Pumphouse Creamery - Butter Pecan

Butter Pecan - Butter Pecan Ice Cream

 

Today we return to the Pumphouse Creamery in south Minneapolis for their Butter Pecan flavor.  Butter Pecan is one of the old classic flavors which has been around for decades -- long before the modern era of mixing flavors.  It is also one of the top-five flavors in the United States.  I had to double-check my archive three times just to make sure I have not reviewed this flavor from Pumphouse before and I have not.  Let's check it out!

Removing the lid, the "butter" base has a white color to it.  I guess it is a little off-white, but it is definitely whiter than most butter pecan bases.  Digging in, the base has a nice pleasant flavor to it.  It's not obviously a butter flavor, but I can tell it is definitely not vanilla.  Soon I encounter all the pecan mix-ins.  These are good.  Quite crunchy and with good pecan flavor.

This is a solid and pleasing butter pecan implementation from Pumphouse Creamery.  Nothing too bold or fancy, but that matches what butter pecan delivers for most people.  If you are at Pumphouse and want something smooth and nutty, this will definitely satisfy you.

2 Scoops - Turtle

Turtle - Vanilla Ice Cream with Swirls of Chocolate Fudge, Gooey Caramel and Roasted Salted Pecans

 

I returned to the 2 Scoops scoop shop on Selby and Milton to have another pint or two packed.  Today's flavor is called Turtle.  It is a vanilla ice cream with chocolate fudge swirls, caramel swirls and pecans.  It is based on the popular chocolate-caramel-pecan candy of the same name.  The candy has an interesting history.  I guess chocolate covered caramel pecans had been done before but someone on Johnson's candy (late DeMet's) in Chicago noticed that dipped candies looked like turtles -- round globs and the pecans sticking out the sides looked like the head and feet.  So Johnson's/DeMet's trademarked the name.  Anyhow, chocolate, caramel and pecans make for great ice cream mix-ins so this is a good theme to use for an ice cream flavor.  Let's check it out.

The top of the pint appears hand-packed with all of the mix-ins visible.  Digging in, this is quite good.  I can taste all three mix-ins -- chocolate, caramel and pecans -- in almost every spoonful.  The caramel is gooey which is how I like it and the pecans are crunchy.  It does taste a lot like those turtle candies.  The vanilla ice cream does a good job of holding it all together.

I really enjoyed this turtle-candy-themed pint from 2 Scoops.  Mixing chocolate, caramel and pecans into ice cream is a winning combination.  Checking my archives, I have had two flavors with turtle in the name before.  Turtle Latte from Sebastian Joe's used a coffee base and the caramel chocolate mix-ins did not contain nuts.  Spiced Pecan Turtle from Häagen-Dazs' old limited-batch Artisan line was closer.  They used a chocolate base instead of vanilla and added some spice to the mix as well.  Today's flavor is straightforward (no variations or twists) but still very successful.  If you are at 2 Scoops and in the mood for something nutty, check it out.

Grand Ole Creamery - Mac Daddy

Mac Daddy - Butter Pecan Ice Cream with Crushed Oreos

 

I stopped by the Grand Ole Creamery on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul to see if they had any interesting flavors in pints.  They did not have any pre-packed pints which I had not already tried but I saw a fun flavor in the scooping bin, so I had them hand-pack me a pint.  The flavor today is called Mac Daddy.  I grew up in the Macalester Groveland neighborhood of Saint Paul, so I figured I would pick it up for that connection.  This is a butter pecan ice cream with crushed Oreos for mix-ins.

Removing the lid, I see a lot of large Oreo pieces right away on top.  That's good.  I do not see any pecans, though.  I ran into this issue with their Cookie Monster flavor.  "Butter pecan" is the flavor of the base which I believe means that all the pecans are ground up and fully blended into the base.  So, pecan flavor but no pecan mix-ins.  This base is quite good.  I can tell it is not vanilla.  Grand Ole Creamery bases tend to be higher in butterfat so it works well.  The Oreo mix-ins are spread throughout the pint fairly generously.  They are of variable size which is fun because you never know how much you are going to get in each spoonful.  Many cookies and cream implementations include finely crushed crumbs which are speckled into the pint.

This is a solid cookies and cream implementation from the Grand Ole Creamery.  The Oreo mix-ins are numerous and of good size.  I must admit I did fall for the expectations of nuts that come with the "butter pecan ice cream" description.  It is a nice butter pecan flavor, but no crunchy nut mix-ins.  Once I got past that expectation, I enjoyed the pint quite a bit.  Using a buttery base instead of vanilla or sweet cream is a nice subtle twist.

Milkjam Creamery - Fool's Gold

Fool's Gold - Caramel Ice Cream with Brown Butter Pecan Apple Blondies, Dulce de Leche and Sea Salt

 

Milkjam Creamery of Minneapolis has flavors for January (instagram link here) and today's flavor is Fool's Gold (instagram link here).  This features a caramel ice cream with brown butter pecan apple blondies, dulce de leche and sea salt.  It is an interesting mix of flavors.  Let's see how this turns out.

Removing the lid, I see only the caramel ice cream base.  This reminds me.  I don't think Milkjam has a simple Salted Caramel ice cream on their menu.  I suppose that's what special releases are for.  Digging in, the caramel base has a simple and agreeable flavor.  I can taste a bit of salty, but it is not too strong.  Soon I encounter the mix-ins.  The dulce de leche provides more caramel flavor (dulce de leche is caramelized milk while plain caramel is caramelized sugar).  The blondies seem to be mostly embedded within the dulce de leche.  These are pretty good.  They provide more even more caramel flavor with the brown butter.  The apple flavor in these blondies is not that strong -- this is not an apple-y pint -- but I do notice it if I focus.

This is a fun caramel-themed pint from Milkjam Creamery.  The dulce de leche and brown butter blondies provide even more caramel to the caramel base.  The contributions of the apple and pecan are more subtle, all the forms of caramel are the stars of the show here.

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.

Milkjam Creamery - Butter Pecan

Butter Pecan - Brown Butter Ice Cream with Caramelized Pecans and Butterscotch Sauce

 

Milkjam Creamery's July flavors are out.  Their theme this month is "American Classics, Reimagined" (instagram link here).  I went down to their scoop shop on Lyndale Avenue in South Minneapolis to pick them up.  This will be interesting because Milkjam is one of those places which specializes in off-beat flavor combinations with interesting ingredients so although all four flavors this month are fairly standard at most other ice cream parlors, I don't think I've seen most of them at Milkjam.  The first flavor is Butter Pecan (instagram link here).  I just reviewed a butter pecan from Grand Ole Creamery last week (review here).  There, I briefly mention other butter pecan or brown butter pecan implementations from Graeter's, Talenti, Häagen-Dazs and Sweet Science.  Here, Milkjam jazzes up the mix by caramelizing the pecans and adding butterscotch sauce.  That reminds me of a butterscotch pecan flavor I had from the now defunct Three Twins a while back.  Let's see what Milkjam does with this classic flavor.

Removing the lid, the base ice cream has an yellowish-white color to it and I can see a couple of the the pecan mix-ins right away.  Digging in, I can taste notes of the caramelized flavors (brown butter and butterscotch) but it is fairly subtle.  The pecan mix-ins are dispersed throughout the pint.  These are crunchy and delicious.  They is a little bit of a coating to them, but like in the base the effect is fairly subtle.  These are not candied pecans and there's no ribbons of caramel here.  Still, the effect is delicious and this is a bit more flavorful than the usual butter pecan implementation.

This is a solid, implementation of a slightly jazzed up butter pecan ice cream.  The flavor description made it sound like the flavor is more exotic than it is.  The butterscotch is pretty well blended into the base and the caramelized coating on the pecans is fairly subtle -- though maybe this effect varies from batch to batch?  Traditional butter pecan fans will enjoy this flavor.

 

 

 

Grand Ole Creamery - Butter Pecan

Butter Pecan - Butter Ice Cream with Pecans

 

I returned to the Grand Ole Creamery of Saint Paul for the first time in a while to pick up a couple of pints.  Today's point is the flavor Butter Pecan, the simple yet extremely popular classic flavor.  I bought it at the scoop shop on Grand Avenue, but I have also seen it at Widmer's in Saint Paul.  I have had simple versions of this flavor from Talenti, Graeter's and Häagen-Dazs, and I've had brown butter or brown butter bourbon versions from Sweet Science, Graeter's and Ample Hills.  Let's see how Grand Ole Creamery compares.

Removing the lid, the butter base has a yellowish white color -- consistent with butter.  I can see quite a few pecans right away on top.  Digging in, the ice cream is thick and creamy.  At times it feels like it has an almost sticky texture to it as it seems to want to stick to my spoon.  The flavor is simple and basic -- this is definitely not a brown butter version.  The butter flavor is not that strong, but I can tell that it is not sweet cream or vanilla.  The pecans are dispersed generously and are a decent size.  I'd say mostly quarters with perhaps a few halves.

This is a very simple, but solid implementation of a butter pecan flavor from Grand Ole Creamery.  There are a lot of pecans and the soft, mild-flavored butter base complements them quite well.  It is not too exciting of a flavor, but I think that is the appeal of butter pecan.  No praline coating, no chocolate, just good nuts and thick ice cream.

 

Van Leeuwen - Praline Butter Cake

Praline Butter Cake - Sweet Cream Ice Cream with Praline Pecans and Brown Butter Cake Pieces

 

Today is another flavor from the Brooklyn-based Van Leeuwen brand.  They are carried locally at Kowalski's Markets.  This year, Kowaski's has rotated which flavors from this brand that they carry which gives me some ice cream to try.  Today's point is called Praline Butter Cake.  It has a plain sweet cream base with praline pecan and brown butter cake mix-ins.  That is an interesting combination of mix-ins.  I have had many flavors with praline pecans and a handful of flavors with butter cake, but I would not have thought to combine those two.  Plus, this is a brown butter cake.  Brown butter is butter which has been heated up to caramelize and concentrate it a bit.  I have had a couple of brown butter pecan pints from Graeter's and Sweet Science, but in today's pint the brown butter is in a cake and the pecans are praline coated.  This should be itneresting.

Removing the lid, the sweet cream base had a creamy off-white color to it and several of the mix-ins are visible right away on top.  Normally, I do think of sweet cream as being extra white, but Van Leeuwen makes "French-style" ice cream which mean that they use twice as many egg yolks.  Digging in, the ice cream is thick and the extra eggs make it creamier -- almost like a custard.  I quickly encounter all the mix-ins.  The praline pecan pieces are the size of crushed pecans (i.e. not full-sized).  They taste quite good.  The butter cake pieces are also small in size but are large enough that you notice the chewy texture.  The texture reminded me a little bit of cookie dough because it is a dense cake.  The flavor of the cake pieces is not as noticeable as the praline pecan pieces but I can tell there some caramelized flavor in there if I focus in on them.  The main thing I notice is the texture which keeps me guessing as I eat my way down the pint.  That is, some mix-ins are crunchy and some are chewy and I am never sure which one I am going to get.

This is an interesting and unique flavor from Van Leeuwen.  I would never have thought to mix butter cake and praline pecans.  It is not too exciting, but it works.  This may appeal to pralines and cream fans looking for a twist on their favorite flavor.

Tillamook - Maple & Candied Pecan

Maple & Candied Pecan - Maple Frozen Custard with Candied Pecan Pieces

 

Today is another new flavor from the Oregon-based Tillamook Creamery.  As mentioned in recent reviews, Tillamook has re-imagined their pint flavors this year.  Most of their previous flavors were cycled out.  Today's flavor is called Maple & Candied Pecan.  It looks like a replacement for their old Pendleton Whisky & Maple flavor.  So pecans are in and whisky is out (for now).  I bought this pint at Kowalski's on Grand in Saint Paul, but I believe local Target stores now also carry Tillamook pints.  Let's dig in!

Removing the lid and peeling back the protective foil, the maple syrup base has an off-white color non-inconsistent with the color of maple syrup.  None of the mix-ins are visible on top.  Digging in the maple syrup flavor in the base is quite delicious.  It is a frozen custard.  It is not soft-serve, but it is thick yet easy to scoop.  Soon I encounter the mix-ins.  The pecan pieces are quite sizeable and crunchy.  The side of the container bills them as "candied" but it is not a hard candy like a praline pecan.  Here, the candy coating seems to have melted in the ice cream creating a small pool of syrup surronding each pecan piece.  I have seen this happen before and I actually quite like this effect.  The overall effect of the syrupy coating to the crunchy pecan pieces is quite delicious.

This is a very well done maple pecan flavor from Tillamook Creamery.  I have seen some similar flavor combinations but nothing exactly like this.  The closest was probably Ample Hills which had a limited-batch flavor called Maple Bourbon Barrel which included bourbon in its base and swirl.  Izzy's had a couple of maple nut flavors (here and here) in their scoop shop days.  I like this Tillamook flavor quite a bit.  Maple syrup fans should not hesitate to try this out.

Jeni's - Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns

Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns - Rich Coconut Cream Loaded with Sticky Bun Dough, Dark Caramel, and Roasted Pecans

 

I am continuing through the non-dairy line of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams of Columbus Ohio.  I don't usually try all the non-dairy flavors of a brand, but I recently ordered some special flavors from Jeni's online and I needed add extra pints to the shipment.  Today's flavor is called Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns.  I am not aware that it is available in Minnesota grocery stores.  Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns features the same coconut cream base that I saw previously in their Lemon Bar flavor.  This time the mix-ins are completely different -- sticky bun dough pieces, a swirl of dark caramel and roasted pecans.

Removing the lid and peeling back the label, I see a white base some evidence of dough pieces and pecans and a dark caramel swirl along the edge.  It is a darker caramel swirl than what I usually see.  Digging in, the coconut cream base is light and almost fluffy compared to their dairy bases.  It is pretty good though.  It has a mild coconut flavor.  Further down, I notice the caramel swirl the most.  It is not just darker in color, it also has a darker and almost burnt caramel flavor.  The pecan pieces are fairly small and provide a bit of crunch in the mix.  The sticky bun dough pieces are also quite small.  I liked the dough pieces, but there were not as many of them as I was expecting.

This is a solid non-dairy pint from Jeni's.  I like that they don't try to mimic the flavor of dairy.  They have a couple dairy-free bases (coconut cream and chocolate) which are quite good by themselves.  The caramel and pecan mix-ins go well with the coconut.  Don't expect too much bun dough, but it's still a decent pint for those who have dietary restrictions.

 

 

 

 

Bebe Zito - Pumpkin Becky

Pumpkin Becky - Roasted Pumpkin Base with Cafe Miel Sauce throughout with Ginger Molasses Cookie Dough, topped with Roasted Pecans. (No Karens were harmed in the making of this ice cream)

 

Today's flavor is from the Bebe Zito scoop shop in south Minneapolis.  It is called Pumpkin Betty.  It is another pumpkin flavor for the fall.  Like the recent Sweet Science flavor Pumpkin Pepita Brittle, there is creative use of mix-ins in a pumpkin base.  Here, Bebe Zito uses a ginger molasses cookie dough with some cafe miel sauce and roasted pecans.  I had to look up cafe miel:  it is a coffee drink with milk, honey and cinnamon.  (miel is French word for honey). 

The flavor name and flavor description have fun with the terms 'Becky' and 'Karen' which are slang labels people younger than me use for types of annoying people.  I was talking to my mom about this flavor name the other day (she sometimes asks what flavors are in my freezer).  I was expecting to have to try to explain to her about Becky's and Karen's but instead she said "Oh, is that like an Apple Betty?".  You know?  Maybe it is!  There are some similarities with spiced doughy mix-ins inside the base.  Bebe Zito turns  Betty into Becky with its unique twist on the mix-ins (cafe miel).  Just a fun theory.  I am not sure if that is actually what they had in mind.

Enough talk, onto the ice cream!  Removing the lid, I see the pumpkin base with with a fair amount of brown goop on the top.  It looks like brown sugar.  Digging in, I see the chunks of cookie dough.  These are like ginger snap dough.  I can taste the molasses and brown sugar.  It is very tasty.  The pumpkin base is flavorful and goes well with the cookie dough.  The ginger in the cookie dough is not too strong and effectively blends with the pumpkin spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc) in the base ice cream.  I don't specifically taste the cafe miel (honey & coffee) but it could be that it as blended into the mix somehow.

This is an excellent pint from Bebe Zito.  There are a lot of ingredients and I don't specifically taste every one but altogether the brown sugary molasses cookie dough mix-ins go really well with the pumpkin base.  Like Sweet Science's Pumpkin Pepita Brittle, I applaud the use of large flavorful mix-ins in a pumpkin ice cream.  There are a lot of simple pumpkin flavors out there, maybe some with caramel or cream cheese, but if you're in the mood for an extra chunky pumpkin pint during this holiday season, give Pumpkin Becky a try.

 

 

 

Milkjam Creamery - Yeah Yeah Yams

Yeah Yeah Yams - Sweet Potato Casserole Ice Cream with Roasted Marshmallows and Pecans

 

Today is the second of the four November flavors from Milkjam Creamery.  It is called Yeah Yeah Yams (instagram link here).  I picked it up at their scoop shop in South Minneapolis.  It has a sweet potato base with a roasted marshmallow swirl and pecans.  I have had sweet potato bases twice before --   both times from Jeni's (review links here and here).  The second of those pints had marshmallows like this pint does.  Today's pint has pecans, which neither of the two Jeni's pints had.  The flavor name here is I believe a nod to the indie band the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  I remember their song "Maps" which was one of the funnest songs for newbies to play on the Rock Band video game.  Anyhow, let's check out today's flavor.

Removing the lid, I see everything right away on the top of the pint.  The sweet potato base has a pastel orange color.  Glob-like sections of marshmallow are visible (as opposed to marshmallow pieces) and I can see some of the pecans as well.  Digging in, the sweet potato has a light and sweet flavor which is very appealing.  I am always pleasantly surprised by the flavor of sweet potato.  I did not grow up eating it, so I often brace myself for something savory like squash, but it is quite sweet.  The marshmallow sections are soft and they act like swirl.  The pecans are excellent.  They are crunchy and flavorful and complement the smooth sweetness of the rest of the pint.

I enjoyed this pint from Milkjam Creamery quite a bit.  Sweet potato ice cream works!  More brands should try it -- even if it is just for the holidays.  Because of the excellent pecans, I actually like this better than both of the Jeni's pints I liked to above.  If you missed out on a sweet potato side dish this Thanksgiving, maybe this pint will tide you over.  Enjoy.