Jeni's - Everything Bagel

Everything Bagel - Cream Cheese Ice Cream with Everything Bagel Gravel

 

Jeni's has another special limited batch flavor!  Just one month after their previous special release, White House Chocolate Chip, they have a new flavor called Everything Bagel (instagram link here).  This is their tribute to the "Everything Bagel" -- the bagel with everything on it.  So it has cream cheese in the base and then a streusel for a mix-in which contains typical everything-bagel toppings such as poppy seeds, sesame seeds and even onion, garlic and cayenne.  Interesting!  I bought this online so it is not available in local stores.  It was actually a limited release which sold before it was supposed to ship and then the shipping was delayed due to bad weather.  But I got it and I will share my thoughts now anyways.  The flavor caused some stir in national press outlets (links here, here and here).  I even saw it mentioned on some morning news shows.  So who knows maybe it will return one day?

OK, on to the ice cream! Removing the lid and peeling back the protective label the cream cheese base is bright white in color.  Digging in, the cream cheese base is thick and creamy.  I can tell there is cream cheese in there but it does not have that super-distinct aftertaste that cream cheese often has.  I don't mind that -- actually I like it.  Soon I encounter the "gravel".  These little pieces of 'streusel' are like nugget sized pieces of an everything bagel and they are generously dispersed in the ice cream below.  The first thing I notice is the poppy seeds but then I notice the sesame seeds and yes the onion and garlic.  The ingredient list says there is cayenne, but I don't really taste that.  It is quite savory, but it is not 'hot'.  Overall, it is quite good.  The mix-ins taste just like bagel pieces that are loaded with toppings and the cream cheese base plays the role of the shmear.  There is enough of the base ice cream to keep the savory toppings from getting too overwhelming.

This is an excellent, experimental and unique flavor from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.  There is naturally a lot of curiosity and trepidation beforehand about an ice cream that contains onion and garlic, but this was extremely well done and I really liked it!  It was like breaking an everything bagel into small pieces and dipping it in cream cheese ice cream.  It might not be good for all times that I eat ice cream.  I wouldn't eat it with a fruit pie or with a sweet cake.  But I would eat it for breakfast or an afternoon snack.  Hopefully, Jeni's finds a way to work this flavor into the regular rotation.