Ice Cream

[Tabbyclaw]

I meant to mention, and then forgot this thread existed: I tried the cookie butter ice cream. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on what part of me is talking, it wasn't great. The cold mutes the flavor of the cookie butter pretty heavily, and the ice cream itself has a meh texture and is not very vanilla-y. Oh well. Back to the Private Selection pints.

[stillshimpy]

Wendy, I'm not sure this will help you -- and I'm sorry -- but there's a grocery store chain in the midwest called Schnucks and they have a private brand called Culinaria.  For anyone that misses Godiva dark chocolate ice cream, the Culinaria dark chocolate ice cream is a dead ringer for it in terms of taste.  Surprised the heck out of me, because I thought Godiva was wonderful and would never have a near twin.  

 

Sorry that ice cream wasn't for you, Tabbyclaw, I managed to addict half my neighborhood to it by talking about it, and nearly every time I walk my dog, somebody pops up to ...uh...thank me for that (in that "gah, now I eat seventy thousand more calories of ice cream on a regular basis, thanks a lot, quippy).  

[WendyCR72]

Thanks, stillshimpy! But I live in the northeast. But should I ever get out to the Midwest, I'll have to look for it! :-)

[stillshimpy]

Yeah, I kind of figured, but the thing is? Those store brands are often just big corporate, brand-name entities under a different label.  So it might actually be worth it to check your local grocery stores to see if they carry a store-brand-elite-division dark chocolate ice cream (pint size) ...because some ice cream maker is producing a dark chocolate ice cream for store branding that is pretty much identical to the Godiva brand :-)  

 

I was genuinely surprised by how good it was, and it may only be the culinaria brand for Schnucks, but historically what those store brands really are is ______ as store brand (like Hagen Daaz, etc).  

Edited October 3, 2014 by stillshimpy

[Athena]

I just want to interject to say that I love Magnum Ice Cream bars. I started eating them in Europe before they were introduced to the North American market. I only eat a couple of boxes a year worth of those things since they are so rich and not cheap, but I love it each time. In those Rachel Bilson Karl Lagerfeld-directed commercials, I really do empathize with her. They are pretty much the only ice cream bars I eat, but I've never really tried the Hagen Daaz versions. 

[mlp]

 

there's a grocery store chain in the midwest called Schnucks and they have a private brand called Culinaria.  For anyone that misses Godiva dark chocolate ice cream, the Culinaria dark chocolate ice cream is a dead ringer for it in terms of taste.

 

Oh no.  There's a Schnucks about a mile from me and I rarely ever go there.  Now I'll have to just to check out a million calories worth of almost Godiva ice cream.  Thanks a lot. 

[WendyCR72]

Yeah, I kind of figured, but the thing is? Those store brands are often just big corporate, brand-name entities under a different label.  So it might actually be worth it to check your local grocery stores to see if they carry a store-brand-elite-division dark chocolate ice cream (pint size) ...because some ice cream maker is producing a dark chocolate ice cream for store branding that is pretty much identical to the Godiva brand :-)  

 

I was genuinely surprised by how good it was, and it may only be the culinaria brand for Schnucks, but historically what those store brands really are is ______ as store brand (like Hagen Daaz, etc).  

 

Awesome tip! And great to know. So thank you again. Much appreciated!  :-)

[stillshimpy]

Yours in eleventy billion solidarity, mlp.  Actually the culinaria stuff is pretty good across the board.  They have a good marinara sauce too.  Oh and Schnucks Full Circle Organic brand is usually pretty good too, in case you venture Schnucks way :-)  

 

I apologize to your metabolism in advance.  

 

My pleasure, Wendy, I figure if I am going down in this dark (chocolate) addiction cycle, I can at least keep good company :-) 

Edited October 3, 2014 by stillshimpy

[spaceytraci1208]

I've recently become a fan of Talenti gelato...Tahitian Vanilla Bean and Caramel Cookie Crunch are my faves so far.

[Bastet]

I've recently become a fan of Talenti gelato

 

I stumbled across that in a friend's freezer recently.  I was disappointed in the pistachio, but the sea salt caramel was divine. 

[Tabbyclaw]

The caramel Talenti is horrifying. A good kind of horrifying, mind, but horrifying nevertheless. It's less like gelato and more like eating pure, cold caremel sauce. The ones I can't get enough of are their raspberry chocolate chip and the hazelnut that's only sold at Target.

[WendyCR72]

My pleasure, Wendy, I figure if I am going down in this dark (chocolate) addiction cycle, I can at least keep good company :-)

 

As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, right?  ;-)

[EllieH]

For those of you who get Blue Bell ice cream in your area, I highly recommend the new seasonal "Malt Shoppe" flavor, which is malt ice cream with malted milk balls included.  Completely amazing, totally delicious.

[Crs97]

I don't know if I am the only one with this problem, but I cannot eat ice cream on a stick. The wood flavor ruins the whole experience, and I can't stand the thought of wasting the ice cream surrounding it so I always end up licking the stick.

[Tabbyclaw]

I have no problem with the wood flavor (I almost like it sometimes, just as a contrast to the ice cream), but the texture of ice cream on a stick is rarely as appealing as regular ice cream.

[Bastet]

I don't know if I am the only one with this problem, but I cannot eat ice cream on a stick. The wood flavor ruins the whole experience, and I can't stand the thought of wasting the ice cream surrounding it so I always end up licking the stick.

 

Reading this instantly conjured up the awful taste of that stick, so it's not just you.

[harrie]

I never noticed any icky stick taste in my ice cream on a stick, but thinking about it, my ice cream/stick go-to was usually Good Humor Chocolate Chip Candy bars, where they have the stick coated in chocolate, so by the time I got to the stick I was on a chocolate high.  When I was a kid it seemed like a huge piece of chocolate, but I bet now it's either greatly reduced or just stick in the middle of the bar.  Eating one to find out would be opening quite the Pandora's Box for me, so the question will have to go unanswered. 

[grisgris]

Blue Bell just came out with a limited edition called "Chocolate Malt Shop." It is chocolate malt ice cream studded with tiny malted milk balls. I bought a pint to dive into on Halloween. (Although I had to take a small taste and it was delicious!) I made shortbread to have with it. Happy Halloween!

[Qoass]

Okay, I've been hearing a lot about cookie butter but I didn't know what it was so I googled it.  Just what I need:  another recipe that will send me down the road to ruin.  Thanks a lot, guys.

[WendyCR72]

I actually tried cookie butter - and didn't like it! <Hangs head> And I have a HUGE sweet tooth!  :-(

[harrie]

Okay, I've been hearing a lot about cookie butter but I didn't know what it was so I googled it.  Just what I need:  another recipe that will send me down the road to ruin.  Thanks a lot, guys.

 

I am refusing to google it.  At least for a little while. 

[Qoass]

Be strong, harrie.  And stay outta Trader Joe's apparently...

[stillshimpy]

I actually tried cookie butter

 

The cookie butter ice cream or actual cookie butter?   Because here's something weird:  I don't like cookie butter.  I'm not actually even fond of the cookies (speculoos) it's based on (always strikes me as timid gingersnaps) .  It's just not for me.  I also don't like Nutella.  When I got that cookie butter ice cream, I actually got it because my husband LLLLOOOOOVVVVEEES cookies.  Like an unholy love that can only be sustained by the naturally tall and skinny folks of the world.  The kind of love where you expect him to turn into Gary Oldman and be "I have crossed oceans of time to find you...." towards cookies.  

 

And honestly, he was less enamored of the ice cream than I was and it came as sort of shock to me that I liked it that much.  I am more of a chocolate girl.  I only ever purchased that one 1/2 gallon so as not to end up featured in some expose about sugar addiction saying I was found dead, with the spoon still in my mouth.  

 

But I liked it and maybe we're on to something here, because whereas I like sweets to an extent, I can usually resist them pretty well.  I liked that stuff so much I didn't buy it again (this makes perfect sense in my head, by the way)

Edited November 1, 2014 by stillshimpy

[WendyCR72]

The cookie butter ice cream or actual cookie butter?

 

Oh, yeah. I tried the regular cookie butter, not the ice cream, sorry. And I didn't like it at all.

[Bastet]

But I liked it and maybe we're on to something here, because whereas I like sweets to an extent, I can usually resist them pretty well.  I liked that stuff so much I didn't buy it again (this makes perfect sense in my head, by the way)

 

It makes sense to me, too.  Potato chips are my kryptonite.  I cannot eat less than half a bag in one sitting, so I don't buy them.  (I just plow through them at other people's houses.)  But as much as I love ice cream, I am perfectly capable of portion control.  So that I can buy.

[mansonlamps]

It makes sense to me, too.  Potato chips are my kryptonite.  I cannot eat less than half a bag in one sitting, so I don't buy them.  (I just plow through them at other people's houses.)  But as much as I love ice cream, I am perfectly capable of portion control.  So that I can buy.

You are me. Exactly.

[EllieH]

 

It makes sense to me, too.  Potato chips are my kryptonite.  I cannot eat less than half a bag in one sitting, so I don't buy them.  (I just plow through them at other people's houses.)  But as much as I love ice cream, I am perfectly capable of portion control.  So that I can buy.

 

Replace "potato chips" with "cookies" and that's me!  Except for Pringles, there's just something about them that calls to me, and half a canister will be gone before you know it.  Hence they rarely enter my home.

[PRgal]

In terms of more "traditional" flavours, I like chocolate chip and strawberry.  An ice cream parlour near me serves up apple cinnamon ice cream, which tastes like apple pie.  A gelato place has Nutella.  Other favourites:  Muskoka Maple Mocha, Basil Gelato and Wild Blueberry Cheesecake from a local ice cream brand called Belly (they also have a flavour called Muskoka S'mores, but it seems to lack a bit in the graham crackers.  It ain't s'mores without graham crackers.

[humdrum]

My favorite ice cream is Magnolia Mango. It's a Filipino company (other flavors include ube [purple yam] and halo halo) and isn't available everywhere, but might be near you if you live in a place with a large Filipino community. (Searched a few places at random on their web site, and they're in/near New York, Miami, LA, and San Diego, but not Boston, Seattle, Portland, or St. Louis.) Or - you can come visit me in Hawai'i, and I'll buy some for you!

 

I love Magnolia ice cream!  I grew up on the stuff since I'm Filipino, and my absolute favorite is ube (none of that macapuno ube stuff, please; I'm an ube purist).

 

If there's no Magnolia available, then my go to flavor is mint chocolate chip.

[DeLurker]

Magnoloa Mango sounds yummy!

 

Here's a handy dandy store locator I found when I went looking to see if it was in my area.  Sadly only one store but not real near me nor in an area I have reason to visit.  It came up at some Whole Foods in other locations I checked. so if you got one near you it might carry it.

[EllieH]

I have this deep love for Blue Bell's Peppermint Ice Cream and its out in stores now!  I have a January birthday, sometimes you can still find it in January, and chocolate cake with peppermint ice cream is an amazing combination.  Mint Chocolate Chip works well too if peppermint is not available. 

 

That being said, I have not bought it yet this year, because as soon as I saw Blue Bell's newest seasonal flavor, Peppermint Bark, I knew I had to try it.  And wow, totally delicious and I highly recommend it!

[HalcyonDays]

That being said, I have not bought it yet this year, because as soon as I saw Blue Bell's newest seasonal flavor, Peppermint Bark, I knew I had to try it.  And wow, totally delicious and I highly recommend it!

 

Here in Canada, we have a brand called Presidents Choice (aka PC). They have this amazing limited edition ice cream called Candy Cane Chocolate Fudge Crackle. It's vanilla ice cream with candy cane pieces and chocolate crackle pieces and it is amazing.

 

They put in in the Loblaws grocery stores before Christmas and it sells out so quickly. Its totally addictive!

[ramble]

Braum's (a regional chain) has their seasonal flavors out. My kids wait all year for Hot Chocolate. It tastes like a mug of hot cocoa & has tiny marshmallows in it. They also have Egg Nog, Pumpkin, Gingerbread, Peppermint Chocolate Chip & regular Peppermint. I have a deep love for peppermint. Love with a big spoon in my hand.

[DeLurker]

 

Braum's (a regional chain) has their seasonal flavors out. My kids wait all year for Hot Chocolate. It tastes like a mug of hot cocoa & has tiny marshmallows in it.

That sounds awesome! 

 

HalcyonDays - I don't know what chocolate crackle is but just the name sounds good. 

 

Unfortunately for me, not a big mint fan so a lot of the winter holiday treats are eliminated from my list.

 

We've had a cool front here in Tx (nothing to complain about since there is hella snows in lots of places), but I love eating ice cream when it is cold.  It's even more enjoyable to me than having it in the summertime.

[ramble]

I love eating ice cream when it is cold. It's even more enjoyable to me than having it in the summertime.

Being my chatty (& slightly nosy) self I once asked a Braum's manager when they sold the most ice cream & he said winter, without question. I love it when it's cold too. Ok, full disclosure, I love ice cream any time, all the time.

[PRgal]

A gelato place near me has closed for the season.  Funny thing is, they never really branded themselves as a gelato place when they first opened, but a cafe!  So I was totally WTF when I saw a sign saying that they're "closed for the season." 

[HalcyonDays]

HalcyonDays - I don't know what chocolate crackle is but just the name sounds good. 

 

It's like a long thin cigarette shape of chocolate. In the ice cream, it's about 1.5 inches long and when you bite into it, it almost makes a 'crackle' sound. It has a good texture. I'm eating some of that ice cream right now!

[grisgris]

Belfonte has peppermint stick ice cream out now. It was on sale, so of course, I had to buy some. It's going to last me until January! Naturally, what to serve with it, but chocolate shortbread cookies. I tried a recipe from King Arthur Flour, as I like their recipe for regular shortbread. I'm not too pleased with them. I cut the recipe in half and some of the measurements were tricky. That's probably why.

[Crs97]

I don't understand when people say it is too cold for ice cream. That is why hot fudge was made.

[partofme]

I'm a chocolate ice cream girl. 

 

Was raised on Carvel soft chocolate, my nostolgic favorite.

If I'm buying it from the supermarket, it has to be Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream, which is surprisingly hard to find, more than half the time the supermarkets in NYC don't have it.  The supermarket always has the fro yo which I won't touch with a ten foot pole but not always the ice cream.  And I can usually find Half Baked, which I'm not gonna spend $5.19 for a pint on and have to throw half of it away.

[AltLivia]

My favorite ice cream was discontinued this year (Ben & Jerry's Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yogurt). It was the perfect combination of sweet lemon ice cream, tart blueberry and a touch of lavender. I'd never had lavender in anything, and it was incredible. I know most foodies say that lavender can be overpowering. This was perfect.

 

I'm searching for a replacement favorite. Everything blueberry-flavored that I've tried since reminds me disappointingly of pie. I tried Oikos Greek Frozen Yogurt in Salted Caramel. It was tasty, but nothing special. Anyone have suggestions? Know of a good frozen yogurt/low fat ice cream brand on shelves?

[BW Manilowe]

If you're into the "Cookie Butter" ice cream, but don't have a Whole Foods in your area, Ben & Jerry's has recently added a flavor that should be really similar to their "Cookie Core" line. It's called "Spectacular Speculoos". It's vanilla & (I think) cookie butter ice cream with a Speculoos cookie center (or "core")--or it might be vanilla & Speculoos cookies around a cookie butter center (or "core"); I forget which way they describe it.

Unbelievably, I live in the 2nd largest city in Indiana but we have no Whole Foods here (yet), & despite our stores carrying Ben & Jerry's ice cream products my Mom has yet to find the Spectacular Speculoos flavor at any of our Meijers, WalMarts, or Krogers (where she usually shops). It's still sort of new, so maybe they can't get it in stock or keep it in stock when they manage to get it.

If some of you still aren't familiar with this flavor, if you fly on many of the major US airlines, but most definitely Delta, & you're ever served/you ever have been served a red & white package of 2 rectangular cookies with gold lettering on it saying "Biscoff", that taste sort of like a milder gingerbread or a cinnamon/brown sugar flavor, with your beverage service those cookies are at least quite similar to, if not exactly the same as, Speculoos cookies.

You can also get the Biscoff cookies & Biscoff cookie butter, which looks like peanut butter but is made with the cookies--& so has the same "mild gingerbread" &/or cinnamon/brown sugar flavor as the cookies--at your local Kroger (& perhaps other local, regional, or national chains with stores where you live).

[kathyk24]

I love ice cream. My favorite brands are Hoods and Friendly's which are found in New England. I love Ben and Jerr's as well. My favorite flavor from Ben and Jerry's is Chocolate Mint Crunch which tastes like a frozen Thin Mint Cookie.

[Quof]

Forumfish, I make speculoos ice cream using a recipe for peanut butter ice cream, since the texture is essentially the same. Homemade ice cream is so much better than commercial. A new dessert restaurant opened near my office, and I apparently embarrassed my coworkers by asking if the ice cream was made in house.  The answer was no.  You specialize in desserts, but can't be bothered to make your own ice cream??? 

[Betweenyouandme]

I LOVE biscoff cookies. I get visibly excited over them. I enjoy that they aren't hard and tough.

I am craving mint chocolate chip ice cream.

[DkNNy79]

I have a huge sweet tooth, so of course I love ice cream.  I can't buy them in the grocery store because I will finish them off in a day or two.

 

My favorite flavors are: vanilla, coffee, chocolate chip cookie dough, salted caramel w/toppings (chocolate sprinkles, whipped cream or peanut butter)

 

No local ice cream places by me except Carvel where I will get a soft serve twist w/chocolate sprinkles.

 

Also, I haven't had one in years, but as a kid I loved the snickers ice cream bars...   YUM.  Those Magnum ice cream bars look delicious but I haven't tried one yet.

[Lovecat]

I tried the dark Magnum bars when they first came out, and they were so rich I had a hard time finishing the box.

In one sitting? ;) I kid, I kiiiid!!

[Athena]

I tried the dark Magnum bars when they first came out, and they were so rich I had a hard time finishing the box. Haven't tried the mini ones yet.

 

Before they came out in North America, I was spending a summer in France. On one hot day, I ate one dark Magnum bar for dinner. Bliss.

 

I like the minis but they don't really hold the value for money as the normal ones too.

 

I love that they are rich because it's more similar to real ice cream, but they are a meal replacement for me in that way too. Ha!

[mansonlamps]

Tax day, or, more importantly, free ice cream cone day at Ben and Jerry. Crying as I type, they closed our local store about two months ago. The end of a really great tradition. Once a year my good friend and I would have the free Ben and Jerry cone for lunch.

[BooksRule]

I don't buy ice cream very often, because it's too easy to eat way too much.  However, I hope that Blue Bell ice cream gets their product back on the shelves soon, because that's what I usually buy.  I think my favorites are Lemon Bliss (with bits of broken up vanilla cookies in the lemon ice cream), Key Lime Pie (with bits of pie crust), Italian Cream Cake and Salted Caramel.  I used to love their Mardi Gras King Cake flavor, but they changed it from when it first came out.  I know I remember it being an almond-flavored ice cream with a ribbon of cinnamon through it and little soft candies in gold, green and purple.  Maybe the almond flavor was too much for some people (it was pretty strong), because now it's cinnamon ice cream and I don't like it as much.  They also had a seasonal flavor for a couple years around Christmas that was Gingerbread House that had tiny marshmallows and pieces of gingerbread in it.  Yum!