Sweet Science - Pumpkin Pepita Brittle

Pumpkin Pepita Brittle - Spiced Pumpkin Ice Cream with Pumpkin Seed Brittle

 

Today's flavor is a new fall flavor from the Saint Paul-based Sweet Science Ice Cream.  I bought it at the scoop shop inside the Keg & Case Market in Saint Paul.  This flavor is called Pumpkin Pepita Brittle (instagram link here).  Pepita is spanish for 'little seed' and usually refers to pumpkin seeds.  So, it's a pumpkin ice cream with a brittle made with pumpkin seeds.  Sweet Science has had pumpkin-based flavors before.  I tried a Pumpkin Cheesecake a few years ago which itself contained a Pumpkin Five-Spice flavor which I have not tried by itself.  We all want pumpkin flavors in the fall and I like the idea of trying to find new ways to deliver it.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, I see the brittle right away.  I think I even see a pumpkin seed or two in the brittle.  The pumpkin base behind is a light orange color.  Digging in, the brittle is delicious.  The side of the pint says that it is made with pumpkin seeds, brown butter, brown sugar and honey.  I really like it.  I can definitely taste the brown butter and the brown sugar and the pumpkin seeds is what provides the crunch.  The pumpkin base behind is perhaps a little milder than what I have had from them before.  I can still taste the spices, but it's more of a pumpkin-pie level spice than a full five-spice flavor.  The base is playing a different role here than it did in the Pumpkin Cheesecake linked above.  There the base provided most of the flavor which was balanced by the cheesecake.  Here, the brittle is the star of the pint and the pumpkin base is holding it all together.  There certainly is quite a bit of brittle here!

I really liked this pumpkin and brittle themed pint from Sweet Science.  This is another example where I feel like I'm getting my money's worth by getting more mix-ins than I expect.  I have had one similar pint before, Milkjam's Pecans in Molasses Pumpkin (PIMP) from a couple of years ago.  Both use pumpkin as a base for crunchy mix-ins.  There the mix-ins were molasses-based pecan brittle and here the mix-ins is a brown-sugar-based pumpkin seed brittle.  I think I think Sweet Science pint better, but it could be that I have had it more recently, ha, ha.  For a fun twist on a pumpkin flavor, check out Pumpkin Pepita Brittle.