Talenti - Lemon Berry Pie

Lemon Berry Pie - Layers of Lemon Gelato, Graham Cookies, Blueberry Sauce, More Lemon Gelato and Pie Crust Pieces

Today is the second of the four new Gelato Layers flavors released by Talenti Gelato this year.  The first flavor was reviewed a few days ago.  This second flavor is called Lemon Berry Pie.  I found this pint at Cub Foods in the Saint Paul Midway neighborhood.  Gelato Layers pints around five thick layers stacked on top of each other in a single container -- usually two gelato layers and three mix-ins layers.  The five layers here are lemon gelato, graham cookies, blueberry sauce, more lemon gelato and pie crust pieces.  Looks interesting.  Let's check it out!

Unscrewing the lid off the pint, we see just the top layer -- lemon gelato.  It has a yellowish-white color.  For these Talenti Layers pints I next cut out a slice so we can see them all.  In this case, both gelato layers are the same: lemon.  As usual, the middle-two mix-in layers (here the blueberries and graham) appears to have mixed and the bottom layer is something crunchy (pie crust).  The blueberries have a surprisingly pinkish-red color instead of the deep purplish blue that I often see.  Digging in, the lemon gelato has a good flavor.  Not too strong and mildly acidic.  I checked Talenti's menu page and I was surprised to find that they don't have a lemon flavor, not even a sorbet.  Maybe this base is not strong enough to be its own flavor?  Next I try the blueberry sauce which is more tart than I was expecting.  It reminds me more of a raspberry or blackberry than the typical blueberry.  I asked my berry-loving friends and they said this is not uncommon -- blueberry can be like this.  It is quite tasty and the tartness goes well with the lemon gelato.  The two crunchy layers (graham cookies and pie crust) provide good textural variation.  They only add a little bit of their own flavor but they definitely add add substance to the pint.

This is a very good layers pint from Talenti.  It is one of the rare 'all fruit' layers pints (no chocolate, no caramel).  The other pint like this is their Black Raspberry Vanilla Parfait from last year.  Looking back, that pint uses the same tart blueberry sauce!  So, I think this pint is basically a lemon-y twist on that pint.  If you are into these layers pint and are not in the mood for chocolate, then check this flavor out.

Pumphouse Creamery - Mint Chocolate Chip

Mint Chocolate Chip - Peppermint Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips

The next flavor is from the Pumphouse Creamery in south Minneapolis.  I picked this up in the "before times" but I just checked their website and their temporary hours during the pandemic are 12-6 for pints/quart sales only.  The flavor is Mint Chocolate Chip.  Long-time readers will know this is my favorite ice cream dating back to when I was a kid.  Pumphouse has had a lot of unusual and eccentric flavors this winter (e.g. Corn Masa, Black Garlic, Dill Pickle) so I feel I should be showing that they do standard and popular flavors as well.  Pumphouse has recently written about this flavor in their website diary describing how they have found a new source of mint -- the Seeley Mint Farm in Oregon.  Let's check it out.

Cracking open the lid, the peppermint base is bright white and there are lots of fine chocolate chips visible right away.  Digging in, the mint flavor is quite potent but not overpowering.  It's strong yet not chalky or dry, the base remains quite creamy.  I like it.  It is very delicious.  The chips provide a bit of chocolate but since they are small chips it is not as much as I expected.  This is not a complaint, I am just noting that this is a very minty version of mint chip.

I quite liked this implementation of mint chocolate chip from Pumphouse Creamery.  As I mentioned above, this is not as chocolatey as some mint chip pints are, but it is one of the best peppermint bases that I have yet tried.  That Seeley Mint Farm makes really good mint!  So, this is more of a mint-lovers mint chip and that is OK. 

Talenti - Coffee Cookie Crumble

Coffee Cookie Crumble - Layers of Cold Brew Gelato, Dark Chocolate Chunks, Chocolate Coffee Sauce, Vanilla Bean Gelato and Amaretti Cookie Pieces

Talenti has new Gelato Layers pints for 2020!  The new ones are the ones which include coffee, lemon, banana and coconut.  Today's flavor is the coffee one:  Coffee Cookie Crumble.  I got this pint at Lund's in Highland Park, but I have also seen it at Cub in the Midway.  To refresh everyone's memory, a Gelato Layers pint involves stacking several (usually five) layers of ingredients in the same pint container.  The five years here are cold brew coffee gelato, dark chocolate chunks, a chocolate coffee sauce, vanilla bean gelato and amaretti cookie pieces.  I've written many times before about how coffee and chocolate always makes for a great combination possibly because their active ingredients (caffeine and theobromine) are so similar.  I was unfamiliar with "amaretti" cookies but like amaretto liqueur, it appears to be almond based.  I found some recipes online.

Let's check it out!  Unscrewing the distinctive lids of the Talenti jar, I only see the top layer.  That's true of all Talenti pints.  For these special flavors, I like to cut out a slice for the pictures below.  I can see the two gelato bases (coffee & vanilla) separated by two mix-in layers (chocolate chunks and coffee chocolate sauce) which are both thin enough to effectively blend together.  The bottom layer is the cookies.  Digging in, the coffee gelato has a smooth coffee flavor.  They bill it as a 'cold brew'.  I am not enough of a coffee expert to recognize that immediately, but it does have good coffee flavor without any hint of bitterness.  The chocolate chunk/sauce combo in the middle is quite delicious.  The chunks are fairly small -- they are almost chip-sized -- and the sauce has a bite to it.  My first impression was that it had a similar bite to it than canned syrup has, but I also note that it is billed as a coffee-and-chocolate syrup so I imagine some of the bite comes from the coffee.  It's delicious.  Quite a lot of chocolate in these two layers and it goes well with the coffee base.  The vanilla base it a refreshing compliment to it all -- to keep the coffee and chocolate from being too intense.  The cookie at the bottom are OK but not too memorable.  They are not bad, but they provide a bit of soft chewy crunch and not a lot of flavor.

This another successful layers pint from Talenti.  The coffee gelato goes really well with the chocolate chunks and sauce and the vanilla and cookies keeps it from being too much.  My method of extracting out a slice for the photos leaves the pint in such a state that it makes it easy for me to sample most of the layers with almost every spoonful.  If you find it tricky to do the same, you could try scooping it all out into a bowl first.

Sweet Science - Pineapple Passion Fruit Mango Sorbet

Pineapple Passion Fruit Mango Sorbet - Pineapple Passion Fruit Mango Sorbet

Today's flavor is a new sorbet from the Saint Paul-based Sweet Science Ice Cream.  It is called Pineapple Passion Fruit Mango Sorbet.  This is not a 'monthly' flavor but a sorbet which has been cycled into their main rotation.   I bought it at the Keg & Case Market earlier this month.  Keg & Case is temporarily closed for the pandemic, but I have found pints of theirs stocked at Whole Foods, Kowalski's and a number of other local markets.  A reminder that sorbets are dairy-free by definitely -- it is basically flavored ice which is churned like ice cream.  Pineapple, passion fruit & mango are all flavors which I have had sorbets for in the past, but it will be fun to see how they all taste blended together.

Opening the pint, the sorbet has a nice bright yellow color.  I recognize the four dots on top from the inner lining of the lid.  Digging my spoon in, the sorbet has a good texture.  I can tell that there is no dairy in there, but it is churned quite well and almost seems 'creamy'.  The flavor is quite good.  I can specifically taste the pineapple and the passion fruit right away.  The mango I have to think about more, it is not quite as distinctive of a flavor as the other two, but I trust that it is in there. The tropical blend that the three flavors form is quite delicious.  As tropical as passion fruit is, the flavor can be a bit bitter at times so mixing it with sweeter flavors is a great idea.  I saw Milkjam Creamery do that once by blending passion fruit with lychee.

This is an excellent tropical themed sorbet from Sweet Science.  The flavors mix so well that I actually like this more than sorbets that I have had of the individual flavors.  It is a sorbet and not ice cream, so keep that in mind, but if you are in the mood for a tropical pint this is an excellent choice.

Izzy's - Umeshu Chocolate

Umeshu Chocolate - Chocolate Ice Cream made with Guittard Cocoa and Japanese Plum Wine

Today's flavor is a hand-packed flavor from the Saint-Paul-based Izzy's Ice Cream.  It is called Umeshu Chocolate.  It is a Guittard chocolate base blended with umeshu, or wine made with Japanese plums called ume.  They are called plums but are perhaps more closely related to apricots.  Choya is the brand of wine used here.  I got today's pint at Izzy's Saint Paul scoop shop before everything temporarily closed for the pandemic.  Sorry about the delay.  Sometimes I overload my freezer and a queue builds up before I get around to eating it.  Also, I wanted to try their regular chocolate first.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid shows a much darker base than I was expecting, especially considering that umeshu is a lighter colored wine.  Digging in, this is a deeper and darker chocolate flavor than their regular chocolate pint.  I taste the wine right away too underneath the chocolate.  There is not too much wine -- this is not at all 'boozy', it does not have enough alcohol to soften the ice cream - but the wine flavor definitely complements the dark chocolate quite well.  It is a good blend.  This is a homogeneous pint with no mix-ins.

I quite liked this flavor.  It is a unique and interesting blend of wine and chocolate which I have not seen before.  The chocolate flavor is very strong -- you could almost call it dark chocolate and the wine accents and removes any bitterness that concentrated chocolate sometimes brings.  If you like dark chocolate and this type of a wine blend intrigues you then this is one to check out when the scoop shops re-open.

Häagen-Dazs - TRIO - Ruby Cacao Crackle

TRIO - Ruby Cacao Crackle - Pistachio and Sweet Cream Ice Creams layered with Ruby Cacao Chocolate

Häagen-Dazs has new flavors for 2020 and they are making their way into grocery stores even in these interesting times.  The big release this year from them is their Heaven line of low calorie pints.  I usually don't review the low-cal flavors -- my theory being that dessert should be indulgent and if you don't want to indulge then have dessert less often.  The other new flavors are spread across their existing lines.  Today's flavor is a limited release from their TRIO line of pints and is called Ruby Cacao Crackle.  I bought it at the Hyvee in Eagan.  I have not seen it anywhere else since, but I imagine other places will have it soon.  The TRIO line feature layers of two types of ice cream layered with a third crunchy layer.  The two ice creams are sweet cream and pistachio and the crunchy layer is a new flavor for me: ruby chocolate. 

Ruby chocolate has only been around for a few years -- introduced in 2017 by the Barry Callebaut company.  They select special cacao beans and then process them in a proprietary way so that it comes out with a purplish red color.  The flavor is described as sweet and sour with  hit of berries, but I guess I can judge the flavor for myself soon!  Barry Callebaut is marketing this as the "fourth chocolate" -- the other three being dark, milk and white.  I don't know if this will get *that* big but it sure sounds interesting.

Let's dig in.  After removing the lid and peeling back the label, I can actually see all three layers.  Just a little bit of the ruby chocolate can be seen and I can see swirls of both sweet cream and pistachio.  The pistachio has a very faint color but I can see that it is different from the sweet cream.  Like most of the other TRIO pints, I have to dig my spoon in to cut through the crunchy layer -- the ruby chocolate.  Tasting it, the ruby chocolate is what I taste the most.  It is a very unique flavor.  It's a little bitter, like a dark chocolate often is, but the flavor itself is not like dark chocolate.  It has more of a tart or acidic taste to it.  I don't think it is love-at-first-bite for me, but it is an interesting new flavor.  Given this sharp flavor of the crunchy layer, I can see what the role of the sweet cream and pistachio will be here -- a soothing role which helps bring balance to the pint.  The flavor of the pistachio is as mild as the faint color implies, but it does help cleanse the palate while eating the chocolate.  Pistachio lovers should stick to their Pistachio flavor.

Ruby chocolate is an interesting new flavor and I'm glad that Häagen-Dazs has made this available even if it is a limited batch.  A TRIO flavor is a good choice to deliver this flavor.  You can try out the crunchy new chocolate and wash it down with the two bases.  My first impression of ruby chocolate is that it's a bit sharp but perhaps it is a flavor that you have to acquire.  I remember thinking the same thing about dark chocolate when I was a kid.  I will keep on the lookout for other ruby chocolate flavors.  Certainly, the choco-curious will want to check this out.

Pumphouse Creamery - Dill Pickle

Dill Pickle - Dill Pickle Ice Cream

Today I try a new flavor from the Pumphouse Creamery in south Minneapolis called Dill Pickle.  Yes, you read that correctly!  Dill Pickle!  Pumphouse has had some unusual and creative flavors this winter including Corn Masa and Black Garlic (now with chocolate chips).  They seem to have topped themselves here.  Pickles? Pickles and Cream?

Pickles (pickled cucumbers) have been around for a few thousand years.  Pickling something in vinegar and brine is a great way of preserving food -- before supermarkets, you had to have a good way of eating things when they were not in season.  I found some interesting articles online on the history of pickles here, here and here.  Dill is a fragrant herb of the Apiaceae family which is a very large family known mostly for celery carrots and parsley but also for fragrant herbs such as cumin, coriander, anise and fennel.  Dill has long been used as a flavoring agent for pickles.  Reading these articles, I see a frequent mention of pickles and ice cream as one of the cravings that pregnant women might get.  There was a write-up about this on Slate.com a while back.  I hadn't thought about that.  Perhaps that is one of the motivations of creating this flavor?

On to the ice cream!  Opening the lid, the ice cream is a bright yellowish white color.  There are hints of a few specks in there -- I am not sure if they are pickles or dill.  I brace myself as I dig in.  Yup, I taste the pickles right away!  It is sweeter than just the pickles themselves.  Reminded me a bit of a relish at first.  Interestingly, I taste the creaminess of the ice cream as a 'finish' (what you taste after you swallow).  With their recently black garlic flavor, it was the garlic that was the finish.  That creaminess does seem to allow me to eat more than one spoonful at a time.  I am surprised at how palatable this was made to be.  I was actually able to finish the entire pint in one sitting, although I would probably recommend a smaller service.  Like the garlic pint that I had last month, I was craving a palate-cleansing stick of gum about a half an hour after finishing.

This is a fun experimental flavor from Pumphouse Creamery!  I will admit that it is probably not for everyone, but it is very entertaining to try something completely different.  If you're a pickle fan or if you are pregnant, you should definitely try it.  You might want to limit yourself to a scoop at first -- a full pint was a lot.  I just checked the Pumphouse website and they do mention that they are open from 12-6 daily for take-home pints and quarts.  I've also seen them at some local Kowalski's.