December 29, 2012

Breyers Vanilla Fudge Twirl Ice Cream

It’s not often that I eat ice cream that I think isn’t any good. Even second-rate ice cream is usually pretty decent. Breyers Vanilla Fudge Twirl ice cream is probably the worst ice cream I’ve ever eaten. Maybe I’ve had some “ice milk” or “frozen dairy desert” that tasted worse, but I’m not even sure about that. Breyers Vanilla Fudge Twirl ice cream has two strikes against it right from the get-go: the vanilla flavor is virtually non-existent and the texture is not what you expect from a quality ice cream. The third strike comes from the alleged “fudge twirl.” I didn’t taste or see any actual fudge in the ice cream. There were some thin streaks of cheap-tasting chocolate throughout the ice cream, but it certainly didn’t qualify as fudge. I’ve had some other Breyers products that were pretty good. I’m not sure how they got so far off track on this product, but I recommend that you stay far away from it.

Phoood rating:

October 10, 2012

Dairy Queen Pumpkin Pie Blizzard

It is now officially fall, and that means Dairy Queen has gone ahead and released their Pumpkin Pie Blizzard once again. This is unquestionably one of the better Blizzard varieties out there, with the primary reason being that it tastes incredibly similar to an actual pumpkin pie. Speckles of powdered nutmeg can be found resting upon the dollop of whipped cream that acts as a crown to this decadent dessert. Underneath it was a thick yet still creamy concoction with a pale orange hue. The pumpkin taste was quite bold, with certain areas of the Blizzard standing out more than others. I'm not exactly sure how this was constructed, but it tasted as if pumpkin pie filling was simply mixed in with vanilla ice cream. There were tiny graham cracker pieces embedded throughout, which were reminiscent of Apple Jacks cereal due to the cinnamon flavor they contained. The vanilla soft serve came through as an aftertaste, so that component of the Blizzard wasn't completely subdued. All I have left to say is that I thoroughly enjoyed every bite. If you like pumpkin pie, there's no doubt that you'll love this as well. Better go out and get one while you still can!

Phoood rating:

July 14, 2012

Starbucks Caramel Macchiato Ice Cream

I’m not a coffee drinker. I just never developed a taste for the stuff. But, I like the flavor of coffee in food (tiramisu and ice cream, for example). I wasn’t prepared, however, for the intense coffee flavor of Starbucks Caramel Macchiato ice cream. The first bite was a bit overpowering, to be honest. I honestly didn’t know if I was going to be able to eat it. However, I’m not one to give up easily so I kept eating. A couple more bites into it and I realized that not only was it a strong coffee flavor, but it was a very good coffee flavor (at least as far as this coffee novice could tell). I kept eating and enjoyed it more and more with each bite. The ice cream is actually a mix of coffee ice cream, vanilla ice cream, and ribbons of caramel. The flavor the vanilla ice cream was simply overwhelmed by the intense flavor of the coffee ice cream. There was a good amount of caramel, but the caramel flavor was mostly obscured by the coffee flavor. If you are a coffee drinker, you will probably enjoy this ice cream. And even if you aren’t a coffee drinker, you should give it a try. If you are looking for coffee ice cream that is well balanced and has a subtle coffee flavor, you'll want to look elsewhere.

Phoood rating:

June 22, 2012

Blue Bunny Chocolate Lovers Triple Chocolate Cake Ice Cream

With a name as long as Blue Bunny Chocolate Lovers Triple Chocolate Cake Premium Ice Cream, it’s got to be good, right? Actually, it’s not just good, it’s very good. BBCLTCCIC is delicious chocolate ice cream with pieces of fudgy chocolate cake pieces and ribbons of chocolate frosting. To say the ice cream is chocolatey is a huge understatement. It’s chocolate bliss. It has a premium flavor and texture because it's real ice cream, not "frozen dairy dessert." If you really want to send yourself into chocolate overload, just put some chocolate syrup on top. I did this and was in chocolate heaven. As much as I love the ice cream, I like the container that it comes in just a much. It’s an oval-shaped plastic container with an easy-to-open lid that snaps on and off and should keep the ice cream extra fresh in the freezer. I’ve never seen anything like it and commend Blue Bunny for putting some thought into the container for their wonderful ice cream.

In case you are wondering, that's pastry chef and television personality (Ace of Cakes) Duff Goldman's face on the label. Good job, Duff!

Phoood rating:

February 12, 2012

Magnum Double Chocolate Ice Cream Bar

In my experience, most ice cream bars are not very high quality products - marginal ice cream, questionable coatings, etc. The new line of Magnum premium ice cream bars, however, are a welcome exception. One bite of a Magnum Double Chocolate bar and your expectations of ice cream bars will never be the same. It’s chocolate ice cream covered in chocolate, then a layer of chocolate sauce, and finally an outer layer of Belgian milk chocolate. Each layer of chocolate has its own distinct texture and flavor that complement each other very well. The result is a chocolatey synergy that you wouldn’t expect to find in the frozen food section of your supermarket. The bar is utterly delicious, and hardcore chocoholics will find it intoxicating. It’s a bit more expensive then most other ice cream bars, but it’s worth every penny. After eating a Magnum bar, you probably won’t think about buying one of those budget ice cream bars again. If there was ever a product worthy of Phoood’s highest rating, it’s the Magnum Double Chocolate ice cream bar.

Phoood rating:

December 16, 2011

Phoood Hall of Fame: It’s-It Vanilla Ice Cream Treat

There are few things that I find to be as delicious as an It’s-It. First, I love oatmeal cookies. I also love vanilla ice cream and chocolate. Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream between two oatmeal cookies, cover it in chocolate, and I’m in heaven. It just doesn’t get much better. Straight from the freezer, an It’s-It will be pretty firm. As you eat it, it gets softer as the cookies and ice cream thaw a bit. By the end (if you don’t eat it too fast...), you may have ice cream dripping down your hand. Don’t be embarrassed if you have the urge to lick your hands like you are a cat - it’s normal. In addition to vanilla, It’s-Its also come in chocolate, mint, and cappuccino flavors. I’m a traditionalist, so I stick with vanilla. Look at the ice cream treat section of your supermarket some time. There’s a lot of choices and many of them are very tasty. However, I think It’s-Its are the best of them all.

If you live outside of California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Hawaii, or Arizona, you may have never had the opportunity to enjoy an It’s-It. Don’t fear, you can buy them directly from the company and have them shipped to you (link here). I recommend getting at least a couple of cases.

December 7, 2011

Carl's Jr. Oreo Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

I can't ever remember having a bad experience with an ice cream sandwich. After trying the Oreo Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich from Carl's Jr. today, I can still proudly say that ice cream sandwiches are one of my favorite desserts. The simplicity of the sandwich is arguably what makes it so great. The combination of the giant Oreo cookies with vanilla ice cream in between makes for a very satisfying experience. The Oreo cookies contained the unmistakable chocolate flavor associated with other Oreo products. The sandwich held together quite well, and the ice cream didn't end up melting at all. The only downside I can think of is that the ice cream didn't have much vanilla flavor, which ended up being downplayed by the flavor of the cookies. It would've been nice for there to have been a perfect balance between vanilla and chocolate. Regardless, this was a fine dessert that had me longing for another one immediately after I had finished it.

Phoood rating:

September 21, 2011

Breyer’s Blasts! Whoppers Malted Vanilla

These days, almost all the ice cream that I eat has stuff in it: cookie pieces, candy pieces, nuts, caramel, chocolate chips, etc. I just find ice cream with “stuff” in it much more enjoyable than plain ice cream. Breyer’s has a line of ice cream called Blasts!, one of which is Whoppers Malted Vanilla. It’s malted vanilla ice cream with Whoppers mini malted milk balls and fudge swirl. Okay, technically it’s not ice cream. It’s “frozen dairy desert,” which, from what I’ve read, means that it has less fat than ice cream. In the end, I don’t really care whether or not it can legally be called ice cream, as long as it tastes good. The malted vanilla “frozen diary desert” has a great flavor and the frozen mini Whoppers add a pleasing texture. I thought that the combination of malted vanilla and chocolate-covered malt balls might be to much “malt,” but the two flavors really go well together. There’s also some fudge swirl in there, but not much of it. Breyer’s should either increase the amount of fudge to a respectable amount or leave it out altogether. Ice cream lovers - or frozen dairy desert lovers - should try Whoppers Malted Vanilla for it’s unique, interesting flavor.

Phoood rating:

July 15, 2011

McDonald's Rolo McFlurry

It's been many years since I've tried a Rolo. To be honest I never found them to be that great, mostly due to the fact that I always thought they were too chewy. So naturally I was somewhat hesitant to try the new Rolo McFlurry at McDonald's the other day. To my surprise, it exceeded my expectations by quite a bit. Pieces of chocolate ranging from small to large were swirled around vanillla ice cream and topped with caramel sauce. I really enjoyed how many pieces of Rolo there were- the best part being that there were several very large pieces of chocolate in there. The chewiness of the candy worked well with the soft and creamy ice cream to provide not only immense flavor but also a pleasurable texture. It definitely didn't hurt that there were laces of caramel to be found all throughout the McFlurry, which contributed to the already awesome pairing of chocolate and vanilla. While I've enjoyed slightly better tasting desserts in places such as Dairy Queen, I can say that this is one of the best desserts I've had from McDonald's. Be sure to try one soon, because they're only available for a limited time.

Phoood rating:

November 6, 2010

New Zealand Natural Chocolate Ecstasy Ice Cream

While browsing the ice cream section of my local supermarket recently, the attractive blue label and lid of New Zealand Natural ice cream caught my eye. The name is not just a marketing ploy; the ice cream really is made in New Zealand. New Zealand to California is an awfully long way to ship ice cream and is undoubtedly one of the reasons it was the most expensive pint on the shelf. Still, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten anything from New Zealand, so I splurged and paid the high price. The label promised “delicious chocolate flavored ice cream with a river of rich chocolate fudge.” The chocolate ice cream tasted good, but really wasn’t anything special and wasn’t as rich and creamy as other premium ice creams I have eaten. And the rivers in New Zealand must be pretty small because by my measure, the so-called “river” of fudge wasn’t even a creek. At best, it was a brook of fudge. I was left disappointed by the ice cream because it didn’t taste as good as many other brands that cost less. From now on, I’m sticking with domestic ice cream.

Phoood rating:

November 15, 2009

MolliCoolz Shakers Chocolate Milkshake

I was in the ice cream isle of the supermaket, looking for a tasty treat to take home. I was in the mood for something different, something other than just ice cream. I almost grabbed a box of It’s-Its, but a new product caught my eye. It was Shakers, an instant milkshake mix. You simply pour milk into the container and shake it for 30 seconds. The milk mixes with ice cream beads and creates a milkshake. What a great idea! “But, can it really be that good?” I asked myself. The label stated that the finished milkshake was “unbelievably delicious,” “deliciously thick and creamy,” and “the best shake you’ve ever had,” which convinced me to by it. What a bunch of lies. Shakers wins the award for the worst tasting product that I’ve eaten as a Phoood reviewer. It isn’t thick, creamy, delicious, or the best shake I’ve ever had. In fact, it is, without equivocation, the worst milkshake that I’ve ever had. Adding milk and shaking for 30 seconds as directed only made an icy glob of lumpy chocolate ice cream floating in some frothy, chocolate-flavored milk. And what a nasty chocolate flavor! Where do they buy their cocoa, at the Galt Flea Market? I’ve never tasted a chocolate flavor this disgusting. I could only choke down part of the “milkshake” before I threw the rest away. Typically, I hate seeing food go to waste and almost never throw food away, but in the case of Shakers the garbage can is where it belongs.

I should have bought the It’s-Its…

Phoood rating:

April 10, 2009

Häagen-Daz Five Passion Fruit

Häagen-Daz has taken the “less is more” approach with their new line of ice cream. Each variety is made with only five ingredients: milk, cream, sugar, eggs, and a main flavoring. The result is delicious, intense flavor with nothing to get in the way. Lots of other ice creams are made with things like guar gum, carob bean gum, cellulose gum, and carrageenan, which makes me wonder: if these aren’t really needed to make a good ice cream, then why put them in there? One of the flavors in the lineup is Passion Fruit. I typically like my ice cream to have lots of big chucks of chocolate or fudge or caramel or brownies or peanut butter or cookie dough or candy bar or chocolate covered pretzels or ... well, you get the idea. So, I wasn't expecting to enjoy the Passion Fruit ice cream as much as I did. It explodes with tropical fruit flavor so intense that it almost overwhelms the taste buds. You’ll think that you are eating an actual passion fruit, not ice cream. If the incredible flavor wasn't enough, the ice cream also has the smooth, creamy texture that you expect from Häagen-Daz. It is really, really delicious. Häagen-Daz Five comes in six other varieties: Mint, Ginger, Vanilla Bean, Milk Chocolate, Brown Sugar, and Coffee. Each is delicious (yes, I’ve tried them all) and deserves to be in your freezer - but not for long!

Phoood rating:

April 8, 2009

How to Make a Choco Taco

The Choco Taco is one of the finest ice cream desserts you’ll ever eat. The only problem is that they can be difficult to find. You might find them in gas stations, convenience stores, or the ice cream truck driving around your neighborhood. Years ago, they were sold in Taco Bells but I haven’t seen them there for a while. Serious Eats has an article about how to make a Choco Taco from scratch. It’s a labor-intensive process but the end result looks delicious, maybe even tastier than a real Choco Taco.

How to Make a Choco Taco [Serious Eats]

May 7, 2008

Häagen-Dazs Extra Rich Light Caramel Cone Ice Cream

I’ve been a huge fan of Häagen-Dazs Extra Rich Light ice cream ever since it was introduced and have given good reviews to two flavors in the past. Caramel Cone, however, is probably the best one that I’ve eaten. I love anything caramel, so it’s no surprise that I loved this ice cream. It’s made with caramel ice cream with caramel swirls and chocolate-covered cone pieces. The flavors come together perfectly, and there is a good amount of cone pieces (although more wouldn’t hurt). The texture is so creamy and luscious that it’s hard to believe that it has half the fat of regular Häagen-Dazs ice cream. This leads to a question that every ice cream lover must ask themselves: With the huge improvements in light ice cream in recent years, is there really any reason (other than pure gluttony) to eat regular ice cream anymore? I don’t think there is, as long as there are products as good as Häagen-Dazs Extra Rich Light.

Phoood rating:

October 18, 2007

Sheer Bliss Vanilla with Pomegranate Swirl Ice Cream

Sheer Bliss is, as the label points out, an “ultra super premium” ice cream. What does this mean? It means it has less air mixed into it and lots more fat than other ice cream. Not surprising, it has a very smooth, luxurious, and creamy texture that you just don’t get in lesser ice cream. Sheer Bliss offers several varieties, and I recently bough a pint of Vanilla with Pomegranate Swirl. I really liked the flavor of the pomegranate swirl and wish there would have been more of it. The vanilla flavor was good, but not what I expected. For a high-quality ice cream such as this, I thought that the vanilla flavor would have been more pronounced and exotic. Sheer Bliss is not cheap – I paid $5.99 for a pint. However, it is very tasty and even comes in an attractive steel-anodized can that you can reuse. I would buy it again, but probably not to often lest I risk coronary heart disease. Sheer Bliss has limited distribution across the country, so you may have to search around for it or may not be able to find it at all in your state.

Phoood rating:

September 5, 2007

Klondike Caramel Pretzel Bar

The new Klondike Caramel Pretzel ice cream bar takes several things I love and tries to combine them into one delicious dessert. For the most party, it succeeds. The bar is made with chocolate malt light ice cream topped with caramel and pretzel pieces, all dipped in milk chocolate. The pretzel pieces add saltiness to the bar, which gives it that “salty-sweet” flavor that is so tasty. The pretzel pieces, however, are so small that they are not really discernable other than the saltiness they impart. Larger, more prominent pretzel pieces would have been better, in my opinion. I would have liked more caramel, too. Nevertheless, the Klondike Caramel Pretzel bar is pretty good and is worth trying.

Phoood rating:

September 22, 2005

Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby Ice Cream

Fudge-covered Peanut Butter-Filled Pretzels in Vanilla Malt Ice Cream Rippled with Fudge & Peanut Butter. Ever hear of a self-fulfilling prophecy? Then here is your chance to meet one head on. I know that ice cream noshing is not gender specific, but this one, name aside, has a ton of what guys want. Every spoonful seems to have its own flavor. Salt from the pretzels, ice cream, chocolate and peanut butter to emulate a Reese’s cup add up to a great taste. I used to eat ice cream by the scoop, now it is by the pint. This is not for weight watchers, calorie counters, or the lactose intolerant. If you do not believe you are what you eat, then this can change your mind as well as your waist!

Phoood rating:

July 11, 2005

Häagen-Dazs Light S’mores Ice Cream

I recently reviewed Häagen-Dazs Light Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and awarded it a “Good” rating, noting that Häagen-Dazs did a good job of making a very tasty reduced-fat ice cream. Today, I bought a pint of the s’mores variety and eagerly hurried home to try it. Wow! It is rich and creamy with a great chocolate flavor and a decent amount of marshmallow and chocolate-covered graham pieces. Like the vanilla variety, you will not be able to tell that it has 50% less fat than their regular ice cream. I’m going to try the other varieties of Häagen-Dazs’ Light Ice Cream, but I can’t imagine them tasting any better than this. It earns the highest rating – “Outstanding!”

Phoood rating:

June 8, 2005

Häagen-Dazs Light Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Häagen-Dazs has introduced a new line of “light” ice creams. I recently bought a pint of Vanilla Bean and was very anxious to see how it tasted. Häagen-Dazs has done a good job creating a high-quality ice cream that has 50% less fat and 21% less calories than their regular ice cream. The texture is smooth and creamy, just like it should be. I think the vanilla has a hint of that “artificial” flavor, but the ingredients lists only “natural flavor” and “vanilla bean flakes.” Could have just been my taste buds were a little off that night. Overall, it is pretty good and I will definitely buy it again. There are six other flavors, including “s’mores,” which I must try.

Phoood rating:

May 28, 2005

Dreyer’s/Edy’s Vanilla Crunch Dibs

I spotted these “bite sized ice cream snacks” at the local Kwik-E-Mart last week. They looked good, so I thought I’d give them a try. I’m sorry to report that I was very disappointed with them. What should be a great tasting snack is just plain boring. There is nothing special about the vanilla ice cream or the chocolate coating, and there isn’t enough Crunch Coating to make a difference. If you want an ice cream snack, stick to something you know is going to be good such as a Big Ed’s Super Saucer or an It’s It.

Note: East of the Rockies, Dibs are sold under the “Edy’s” name.

Phoood rating:

May 8, 2005

Chocolate Covered Frozen Cheesecake on a Stick

It had been a while since I’d been to a fair, but last Friday I went to the Dixon May Fair. A friend had free tickets to see Lynyrd Skynyrd, so I couldn’t pass it up. The band was surprisingly good, and I got to eat some great fair cuisine. The foot-long corndog was great, but what really blew my mind was the Chocolate Covered Frozen Cheesecake on a Stick. Take a slice of frozen cheesecake, shove a stick in it, dip it in chocolate, roll it in chopped nuts, and you have pure heaven. Cheesecake purists may frown on it, and health-conscious eaters would likely run screaming at the sight of it. But for me, it doesn’t get any better that this. Fair season is just around the corner – I’m sure there will be one near you. Go, have a good time, and get yourself a Chocolate Covered Frozen Cheesecake on a Stick!

Phoood rating:

April 2, 2005

Nestle Toll House Mint Brownie Sandwich

As I’ve said many times before, you can find some of the best food in at your convenience store. I was checking out the freezer case at my local Kwik-E-Mart today and saw a new ice cream sandwich – the Nestle Toll House Mint Brownie Sandwich. Normally, I don’t go for mint-flavored snacks. I’m glad I bought this, however. It’s an ice cream sandwich make from mint ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate brownie-type cookies. Both the cookies and ice cream taste treat, and the combination of mint and chocolate really go well together. At 7 oz, it’s big enough to really make a good snack. If you have a chance to try one of these, I highly recommend it.

Phoood rating:

January 19, 2005

Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Tater Tots

Have you noticed how Tater Tots have gotten smaller over the years? I remember them being much larger when I ate them as a kid. Anyway, these new Ore-Ida Crispy Tater Tots are good, but they don’t seem any crispier then normal. I ate them plain, with ketchup, and covered in chili. Each way, they tasted pretty much the same as the regular variety. If you think Ore-Ida has discovered something new and great to do with a Tater Tot, think again.

Phoood rating:

May 30, 2004

Dippin' Dots Ice Cream

I finally got around to trying Dippin’ Dots, which claims to be “ice cream of the future.” Dippin’ Dots are small, round pellets of very cold ice cream that are unique in shape and texture, and are unlike any other ice cream. While Dippin’ Dots are sure to appeal to kids, they have absolutely no redeeming value for an ice cream lover such as myself. To begin with, they were so cold that I actually found them painful to eat. My mouth was numb by the time I finished them. I bought what was supposed to be “Banana Split” flavor, but they tasted nothing like a banana split. Maybe it was just because my mouth was partially numb, but I couldn’t really taste much flavor at all. Then there’s the cost of Dippin’ Dots. I paid $2.29 for a 5 oz tub, which is the equivalent of $58.62 a gallon. For this price, I would expect the best tasting ice cream I ever had. Young kids may like Dippin’ Dots because of their novelty, but true ice cream lovers shouldn’t bother to waste their money on this sad excuse for a frozen dessert.

Phoood rating: