Friday, June 3, 2011

We All Scream for Ice Cream

I love ice cream. I really do. The good stuff. The high butterfat count stuff. USA Today did a feature on weird new ice cream flavors today. The article said that 7 out of 10 people prefer vanilla, chocolate or strawberry. I think great vanilla ice cream is underappreciated. So here's what's available this summer and my critique...

•French Toast. Later this summer, Baskin-Robbins will roll out the ice cream with bits of French toast and maple. "Customers love knowing they can get a sample, then get their favorites," executive chef Stan Frankenthaler says.

Pat says: Love French toast in all forms, but I want my French toast to be French toast and my ice cream to be ice cream.

•Buttered Popcorn. In August, MaggieMoo's debuts a flavor with butter pecan and caramel popcorn. "This gets people in the door," says Hilliard Creath, R&D manager.

Pat says: I like horrid, heart clogging movie theater popcorn, but this doesn't really appeal to me.

•Strawberry Basil. It's the first time Cold Stone has put an herb into an ice cream, taste master Ray Karam says.

Pat says: I'd want to taste this one. It sounds interesting.

•Late Night Snack. The Late Night With Jimmy Fallon host helped develop Ben & Jerry's flavor made with chocolate-covered potato chips and caramel. "He suggested pizza, but we thought that sounded gross," says Alison Gilbert, brand manager.

Pat says: I like all the components but together, I don't think so as an ice cream.

•Mojito Sorbet. There's no rum in it, but the new Cold Stone flavor, due in August, is made with mint and lime.

Pat says: This is a possibility. Sounds refreshing.

•Firehouse 31. Anyone who has felt the heat of an Atomic Fireball will appreciate this Baskin-Robbins flavor that crushes a fiery candy into its ice cream.

Pat says: I don't like spicy candy. In fact, I hate when I take a red piece of candy, thinking it's cherry or raspberry and it turns out to be cinnamon or a fireball.

•Creole Cream Cheese. Made with a cream-cheese-like base and a spicy kick, it hits Baskin-Robbins this summer.

Pat says: Ick

•Maple Bacon Sundae. Denny's is selling the sundae made with vanilla ice cream, maple syrup and bacon bits. Alas, a side of pancakes doesn't come with it.

Pat says: No, no, no, a thousand times no.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Stephanie says.....

I actually tried the B&J's chocolate covered potato chip ball caramel ice cream....yummy! Not on my diet though. I ate the whole pint by myself....2 sittings and will never buy it again....too good! Turkey Hill has some goodies. I just bought one called chocolate box..it has several goodies inside....also good. They had one called Yankee....it was chocolate with crunchies inside and I forgot what else. That was the best ever. After the first one, I could not find it again.

Barbara said...

Funny you should mention it, I had my first cone of the summer today. One of the farm stands near us has wonderful, old fashioned, local ice cream. I had my favorite: maple walnut. Two great tastes that taste great together in ice cream. I have turned into an old fuddy duddy I guess, because I think: why does nobody else makes maple walnut anymore, instead they make these weird icky flavors like buttered popcorn, pizza and bacon!

Pat said...

I never thought of "maple walnut" as an old-fashioned flavor, but now that you mention it, I guess it is -- it's the 1950s.

Anonymous said...

I too love maple walnut. I would never think of trying pizza, bacon or popcorm flavored ice cream....although I love all 3 of those but not in ice cream.