Milkjam Creamery - Sour Cream Apple Pie

Sour Cream Apple Pie - Sour Cream Ice Cream with Caramelized Apples and Pecan-Oat Granola

 

The third of Milkjam Creamery's November flavors (instragram link here) is called Sour Cream Apple Pie (instagram link here).  This flavor looks similar to a flavor which they had last November called Cute Guys and Apple Pies.  Both feature a sour cream and buttermilk base, apples and granola.  In the old flavor, there was more apple in the base and some apple butter swirl.  This flavor has caramelized apple chunks and the granola now includes pecans.  I guess that's enough to warrant a new review!  Ha ha... Let's go!

Removing the lid, the sour cream and buttermilk base is a bright white color.  I can see some of the nutty granola but I can also see some small chunks of caramelized apple.  Digging in, like last year's flavor, this sour cream and buttermilk base is quite tangy.  I really like it, but I guess I could see someone being caught off guard.  Balancing the buttermilk are the caramelized apple pieces which include just the right amount of apple pie spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger) so as to make me feel like these chunks came from a caramel apple pie.  The pecan granola is also quite good and gives me the crunchy illusion of eating a slice of pie with my ice cream.

This is an excellent pint of ice cream.  Apple pie flavors such as those from Bebe Zito, Talenti, Sweet Science and Sebastian Joe's are usually quite good -- and the apple-y parts of this are good, too -- but Milkjam's addition of the tangy sour cream and buttermilk base really makes this uniquely delicious.  It is quite a bit like last year's Cute Guys and Apple Pies, but I think I like this flavor better because it's got more apple.  I look forward to another permutation of this next November.  Enjoy.

Jeni's - Rocket Pop

Rocket Pop - Blueberry and Pineapple swirled into a Buttermilk Yogurt Ice Cream Base

 

As discussed in a previous review, I have recently made an online purchase from Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream of Columbus, Ohio.  The previous review was for a standalone limited batch flavor called Wedding Cake.  The rest of the shipment comprises what they are calling the Ice Cream Truck collection.  Today's flavor is called Rocket Pop which I believe is based on the old Bomb Pop or Firecracker popsicles that you would get from ice cream trucks.  Those tricolored popsicles were flavored with cherry, blue raspberry and some sort of white lemon-lime.  Here Jeni's uses two colors.   Blueberry and pineapple ice creams are swirled together and each ice cream is made with buttermilk and yogurt.  I don't think I have had this flavor combination before.  Sounds very interesting.

Removing the lid and peeling back the protective seal, I see both ice creams right away.  The blueberry has an amazing blue color.  Then the pineapple has a light yellow color to it.  This blue is incredible.  I know Jeni's does not use artificial colors, so I was curious as to how they created this.  The ingredients list spirulina which is a natural blue-green algae.  Jeni's also uses spirulina to create the green color of their Green Mint Chip flavor.  A quick google search tells me that spirulina also comes in blue.  Moving on, I taste the pineapple flavor first.  The blueberry is not too strong, but if I scoop out a spoonful only from the blue part I can taste it.  In both bases, the buttermilk and the yogurt is not a significant part of the flavor.  Those ingredients were chosen for how well they 'held' the pineapple and blueberry flavors.

This is very fun pint!  These colors are beautiful and the pineapple and blueberry are very refreshing together.  There's pints with more intense pineapple or a more deeper blueberry flavor, but this Rocket Pop flavor puts them together in a very fun and nostalgic way.  Enjoy.

 

 

Milkjam Creamery - Fire

Fire - Mango Habenera Sherbet with a Raspberry Cardamom Swirl

 

Today, I move on to the second of Milkjam Creamery's April flavors based on classical elements.  The first flavor was Earth.  Today's flavor is Fire (instagram link here).  I bought it on their scoop shop on Lyndale in south Minneapolis.  For fire they went with orange mango and red raspberry for the color habenero peppers to bring the heat.  I have had a spicy mango flavor once before from Pumphouse Creamery called Mango Carolina Reaper Pepper.  This Milkjam flavor is different in that it is a sherbet and not an ice cream (a sherbet has less dairy, but it not dairy-free like a sorbet) and there is an additional raspberry cardamom swirl.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, I see the orange-ish yellow color of the mango sherbet base with some pinkish sections which are likely the raspberry.  Digging in, the mango flavor is quite delicious.  I do notice a kick of the habenaro pepper right away but it is not too intense (it is Minnesota after all).  From the link above, I am reading that there is some buttermilk in the sherbet.  I do not taste it specifically but I think it helps to keep the heat from the peppers from building up as I eat my way down the pint.  Further down, the pinkish color I saw on the top becomes thinker raspberry swirls.  These are quite good and complement the mango quite well.  I did not notice the cardamom that much.  I have had good spiced berry swirls in other flavors -- Claire's Cabinet from Jeni's and Lemon Party from Bebe Zito -- but this is either a mild cardamom or I was distracted by the habenero peppers in the base.

This is a fun spicy flavor from Milkjam Creamery -- totally appropriate for the fire classical element theme.  The mango habanero was the highlight of the pint for me with the raspberry playing a supporting role.  I have a high spice tolerance so it was not "hot" for me, but it may be quite spicy by Minnesota standards.  I'd suggest if you are not sure to get a sample spoonful first, but I don't know if they are doing samples yet in these pandemic times.  Anyhow, check it out if you like spicy mango salsa.

 

 

 

Milkjam Creamery - Cute Guys and Apple Pies

Cute Guys and Apple Pies - Apple Pie Sour Cream Buttermilk Ice Cream with Spiced Oat Crumble

 

The fourth and final of the November flavors from Milkjam Creamery is called Cute Guys and Apple Pies (instagram link here).  Apple is a fun flavor.  Milkjam just had an apple sorbet flavor called Poison Apple last month as a Halloween flavor.  I also had an apple pie flavor a couple of weeks ago from Bebe Zito called G.O.A.T. Apple Pie.  In previous years, I have had apple pie flavors from Talenti, Sweet Science and Sebastian Joe's.  I am actually not sure what the flavor name Cute Guys and Apple Pies refers to.  Often it's a pop culture reference but I couldn't find it by googling.  If you know, drop a note in the comment section.  Anyhow, on to the ice cream!

The base ice cream is an almost white color and some of the oatmeal crumble can be seen right away.  Digging in, I taste the apple right away -- which is delicious -- but then I taste a lot of sourness.  I know that sour cream is not necessarily sour, but it can be and I might also be tasting the effects of the buttermilk as well.  It's quite delicious though.  I immediately want to eat more.  The oat crumble plays the usual role in these types of flavors -- a little bit of crunch.  I do taste a little bit of cinnamon in the crumble, but it could be that there is cinnamon in the apple butter swirl as well.  I am really enjoying the sourness of this pint, though.  It is quite unexpected, but works very well.  There's a creaminess to it which makes it very palatable and it is still very much an apple flavor.

This is an excellent apple pie flavor from Milkjam Creamery.  The sourness means that it might not be for kids, but for adults this is delicious in a unique way.  Since I have eaten so many different kinds of ice creams, I really appreciate unique types of deliciousness.  That concludes my survey of Milkjam's November flavors (previous flavors: Roasted Pumpkin Dulce, Yeah Yeah Yams and Lyndale Fog).  Today's flavor is my favorite of the four, but they are all pretty good.  I am looking forward to next month, already.

 

Bebe Zito - Lemon Party

Lemon Party - Lemon Buttermilk Ice Cream with Spiced Streusel and Spiced Blueberry Jam

 

Today's flavor is from the Minneapolis-based Bebe Zito and is called Lemon Party.  I picked it up from their scoop shop in the Wedge/Lowry Hill neighborhood of south Minneapolis.  This particular flavor is not on their current scooping list, but I found a pint of it in their freezer case.  I imagine this flavor will cycle back into the scooping bins at some point.  This is a lemon buttermilk ice cream with spiced blueberry jam and some spiced streusel.  Sounds like a good combination of flavors!

Removing the lid, I see a lot of crumble!  Bebe Zito likes to sprinkle mix-ins across the top of the pint before putting the lid on and that has definitely happened here.  Digging in, I get a lot of flavor all at once.  I do taste the lemon right away despite all the mix-ins.  It is a good lemon flavor.  I think the buttermilk is used just to help blend the lemon into the ice cream and does not provide any of its own flavor -- it is not a sour pint.  The blueberry jam is delicious.  I was surprised to note that the jam is spiced a bit.  I checked the ingredient list and note that there is coriander and cardamom mixed into the jam.  This is a nice effect and reminds me a bit of the jam used in Jeni's Claire's Cabinet flavor.  I still primarily taste the blueberry, but there's subtle and spicy 'finish'.  Good stuff.  The crumble provides a bit of grit to the pint and I note spiciness in there was well.  Checking the ingredient list, it says they use a five-spice powder.  It's not super-spicy, but I can definitely taste the cinnamon and nutmeg in the mix.  

This is a delicious pint from Bebe Zito.  This is not simple a lemon berry or a lemon pie pint as they a tasteful amount of spice to both the jam and the crumble.  Lots of flavor in here without overwhelming the lemon either.  This flavor is a winner and I highly recommend it.

 

 

 

 

 

Milkjam Creamery - Fields Forever

 

Fields Forever - Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream

Today's flavor is from the Minneapolis-based Milkjam Creamery.  This is their Fields Forever flavor.  This is a strawberry buttermilk flavor and is a new flavor from them this summer.  See the instagram posting here.  The flavor name is, of course, a reference to the Beatles classic which is so well known that I doubt there are many people who have to ask if there are strawberries in this.  The use of buttermilk here is to cut or mute the strawberry which can be quite strong and sweet in isolation.  I have see the strawberry-buttermilk combination before from Jeni's.  See that review for a discussion of many other things that I have seen ice cream brands combine with strawberry (cream cheese, vinegar, rhubarb, etc).  Let's see how this flavor from Milkjam compares.

After opening the pint, the ice cream has the expected pink color with a little bit of roughness on the top from taking off the lid.  With the first spoonful, I taste the strawberry flavor and it is quite delicious.  I do not specifically taste the buttermilk (or its aftertaste) which tells me that the right amount has been used to blend with and partially mute the strong flavor of strawberry.  It's a very good blend.  The texture has a little bit of roughness that I saw on the top, but it is still soft enough to scoop easily.  I think it is just dense with strawberries.  This is a mostly homogeneous pint.  I do see a little bit of color variation from tiny pieces of strawberry, but I don't notice the pieces once they are inside my mouth.

This is a solid pint of strawberry ice cream from Milkjam.  The buttermilk here is just for flavor balance so don't be afraid.  It is still going to have "kid appeal" meaning that people that like less complex flavors would still enjoy it.  Check it out if you are at Milkjam and are in the mood for strawberry.

 

 

 

Jeni's - Orange Blossom Chiffon

Orange Blossom Chiffon - Buttermilk Frozen Yogurt flavored with Orange and Tangerine 

Today is the second pint from my recent State Fair Collection shipment from the Ohio-based Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.  This flavor is called Orange Blossom Chiffon.  My own state fair has been cancelled due to the pandemic, so it is nice that I get state-fair-themed flavors delivered to my home instead.  A note to local readers that I ordered this online and I do not believe that this flavor is available in Minnesota grocery stores.  Like the previous flavor in the shipment, Watermelon Taffy, this flavor takes a bright fruity flavor associated with sorbets and sherbets and blends it into an ice cream with the help of buttermilk and yogurt.  Checking the ingredients, it looks like they neroli oil and tangerine oil to provide the orange flavor.  I double-checked the meeting of 'chiffon' and it's a light cake made with vegetable oil instead of butter or shortening where egg whites are beaten stiff to create the fluffiness of a sponge cake but with the richness of a butter cake.    So, I'm guessing this will be a lighter orange flavor?  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid and peeling back the label, the base ice cream is a lighter color orange than I expected.  It is really an off-white orange.  Digging in, the orange flavor is muted but quite delicious.  It tastes like a blend between the sherbet of an orange push-up and a sweet cream.  The 'chiffon' does mean that this is a lighter and airier flavor.  As with the previous watermelon flavor,  I do not specficially taste buttermilk and yogurt, but I imagine they are involved in balancing the orange oils to create something fruity and creamy at the same time.  Unlike the watermelon flavor, this is not a very tart pint.  This is sweet orange flavor.  There are no mix-ins.

I very much enjoyed this orange pint from Jeni's.  It's like a very light, airy version of an orange push-up.  It is solid and homogenous, not like the 'dreamsicle' sorbet-and-cream blends from local Pumphouse and Sweet Science brands.  The flavor in my archives it compares to the most is the Orange & Cream flavor from Graeter's.  I liked that flavor, but I like this Jeni's flavor a bit more.  If you are in the mood for a light orange ice cream, check out Orange Blossom Chiffon.

Jeni's - Watermelon Taffy

Watermelon Taffy - Watermelon Ice Cream

Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream has new flavors for late summer!  They are calling it their State Fair Collection.  Five flavors.  All of them are new to me, but I believe four of the five might be brand new for Jeni's (Wildberry Lavender is a older flavor that I have not yet tried).  Because of the pandemic, this year's Minnesota State Fair has been cancelled, so pulled the trigger on an online shipment of this collection from Jeni's to help make up for not being able to go to the fair.  Additionally, I was able to add a sixth flavor to my shipment to fill out the box.  A note to local readers, this is an online shipment and I am not aware that any of these flavors are available in Minnesota grocery stores.  The first flavor in this shipment is called Watermelon Taffy.  This is a watermelon ice cream made with buttermilk and yogurt.  I have had a watermelon sorbet before from Graeter's but not a watermelon ice cream.  I look forward to checking this out.

The first thing I notice about the pint is the nice artwork on the carton.  They made the side of the pint look like the inside of a watermelon with its pink color and block dots for seeds.  Also the lid looks like the rind with its light and dark green stripes.  Well done.  Popping off the top, the extra seal under the lid has a clever phrase (see below) which I like.  Peeling back this seal, the base ice cream has a very light pink color.  It is lighter than I expected, it is almost off-white.  Digging in, it is quite tart!  The light color does not mean light flavor.  It tastes a lot like the watermelon-flavored Jolly Rancher candy.  As I continue to eat, the flavor holds up as I continue to eat the rest of the pint.  Sometimes which a strong flavor, it either fades as my palate gets used to it or it becomes too overpowering.  It is like the beginning of every spoonful is tart, but there's a cool creamy finish in the mix as well.  I wonder if the buttermilk and yogurt in the mix help with that effect.  I don't specifically taste buttermilk, but it might help manage the strong flavor of the watermelon.

This is a very good watermelon ice cream from Jeni's.  It is on the tart side, so expect the sour flavor of those Jolly Rancher candies, but it's also creamy -- very well balanced like most Jeni's flavors.  If watermelon is your thing, check it out.

Jeni's - Strawberry Buttermilk

Strawberry Buttermilk - Strawberry Ice Cream blended with Buttermilk

The penultimate pint from my six-pint shipment from the Columbus-based Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream is called Strawberry Buttermilk.  I have had lots of strawberry ice creams and a fair amount of buttermilk ice creams (see tags on the right for examples of each) but this is the first time I have seen the two paired together.  At least in a full pint.  During my Manhattan ice cream crawl a few years ago, I had a scoop of buttermilk balsamic strawberry from Morganstern's.  As I have written in the past, strawberry is a very strong flavor and it is quite common to see brands use something to cut the flavor a bit.  I've seen cheesecake (twice), mascarpone (twice), shortbread (twice), tarragon, balsamic vinegar, cardamom meringue,  rhubarb... the list just keeps getting longer.  Let's see how blending with buttermilk works out.

The top of the pint is a nice light pink color.  There are some small flecks of strawberry visible, but nothing too large.  Digging in, it is a very good strawberry flavor.  As for the buttermilk, it does not stick out.  Some buttermilk ice creams present that distinct buttermilk flavor to you -- especially in the finish.  Not here.  The buttermilk seems to be used simply to mute the strawberry flavor a bit.  It is still a delicious strawberry flavor, though.  This is a homogenous flavor and other that those specks I mentioned, there are no mix-ins.

This is a very good strawberry ice cream.  Buttermilk is only used to mute the flavor a bit, so people afraid of buttermilk need not worry.  If you had told me that this was just strawberry, I would have believed you.  As with the recent Cookies in Cream flavor, I don't know if this is a flavor that benefits too much from a super-premium brand, but if you are at a Jeni's scoop shop and are in the mood for strawberry, then this is very well done.

Pumphouse Creamery - Fresh Blueberries and Buttermilk

Fresh Blueberries and Buttermilk - Blueberries and Buttermilk Ice Cream

Today is another pint from Pumphouse Creamery in South Minneapolis.  I picked up three pints last time I was there.  Garam Masala was the first, and the second is called Fresh Blueberries & Buttermilk.  It is a blueberry ice cream which is made with buttermilk.  An interesting combination.  I have seen peaches with buttermilk once from Jeni's here.   I have seen lemon with buttermilk from Pumphouse and Jeni's.  I've had a lemon, blueberry and buttermilk yogurt from Jeni's here.  This pint from Pumphouse is just blueberries and buttermilk (no lemon).  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, I see a the light bluish purple color of the blueberry buttermilk base with lots of blueberry pieces visible.  Digging in, though I immediately taste the effects of the buttermilk.  Thankfully, it does not taste like drinking buttermilk.  It tastes pretty good!  It is not outwardly sour but it is definitely not as sweet as normal ice cream.  The best analogy I can think of is a sourdough bread.  This is the ice cream version of a sourdough bread.  The blueberry pieces are delicious and go pretty well into the buttermilk base.  I am really liking this combination.

This is a fun and unique ice cream flavor!  The effects of the buttermilk are the strongest that I have yet seen in a pint of ice cream, but it is still good!  It creates sort of a cultured sourdough-like flavor which I found quite fascinating.  This might not be for everyone but if you are not in the mood for something overly sweet and a cultured base sounds interesting, then you should give this flavor a try.

Jeni's - Sweet Cream Biscuits & Peach Jam

Sweet Cream Biscuits & Peach Jam - Buttermilk Ice Cream, Crumbled Biscuits, and Swirls of Jam Made with Georgia Peaches from The Peach Truck

Today, I review the final pint from my six-pint shipment from the Columbus-based Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.  This flavor is called Sweet Cream Biscuits & Peach Jam.  Interestingly, the sweet cream is not the base, it's in the biscuits.  Reading that recipe, I see that there is no buttermilk, while here, buttermilk is in the base ice cream.  So, buttermilk and sweet cream have traded places in this pint!  And unlike the previous review, here we are talking about the soft American-style biscuits and not the hard crunchy biscuits of the UK (and Italian biscotti).  Then peach jam is added.  Peach ice cream flavors are not super-common, so this looks to be a special treat.  Let's dig in.

Opening the pint, I see a little bit of the peach jam swirl off to one side.  The base ice cream is a near white color with some hints of the biscuit mix-ins.  Digging in, the buttermilk flavor of the base is fairly mild -- this is not at all 'sour'.  I got a bit of peach jam in the first spoonful and this is the predominant flavor and it tastes really good.  As I continue eating the pint, I start to appreciate the biscuit mix-ins.  They are not too large and chewy, so I don't single them out in any individual spoonful, but collectively they give the base ice cream a different texture and flavor.  I really can imagine myself eating a biscuit-flavored ice cream.

This is a really good flavor.  All of the pints from my six-pint shipment but this one is probably my favorite of the six.  Soft-biscuit mix-ins is a really good idea and this one works really well.  Plus, the peach flavor is delicious.  Together is was like peach jam spread on a soft biscuit -- but in ice cream form.  Checking my review archive, I see Talenti has a peach & biscuits flavor, but the biscuits there were crunchy so as to feel more like a pie crust, so it's a little different.  It's like a fruit pie à la mode.  Tillamook had a peach cobbler flavor which also had a crunchy mix-in.  Both those flavors are quite good, but I like this Jeni's flavor the best.

Jeni's - Lemon & Blueberries Parfait

Lemon & Blueberries Parfait - Tart and Uber Creamy Lemon with From-Scratch Blueberry Jam in Fresh cultured Buttermilk and Cream

Today is the fifth pint from my recently six-pint shipment from the Columbus-based Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.  It is called Lemon & Blueberries Parfait.  This is actually a renaming of one of their older flavors.  The previous name was Lemon & Blueberries Buttermilk Frozen Yogurt.  I have actually reviewed their Lemon Buttermilk flavor before.  It was tart, but good.  This pint is basically that flavor as a base with a blueberry jam swirl added to it.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, I see the off-white yellow color of the lemon buttermilk base with a large and pronounce purplish blue swirl of blueberry jam.  I like it when I see a beautiful swirl right away when I open a pint!  Digging in the lemon buttermilk base is tart again as with when I reviewed the base flavor alone.  You can definitely tell that it has buttermilk.  It is good and very lemon-y, though.  Then I encounter the blueberry swirl.  Blueberry does not have as strong of a flavor as I always expect.  Perhaps I am comparing it to strawberry and raspberry.  Or perhaps it is the super-dark color and I expect super-strong taste.  I can definitely taste it though and lemon-blueberry is a winning combination.

I enjoyed this pint.  Lemon & blueberry go together very well.  This is not like a lemon-blueberry muffin, though.  This pint is for those who like their lemon bases tangy and tart.