can have a grainy feel to them).  This is just good coffee flavor.  This is a homogeneous pint with no mix-ins.

This is a simple and solid coffee flavor from Sebastian Joe's.  It don't think I would go out of my way to way to get this coffee flavor over other coffee flavors, but if you are in the mood for a coffee flavor and you are near a Sebastian Joe's then this will certainly do.  They do also serve their own coffee there as well.

Milkjam Creamery - Stairway to 7

Stairway to 7 - Butterscotch Seven Layer Bar Ice Cream

 

Milkjam Creamery of Minneapolis has flavors for January (instagram link here) and today's flavor is Stairway to 7 (instagram link here).  The name is a pun on the classic Led Zeppelin song and Seven Layer Bars.  Have I never reviewed a seven-layer-bar themed flavor before?  Maybe not!  I know that Ben & Jerry had a scoop shop version of the flavor for a while, but they never made a pint out of it.  

I do not see a wikipedia page for Seven Layer Bars, but there are lots of recipes out there.  One recipe asserts that the traditional seven layers are 1. graham crackers 2. butter (mixed with the graham crackers to form a crust) 3. sweetened condensed milk, 4. chocolate chips 5. butterscotch chips 6. pecans (or other nuts) 7. shredded coconut.

How does Milkjam's ingredient list compare?  First this is a vegan pint (non-dairy).  The base is butterscotch-based with chocolate flecks, caramelized brown sugar, vanilla, coconut milk and rum.  The mix-ins are chocolate-covered graham crackers, toasted almonds and toasted coconut.  I have never heard of non-dairy butterscotch before but if anyone can create something like that, it would be Milkjam.  They specialize in creative vegan flavors.  Otherwise, it's pretty close to the same idea as a seven layer bar.  I think the number of ingredients now exceeds seven, but you won't get any complaints from me.

OK, enough talk, let's eat!  Removing the lid the top of the pint has an interesting texture to it -- probably due to it being non-dairy.  There are a ton of mix-ins visible already.  Digging in -- and I do mean digging in as there are a lot of mix-ins -- this pint is just overloaded with crunchy mix-ins.  I taste the chocolate right away of course.  There is the crunch of the graham crackers and the almonds.  I taste the coconut as well.  The surrounding non-dairy butterscotch base really plays a supporting role here as every spoonful is just overloaded with mix-ins.  I did not notice the non-dairy-ness of the base very much because I did not notice the base itself as much as I usually do.

This is a fun, mix-in-laden non-dairy from Milkjam Creamery.  It does taste a lot like a frozen seven layer bar!  Chocolate, graham cracker, almond and coconut are the dominant flavors here while butterscotch plays a more supporting role.  If you like seven layer bars, you should check this out.  This is a successful monthly experiment which I hope returns.

Baskin Robbins - Gold Medal Ribbon

Gold Medal Ribbon - Vanilla and Chocolate Ice Creams with a Caramel Ribbon

 

Before Ben & Jerry there was Burt & Irv.  Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins, that is.  Today's flavor from Baskin Robbins is called Gold Medal Ribbon.  I bought it at Cooper Foods on West 7th in Saint Paul.  Today's flavor looks like a relatively simple mixture of chocolate, vanilla and caramel.  The chocolate and vanilla being ice cream flavors and the caramel being a swirl.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, I see primarily chocolate on the top.  A small yellowish white section of vanilla ice cream is visible in the middle.  I also see some orange-ish sections which I assume are the caramel ribbon.  Digging in, I start to see a bit more of the vanilla ice cream.  I feel like there is still a bit more chocolate ice cream but it is a 60/40 split rather than something higher.  Marbling chocolate and vanilla bases has an interesting flavor.  It is not my personal favorite, but it appears in some very popular flavors such as Ben & Jerry's Half Baked.  The caramel ribbon in this pint is pretty good.  It provides a bit of gooey texture along with the caramel flavor.

This is a simple and solid vanilla-chocolate-caramel flavor from Baskin Robbins.  Not super premium in quality, but still reliable.  As mentioned above, the marbling of chocolate and vanilla ice creams is not my personal favorite -- I prefer vanilla bases and chocolate and caramel mix-ins when these flavors are combined as in Ben & Jerry's Vanilla Caramel Fudge.  I may be in the minority, there, though.  Fans of marbled and chocolate & vanilla would eat this up.  

Milkjam Creamery - Pineapple Ooey Gooey

Pineapple Ooey Gooey - Malted Milk Ice Cream, Ooey Gooey Cake and Caramelized Pineapple

 

Milkjam Creamery of Minneapolis has flavors for January (instagram link here) and today's flavor is Pineapple Ooey Gooey (instagram link here).  This ice cream features a malted milk ice cream with mix-ins of ooey gooey butter cake and caramelized pineapple.  Ooey Gooey Butter Cake is a dessert popularized in the Saint Louis area.  I have had several flavors which use it in ice cream including flavors from Jeni's, Ample Hills and a more basic flavor from Milkjam.  Caramelized pineapple sounds like a fun addition to the mix.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, the malted milk ice cream base has an off-white color to it.  Quickly I encounter the mix-ins as I eat my way down.  The gooey butter cake is soft and chewy and the caramelized pineapple is a bit tangy but also has a bit of caramel flavor to it.  The malt flavor of the base is evident and acts to mute the flavor of the caramelized pineapple just a bit.

This is an interesting and unique flavor.  It reminded me a little bit of Jeni's Pineapple Upside Down Cake flavor but instead of a sweet pineapple and cherry, they use a caramelized pineapple and malt.  I enjoy and applaud the uniqueness of this flavor.  I did not love it as much as I wanted to,  Perhaps I prefer a sweeter pineapple?  That could be a personal preference.  This is worth sampling if you get the chance.