McConnell's - Cardamom & Gingersnaps

Cardamom & Gingersnaps - Cardamom flavored Ice Cream with "Pepparkakor" Gingersnap cookie pieces

Right back to McConnell's for another holiday-themed pint, Cardamom & Gingersnaps.  I had been having trouble finding this flavor.  I ended up finding it the same day I picked up their Egg Nog flavor.  Technically, this flavor is available year-round but it is part of their "holiday pack" of four pints available for shipping along with the aforementioned Egg Nog, Pumpkin Pie, and Peppermint Stick flavors.  With today's write-up, I will have reviewed all four.

The romance copy on the back of the pint is a fun read.  My family background is mostly Scandinavian.  I'm am 50% Norwegian and 25% Swedish (the remaining 25% is Irish).  Funny that its only been in the last couple of years that I've known about the cardamon connection in Scandanavian desserts.  So, although my background doesn't give me extra insight, it does motivate me to try to appreciate it.  My only previous foray into a cardamom flavor had more of a Indian feel to it, so it'll be fun to try a Swedish take on the spice.

Opening the pint shows a beige color to the base ice cream and several small specks of cookie pieces are available right away.  Digging in, the aromatic flavor of cardamom hit me right away.  Its funny, in some respects cardamom doesn't specifically taste like much but its a feeling in the nose that hits you.  I think that's what makes it a good complementary spice.  It does not directly compete with the other flavors.  The other flavor here are the chunks of Swedish-style "Pepparkakor" ginger cookies.  These cookies were spicy and flavorful.  They were also soft.  The gingersnaps I had as a kid were hard and crunchy unless dipped in milk.  Here, the cookies are effectively "dipped" in ice cream, so I'm glad they were soft.

This is a new and successful flavor combination for me.  I enjoyed this pint.  There could have been more cookie pieces, but that's a minor complaint.  If you're in the mood for some Swedish or you just like cardamom and ginger then go ahead and give this a try.