Talenti - Pumpkin Pie (Layers)

 

Pumpkin Pie (Layers) - Layers of Pumpkin Gelato, Pie Crust Pieces, Brown Sugar Sauce, Pumpkin Gelato (2) and Pie Crust Pieces (2)

Talenti Gelato has released a new Layers flavor for the Holidays called Pumpkin Pie.  This is a little confusing for me because I have already reviewed a flavor from them called Pumpkin Pie.  Today's flavor is a "layers" flavor while the older pint was a regular flavor.  Both contain pumpkin-spice flavored gelato and pie crust pieces.  Today's layers pint adds brown sugar sauce into the mix.  Checking their website, it looks like the old flavor is being retired and replaced by this one.  Anyhow, even though it has the same name, I think it deserves a new review.  I added the parenthetical "(Layers)" to the flavor title to avoid confusion.  I believe I bought this at the Target in the Midway neighborhood of Saint Paul.  Because it is a brand new seasonal flavor, I expect it's availability to become more widespread as we go further into the fall.

On to the ice cream!  Like all of the other layers pints, I see only the top gelato layer when opening the pint.  It's the same orange color as the non-layers pint.  Little specks of what I presume are spices (cinnamon and nutmeg) can be seen.  Next I cut out a slice of the pint so that I can see the layers.  The pie crust pieces are almost color as the pumpkin base and the brown sugar sauce forms a central darker brown syrupy layer in the middle.  Digging in the pumpkin gelato is flavorful and delicious and spice level is noticeable but relatively mild.  It's like a slice of pumpkin pie.  Occasionally, I get a little bit of the brown sugar sauce into my spoon and it has a mildly sweet, earthy brown sugar flavor to -- similar to pecan pie with the pecans.  It added a little bit to my overall enjoyment, but it did not take over.  This is still primarily a pumpkin pint.

This is a solid implementation of a pumpkin pie flavor from Talenti Gelato.  For the most part, it is very close to the previous non-layered implementation.  The fact that the pie crust pieces are the same color as the pumpkin sort of adds to that impression -- those two ingredients do not appear as visually distinct so whether this is layered or non-layered is not as significant.  The main addition here is the brown sugar sauce which I liked but played a supporting role.  It's quite good though and I do like this implementation a bit better than the previous one.  So, enjoy if you are looking for a mildly-spiced pumpkin flavor for the holidays.  As mentioned in the previous review, for spicier Pumpkin flavors, try Jeni's or Sweet Science.

 

Bebe Zito - Peanut Butter Puppy Chow

 

Peanut Butter Puppy Chow - Peanut Butter Malted Base with Chocolate Covered Peanuts

The next flavor comes from Bebe Zito of south Minneapolis.  This one is called Peanut Butter Puppy Chow and it is one of their regular flavors.  I bought it at the scoop shop on 22nd Avenue South and Lyndale.  The flavor name reminded me of the old Purina dog food commercials from when I was a kid, but googling for videos of the old commercials led me to a ton of videos for a snack which is called puppy chow -- basically rice chex cereal (or something similar) which is first coated with a chocolate-peanut-butter sauce and then coated with powdered sugar.  Looks a bit messy to make, but it does look tasty once it's done.  How will this translate into an ice cream?  The flavor description paints this as a classic peanut-butter-and-chocolate combination some minor twists -- malt in the peanut butter base and the chocolate is covering peanut mix-ins.  Let's see how this turns out.

Removing the lid, I see a light-colored peanut-butter base with lots of chocolate-pieces drizzled on the top.  Bebe Zito likes to add toppings to the top of the pint right before placing the lid.  I like this idea.  Digging in, the peanut butter base is quite delicious without being too heavy.  I do not specifically taste the malt, but I think this is a case where the malt is used to mute the flavor of the base.  The result is good peanut butter flavor, but not too rich.  Digging in, the chocolate-peanut mix-ins are more complex than I was expecting.  It is not a simple chocolate-covered nut such as in a flavor like Vanilla Swiss Almond.  The nuts also have a caramel-like syrup on them.  I don't if it is caramel or a melted toffee.  Anyhow, the taste is great.  Like the base it creates a sweeter and less rich mix-in than I was expecting.  There is some chocolate in the mix as well, but the caramel/toffee surrounding the nuts is the more predominant flavor in my opinion.  The nuts themselves provide quite a bit of crunch.

I really enjoyed this pint.  I was expecting a simple peanut-butter chip implementation, but the mix-ins were more interesting than I was expecting.  The melted-toffee-chocolate-nut combination was delicious and went well with a muted peanut butter base.  If you'd like a lighter, sweeter twist on peanut butter and chocolate, give this one a try.

 

 

Talenti - Strawberry Hibiscus

 

Strawberry Hibiscus - Strawberry Hibiscus Sorbet with a Hibiscus Swirl

Today's flavor comes from Talenti Gelato and is called Strawberry Hibiscus.  This is a sorbet and is a relatively new flavor as it was introduced earlier in 2020  I have had hibiscus in ice cream once before from McConnell's.  It has a cranberry-like or elderberry-like flavor which surprised me a bit because it's a flower and not a fruit.  Here it is mixed with strawberry so maybe like a berry-blend flavor-wise.  Let's see how this turns out.

Unscrewing the lid, I see a three spokes of red mix-ins against a pink base.  I have seen this pattern before from Talenti -- it looks like the flux capacitor from the back to the future movies.  I will make sure not to exceed 88 mph when eating this ice cream.  Digging in, the sorbet has a good texture.  I can tell it does not contain cream, but it still has a good texture.  The flavor is mostly strawberry to my taste buds, but I can tell that it is not just plain strawberry.  Even though there is a swirl, it's hard for me to isolate the hibiscus flavor exactly because it is also a berry-like flavor but it blends well with the strawberry.  The blend has a deeper and slightly more tart flavor than the usual strawberry base.

This is fun and interesting sorbet from Talenti.  If you have never had hibiscus before, don't be afraid, the hibiscus just provides an interesting twist on the strawberry flavor.  Fruit sorbets always make me feel like summer and with fall upon us, I suppose we are entering the wrong season for this.  That said, with winters so long in Minnesota, a little reminder of summer is sometimes in order.

 

 

Sebastian Joe's - Swiss Almond

 

Swiss Almond - Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Covered Almonds

 

Today's flavor is from the Minneapolis-based Sebastian Joe's Ice Cream and is called Swiss Almond.  I bought it at the scoop shop on Franklin near Hennepin in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis.  This looks like an implementation of one of Häagen-Dazs most popular flavors: Vanilla Swiss Almond.  It is a relatively simple flavor -- vanilla ice cream with chocolate covered almonds -- and I am a bit surprised I have not seen any other copycat flavors yet.  Let's check it out!

Opening the pint, I see a lot of chocolate covered almonds right away!  They are small too.  So this is slightly different than Häagen-Dazs in that these are not full almonds.  Digging in, the vanilla base is quite tasty.  It's a bit more memorable than the usual vanilla base.  A little creamier and more fragrant.  I will have to try their simple vanilla flavor one day.  The mix-ins are indeed chocolate-covered almond pieces and additionally, they appear to be crushed so that the inner almond is exposed on most pieces.  They are crunchy and nutty and tasty.

This is an interesting twist on the classic Vanilla Swiss Almond flavor.  I like the mix-ins from the Häagen-Dazs a little better (chocolate-covered whole almonds are so good) but I do enjoy that Sebastian Joe's did not try to make an exact copy of the original.  Check it out.

 

 

Pumphouse Creamery - Salty Peanut Butter with Chocolate Chips

 

Salty Peanut Butter with Chocolate Chips - Salted Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips

 

Today's flavor comes from the Pumphouse Creamery in South Minneapolis.  It is called Salty Peanut Butter with Chocolate Chips.  It's one of those flavor names which is the same as a flavor description.  Their flavor description (scroll down on link above) states that this is their best-selling "year round" flavor.  I read that to mean that some of their seasonal selections (like Fresh Rhubarb) might be more popular but this is the most popular of the ones that is always available.  Let's check it out!

Cracking open the lid, the peanut butter base has a light color and many of the chocolate chips are visible right away.  Digging in, the peanut butter flavor is not as strong as some implementations, but it has a "nuttier" than usual and with a hint of saltiness as well.  I like it.  The nuttiness is delicious and it's not a heavy flavor that weighs me down and I am able to eat the entire pint in one sitting.  The chocoalte are of variable size and are dispersed throughout the pint.  They complement the peanut butter quite well.

This is a very simple, but successful implementation of a peanut-butter chocolate chip flavor.  It is more peanut butter than chocolate and it is not as rich as some flavors, but still quite tasty.  Check it out.

 

 

Bebe Zito - Berry Queen

 

Berry Queen - Black Raspberries, Blueberries, with Strawberry Cookies. Topped with Strawberry Cookie Crumble and Snozzberries Sauce
 

Today's flavor comes from Bebe Zito scoop shop that opened this year in the Lowry Hill/Wedge neighborhood of Minneapolis.  This one is called Berry Queen.  It looks like a berry blend.  Black raspberries and blueberries in the base and strawberry cookie mix-ins.  The flavor page also mentions snozzberries which is a Roald Dahl/Willie Wonka joke.  In the 1971 movie, Veruca Salt argues that there is no such thing as snozzberries, but Willie (Gene Wilder) assures her that they do and that they "taste like snozzberries".  Googling gets me other theories based on other more mature Roald Dahl books, but that's beyond the scope of this blog.  This looks like a 'berry blend' ice cream which I have had with Izzy's Church Elderberry and Four Berry flavors and Jeni's Wildberry Lavender which include orange in the mix.  Let's check it out!

After removing the lid, the top of the pint has a list pink color with a few dark specks in it.  The first spoonful is very berry as expected.  I can specifically taste the black raspberry the most, but I do taste some blue berry as well.  The ice cream has a bit of bit of a gritty texture to it.  It looks like the strawberry cookies have been crushed into fine crumbs which are dispersed evenly throughout the ice cream.  Focusing in, I believe they do add a little bit of strawberry flavor into the mix, but honestly one on the fun parts of a berry blend flavor is how the individual flavors get lost and you end up with a big mouthful of berry-ness.  It is quite delicious!

This is a fun and appealing blended berry flavor from Bebe Zito.  It's hard to compare it directly to other berry blends because they are all a little different in their ingredient rations, so I will just tell you want sticks out as different here.  I believe black raspberry is the largest contributor to the over all blend and the cookie mix-ins are crushed into crumbs creating almost a homogenous blend with a gritty texture.  If you are in a berry mood, give this one a try.

 

 

Sweet Science - Peanut Butter Pretzel

Peanut Butter Pretzel - Salted Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate-Covered Pretzels and Chewy Dark Chocolate Ganache Squares

Today we cover the fourth and final of the "State Fair" flavors from the Saint-Paul-based Sweet Science Ice Cream.  This flavor is called Peanut Butter Pretzel (instagram link here).  It's a peanut butter base which chocolate-covered pretzels and dark chocolate ganache.  Whenever I think of this flavor combination, I immediately think of Ben & Jerry's famous Chubby Hubby flavor.  That's actually a vanilla-malt base with peanut butter swirls.  Here, the base is peanut butter.  Checking my archive for similar flavors I see pints from Talenti and the Museum of Ice Cream.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid shows a lot going on.  I see quite a few mix-ins right away in the light-colored peanut butter base.  I see sizable chunks of chocolate ganache and some smaller chunks of what are probably chocolate-covered pretzels.  I also see a few small strip-like chunks of peanut butter.  That's an unexpected bonus!  I figured the peanut butter would only be in the base, but it appears there are also some small swirls of peanut butter in the mix as well.  Digging in, I like the peanut butter flavor of the a little mild, but extra flavor is delivered by the peanut butter swirls.  The chocolate-covered pretzels are not as crunchy or as numerous as I expected, but they are tasty and insert a bit of salt into the mix as well.  I've seen the chocolate ganache squares in other Sweet Science flavors (here and here).  These are soft, but chewy squares of chocolate rather than a thick sauce.  It is quite tasty and it goes very well wit the peanut butter.

I enjoyed this Peanut Butter Pretzel flavor from Sweet Science quite a bit.  It was not as pretzel-ly as I was expecting, but the excellent peanut butter base/swirls and chocolate ganache more than makes up for that.  For a more pretzel-heavy implementation, I'd go with Talenti, but otherwise, you can't go wrong here.

This completes the State Fair from Sweet Science.  This was problem the one that could slide into the main menu the easiest -- the other three had a bit of a fair-food novelty slant to it.  My favorite of the four flavors was Tipsy Cherry Pie, the mini-pie pieces with tangy wine-cherry filling and excellent crust worked really well as a mix-in.  Today's flavor was my second favorite.  I enjoyed the other two (Caramel Caramel Corn and Animal Circus) but I think they'd work better at the fair where you are more inclined to embrace quirky fair-food ingredients.