Izzy's - Lemonberry Icebox Cake

Lemonberry Icebox Cake - Lemon Non-Dairy Ice Cream Base, Blueberry Pie Filling and Chunks of Pound Cake

Earlier this summer, I attend the 2019 People's Flavor Awards tasting contest for Izzy's Ice Cream.  It was a lot of fun!  I reviewed the "Best in Show" winner Strawberry Mint Mojito not long afterwards and really liked it.  Today I am reviewing the other "Best in Show" winner from that event -- the non-dairy Lemonberry Icebox Cake.  Non-dairy flavors are big these days and it looks like Izzy's is trying to improve their non-dairy line.  I don't usually survey non-dairy flavors, but since this one was the year's award winner, I figured I would give it a go.  This flavor is not a sorbet, but uses a coconut-based non-dairy ice cream base.  Swirled into the non-dairy lemon base are blueberry pie filling and chunks of pound cake.  I bought this at Izzy's scoop shop in Saint Paul.

Before today, I was not aware of what an icebox cake was.  It looks like a layered dessert where every other layer is whipped cream -- so the dessert must be kept refrigerated ("in the icebox") after it has been made and then it is served cold.  The wikipedia article lists chocolate as a key ingredient but it is not hard to find recipes that do not include chocolate online.  I was even able to find a lemon-blueberry recipe!  It looks really good.  There's lots of dairy in that recipe though  -- cream, mascarpone and lemon curd is usually made with butter -- so it will be interesting to see how this turns out.

Removing the lid, I see the yellow lemon base with lots of marbled blueberry.  Digging in, I taste the lemon right away and then get hit with a bit of blueberry.  The sweetness of the flavor tastes different to me.  I thought for a second that it might have used an artificial sweetener, but I figured that must not be it.  There is nothing that says a non-dairy flavor needs to be low calorie.  I did like the lemon and blueberry flavoring though.  Every once in a while, I was reminded of the flavors of a lemon blueberry muffin.

This was interesting non-dairy flavor from Izzy's.  Although the flavoring was decent, I did not like it as much as I was expecting because odd sweetness of the non-dairy base.  Perhaps it just constrasted so much with their dairy line which is so rich and filled with butterfat creaminess.  It is also easier to do non-dairy when the flavoring brings it's own creaminess, like a peanut butter or coconut or even chocolate.  Maybe it is better in smaller servings?  For now, I think I'll be sticking with their dairy flavors.  Check out Strawberry Mint Mojito if you have not already done so.