Tag: Ice Cream

REVIEW: Market Pantry Unicorn Magic Ice Cream

Rachel 5 Comments

Market Pantry Unicorn Magic Ice Cream

I am loving this modern resurgence of unicorns. It brings me right back to my pre-teen Lisa Frank sticker collecting days. But since I’m already nursing a Hello Kitty obsession and can only handle one “too old for this” thing without looking like a complete lunatic, I limit my unicorn love to food items.

When I saw Target’s new Market Pantry ice cream was called “Unicorn Magic” AND had glitter candy bits, I was ready. First, glitter – no brainer – yes. Second, magic – I don’t go for the poop and snot falderal that drags down many current unicorn products. We all know unicorns do not poop or have phlegm. They’re all magic, sparkle, and love. Thanks for taking the high road here, Target.

The description of the ice cream itself was a bit vague – pink fruity? What does that mean?

Market Pantry Unicorn Magic Ice Cream 2

On prying open the tub, I was a little disappointed by the visual – a muddled pastel pinky-blue that looked more My Little Pony spackling compound than unicorn magic.

Market Pantry Unicorn Magic Ice Cream 3

I breathed in a barely-there fruity aroma. As I scooped down into the frozen mass, the colors differentiated and I could see a more vibrant pink with bright blue and white streaks. Getting better…

Market Pantry Unicorn Magic Ice Cream 4

On the taste front, this ice cream was a delight. “Pink fruity” was definitely cherry – a GOOD cherry. It was very light, not the nightmare medicinal cherry that haunts us all. The blue raspberry stripes gave it a little Jolly-Ranchers-esque flavor pop.

Market Pantry Unicorn Magic Ice Cream 5

I’m not sure why the white swirls are billed as frosting. They screamed marshmallow in taste and texture. Is marshmallow passé now? It was a perfect Fluff-like addition to the creamy fruitiness. I found myself eating more of this ice cream than anticipated.

Market Pantry Unicorn Magic Ice Cream 6

“What about the glitter candy bits” you ask? Well, here is Unicorn Magic’s epic fail. There were plenty of them, but they were barely distinguishable in a scoop. They’re basically shards of white Magic Shell with tiny flecks of color. Come on, people. What about this thing says “glitter”? Confetti, yes. Glitter, NO. What a disappointment.

Market Pantry Unicorn Magic Ice Cream 7

Overall, Unicorn Magic is a tale of two promises – the taste delivered the magic, but the appearance was Unicorn Sedative. I mean, look at the color difference between the container and the product! I have to ding them two rating points for this since the style of the thing is half (or more) of the appeal of unicorn products.

Market Pantry Unicorn Magic Ice Cream 8

Since I liked the taste, I decided to repurpose this ice cream into something that would highlight that but hide the visual. I made bite-sized frozen cookie sandwiches. 3/4 teaspoon scoops of pre-made sugar cookie dough dyed with food coloring, baked. Press a tiny scoop of ice cream between two cookies and roll sides in fun sprinkles.

Market Pantry Unicorn Magic Ice Cream 9

(Nutrition Facts – 2/3 cup – 220 calories, 11 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 0 gram of dietary fiber, 24 grams of total sugars, 20 grams of added sugars, and 2 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 1.5 qts.
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Great combination of light cherry, intense raspberry and smooth marshmallow fluff. No poop or snot to be found.
Cons: My eyes did not experience magic. I’m spearheading legislation to regulate the use of the word glitter in food products, with a maximum of life in prison for not bringing the sparkle if you advertise it.

REVIEW: Rolo Frozen Dairy Dessert Cones and Sandwiches

Tiffany 4 Comments

Rolo Frozen Dairy Dessert Cones and Sandwiches

In honor of the new Rolo Frozen Dairy Dessert Cones and Sandwiches, let’s go through a quick timeline:

Summer 2001: A young Tiffany tries her first Rolo, thinks the chewy caramel and milk chocolate combination is pretty good, but wonders why the shape oddly resembles a potty training seat.

June 2011: Nestle decided to try to make Rolo and ice cream happen – behold the Rolo McFlurry!

March 2016: The McFlurry did okay, so Nestle launched Dreyer’s Rolo Ice Cream

January 2018: The next evolution of Rolo ice cream — cones and sandwiches!

Moving on up in the world, R!

Takeaways?

First, Rolos completely fell off my radar until now; it’s probably because peanut butter and chocolate took the spotlight for a while. Second, it’s kind of strange to launch a new ice cream flavor when three-fourths of the U.S. is still frozen from winter. But, luckily, I think ice cream tastes best when it’s 30 degrees outside. Anyone else?

Rolo Frozen Dairy Dessert Cones and Sandwiches 6

Being the eager beaver, I scarfed down one cone, one sandwich, and an entire Rolo roll in one sitting. I started with the cone simply because of the packaging, which looks like Nestle’s Drumsticks but in a different outfit. As for the sandwich’s packaging, no one will care about it because it was a sad plastic sight next to the full-color cone.

Rolo Frozen Dairy Dessert Cones and Sandwiches 2

Although the cone’s packaging was pretty, it was hard to get off. There was some chocolate ice cream and caramel stuck on the side and it broke off the best part – the chocolate nugget at the bottom of the cone. While I rescued it, eating the chocolate nugget first felt all wrong. Order of operations, Nestle!

Rolo Frozen Dairy Dessert Cones and Sandwiches 3

I enjoyed the top part of the cone with the chocolate frozen dairy dessert and caramel. It reminded me of a Rolo without the caramel stuck in my teeth. Then, I got to the vanilla part and chocolatey cone. These elements added nothing but sweetness. The cone tasted more like a standard sugar cone AND, while there was a crunching sound, it was soggy!

I loved three-eighths of the cone – the chocolate and caramel top and the chocolate nugget bottom – but the other five-eighths was disappointing.

Rolo Frozen Dairy Dessert Cones and Sandwiches 4

I had even lower expectations for the sandwich. I took it out of the plastic and thought, “What makes this Rolo again?” It looked like a regular vanilla ice cream sandwich. I had to re-read the box to remind myself it was caramel swirled into caramel frozen dairy dessert that didn’t even look caramel colored. It was plain white, but it definitely tasted sweeter than vanilla.

Rolo Frozen Dairy Dessert Cones and Sandwiches 5

The only flavor I could really discern was the chocolate cookie. So it reminded me of eating a sweeter version of a Carnation ice cream sandwich. Nothing about this was Rolo-y.

Final Takeaway? If you’re craving a Rolo, just eat the candy (or the top part of the cone).

(Nutrition Facts – Cones – 180 calories, 6 grams of fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 20 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Sandwich – 120 calories, 3 grams of fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 110 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of sugar, and 1 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $4.49 each
Size: 4 cones or 5 sandwiches per box
Purchased at: Kroger
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Cone)
Rating: 4 out of 10 (Sandwich)
Pros: Nice packaging on the cone! Top part of the chocolate/caramel on the cone was great – like a Rolo without caramel getting stuck in my teeth. The chocolate nugget. I like frozen dairy dessert’s fluffier, lighter texture.
Cons: Cone packaging was hard to get off – broke off the chocolate nugget. Vanilla and chocolately cone added nothing but sweetness. Sandwich was a disappointment – just like a sweeter version of a Carnation ice cream sandwich.

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Truffles Ice Cream

Sarah 6 Comments

Ben Jerry s Truffles Ice Cream

My relationship with Ben & Jerry’s goes way back. Our Facebook status would be “It’s Complicated” because of its on again/off again nature. While in college, a cone of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia was a splurge compared to the soft-serve offered on campus. While I lived in Mexico, I often longed for a scoop of Vermont gold instead of the frozen vegetable shortening offered by Nestle.

Our relationship back then was intense and passionate. These days, though, Ben & Jerry’s has taken a back seat to a more sultry suitor, Talenti.

Ice cream is my favorite food group and I’m not picky. If it’s cold, sweet, and creamy, I’m generally content. Until recently, Ben & Jerry’s distinguished itself from other brands for something I refer to as the “eat-in-one-sitting” factor. Their ice creams usually rate high on that factor and recently, when I’ve picked a pint of Pistachio Pistachio, I’m reminded of the steadfastness of my relationship with Ben & Jerry’s.

I was hoping that Ben & Jerry’s new Truffles line would woo me back to ice cream brand fidelity with the promise of a sweet lover’s whammy: ice cream and a decadent confection together. The Truffles line has three flavors: Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake, Chillin’ the Roast, and Chocolate Shake It! After trying these new flavors, our status is still “It’s Complicated.”

Chocolate Shake It Truffles

Ben Jerry s Chocolate Shake It Truffles Ice Cream

I started with this one because I’m not a big fan of malt flavors (except in beer) so I had low expectations and wanted to get it out of the way. I was wrong. It turned out to be my favorite of the three and the only one I felt compelled to eat the whole pint in one sitting. The chocolate malt milkshake ice cream base was mildly malt flavored, more like milk chocolate with a hint of malt. The marshmallow ribbons were gooey but not sticky.

Ben Jerry s Chocolate Shake It Truffles Ice Cream 2

The truffles had a dark chocolate cookie coating with a pronounced roasted (burnt?) flavor and were evenly balanced throughout the pint. Each spoonful of ice cream was more reminiscent of s’mores than Whopper malt balls. For someone like myself who doesn’t like malt, this was a plus. This was the most balanced flavor combination of the three.

Chillin’ the Roast Truffles

Ben Jerry s Chillin the Roast Truffles Ice Cream

The coffee ice cream base had a distinct coffee flavor, not overpowering but definitely obvious. It reminded me of what my coffee tastes like when it has been sitting out for a few hours, half-and-half mildly soured.

Ben Jerry s Chillin the Roast Truffles Ice Cream 2

The truffles had the same coating as Chocolate Shake It! but with a dense rum-laced liqueur core. The fudge swirls were unremarkable and did not seem elemental to this flavor mashup. The truffles were less evenly distributed in this flavor than in the other two flavors, though, overall, they were my favorite, especially when eaten separately from the ice cream base. This flavor was a nice change from plain ol’ coffee ice cream, but too intense for whole pint-bingeing.

Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake Truffles

Ben Jerry s Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake Truffles Ice Cream

In theory, this one sounded amazing. In practice, it was very disappointing. I kept looking at the label to remind myself of what Ben & Jerry’s was trying to achieve. What flavor was the ice cream base? Oh. Caramel Cheesecake? Okaaay. The truffles? Cheesecake? Oh really?

Ben Jerry s Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake Truffles Ice Cream 2

The graham cracker coating on these truffles disintegrated easily into the ice cream base, leaving a marble-sized pellet of frozen coconut oil. The “cheesecake” core tasted like coconut oil with lemon notes. The chocolate swirl didn’t meld well with rest of the flavor elements, perhaps because the flavor of the cheesecake truffle was so strong. Perhaps a caramel swirl would have been better suited? I tried this one last, fully expecting to eat it in one sitting. Alas, it’s one of a few ice creams I’ve ever tasted where I was not compelled to eat more than just the recommended serving. Ben & Jerry’s, you have betrayed me.

(Nutrition Facts – 1/2 cup – Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake – 300 calories, 19 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol, 100 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 23 grams of sugars, and 4 grams of protein. Chillin’ The Roast – 270 calories, 17 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 70 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 23 grams of sugars, and 5 grams of protein. Chocolate Shake It! – 260 calories, 15 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 23 grams of sugars, and 4 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $4.69 each
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Food Lion
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Chocolate Shake It!)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Chillin’ the Roast)
Rating: 4 out of 10 (Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake)
Pros: Ice cream and fancy candy together. Unique additions to otherwise common ice cream flavors.
Cons: Pronounced coconut oil flavor in some truffle bites. Ice cream base flavors that are just “meh.”

REVIEW: Magnum Ice Cream Tubs

Marvo 9 Comments

Magnum Ice Cream Tubs

Update (Late 2018): We also reviewed the newest flavors — Dark Chocolate Mint, Milk Chocolate Almond, and Milk Chocolate Mocha! Click here to read our review.

Update (Mid 2020): We reviewed two of the latest varieties — Double Almond Brown Butter and Double Pistachio Honey. Click here to read our review

Magnum promotes its ice cream as elegant. I look at its ads and all I imagine are monocle and top hat wearing men and pearl necklace and feather hat wearing women enjoying Magnum bars with their pinky fingers pointing out.

But eating the brand’s new tubs are anything but elegant because doing so involves choking, cracking, and stabbing.

It also involves waiting.

Magnum Ice Cream Tubs 2

Most times with ice cream, we can pull it out of the freezer, pull back the lid, and dig right in. But, according to the gold foil that top these not-quite-pints, there’s a 10-minute wait before one can first dig into them.

Hey Siri. Set timer for 10 minutes.

Maybe the time is needed to let the ice cream and Belgian chocolate soften. Or maybe it allows us to psych ourselves up for all the violence we’re about to unleash.

Once the time is up, the foil lid says to choke the container. Okay, it says “squeeze,” but that’s what refined feather hat folks would do. Choking the life out of the container and hearing the chocolate crack is what I did, and it’s a bit of a stress reliever.

Magnum Ice Cream Tubs 3

But the stress comes back after pulling back the foil and discovering that, despite treating the plastic container like Bart Simpson’s neck and the cracking, the top chocolate layer remains completely intact. So now stabbing it with a spoon is necessary. And I had to do that with all four varieties — Milk Chocolate Vanilla, Dark Chocolate Raspberry, Milk Chocolate Hazelnut, and White Chocolate Vanilla.

Magnum Ice Cream Tub Milk Chocolate Vanilla

All this foreplay leads to a somewhat anticlimactic moment. All four varieties taste like I’m eating Magnum Ice Cream Bars, but with a spoon. “DUH!” I can hear some of you yell through your screens. I know. It’s what I expected too. But, while the two types taste the same, these tubs are a better experience.

When I bite into a bar and hear the chocolate shell crack, it’s satisfying. But it’s also frustrating because soon after that bite there’s a very good chance a piece of the shell (or pieces) will fall to the ground. But that’s not the case with the chocolate in the tub because it’s contained. And that’s good because there’s a lot of it. There’s a thick layer on top, a thick layer on the bottom, thick waves in the ice cream, and a thin layer that goes around the midsection. 

The thick pieces have a pleasant snap and the ice cream is creamy and flavorful, although I find it to be, texture-wise, too frozen dairy dessert-like. 

Magnum Ice Cream Tub White Chocolate Vanilla

If I had to pick favorites, it would be White Chocolate Vanilla and Milk Chocolate Hazelnut. No, wait, White Chocolate Vanilla and Dark Chocolate Raspberry. Um, wait. White Chocolate Vanilla and, um, well, let’s just say Milk Chocolate Vanilla was the least exciting, but still fantastic.

Magnum Ice Cream Tub Milk Chocolate Vanilla 2

Magnum Ice Cream Tub Dark Chocolate Raspberry

To be honest, I’ve never eaten the Classic White Magnum Ice Cream Bar, so I wasn’t sure what to expect with the White Chocolate Vanilla tub. But it reminds me of birthday cake, making it so good. Milk Chocolate Hazelnut is like eating ice cream with smashed Ferrero Rocher balls. It is also so good. Dark Chocolate Raspberry has a sweet and tart raspberry ice cream that goes extremely well with the 65 percent cacao dark chocolate. It is also so good. Basically, if you enjoy Magnum bars, you can’t go wrong with any of the varieties.

So if you’re looking for a cleaner, but more violent way to enjoy Magnum ice cream, these tubs are the way to do it.

(Nutrition Facts – 2/3 cup – White Chocolate Vanilla – 350 calories, 21 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, 34 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein. Dark Chocolate Raspberry – 340 calories, 24 grams of fat, 15 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 26 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein. Milk Chocolate Vanilla – 350 calories, 22 grams of fat, 14 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 31 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein. Milk Chocolate Hazelnut – 370 calories, 26 grams of fat, 14 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 30 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $3.99 each (on sale)
Size: 14 oz. tubs
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Milk Chocolate Vanilla)
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Dark Chocolate Raspberry)
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Milk Chocolate Hazelnut)
Rating: 8 out of 10 (White Chocolate Vanilla)
Pros: Tastes like Magnum Ice Cream Bars. Cleaner way to eat Magnum Ice Cream Bars. Choking container and hearing the chocolate crack is a stress reliever. Satisfying snap of the chocolate.
Cons: A more violent way to enjoy Magnum Ice Cream Bars. Squeezing or choking container doesn’t crack the top layer of chocolate. Ice cream tubs make portion control more difficult than ice cream bars. Ice cream texture is a bit too frozen dairy dessert like.

REVIEW: Good Humor Reese’s Bar

Vin 5 Comments

Good Humor Reese s Bar

Who is this Good Humor Man I always hear about?

Growing up, my neighborhood had a Good Humor truck, but the man inside looked like he hadn’t smiled since the Carter administration. His icy demeanor definitely matched the goods he was peddling. Despite the awkward interactions, his sweet siren song never failed to boost my adrenaline levels to Herculean heights. Besides, as unfunny people like myself will always tell you – good humor is subjective.

Good Humor Reese s Bar 2

Now while I was usually a WWF Superstar bar, candy cigarettes, Pixie Stick, and Warheads kid, I did get the occasional Good Humor ice cream bar.

Strawberry Shortcake always seemed to be the popular choice. My mother used to buy boxes of them from the supermarket, and while they’re classics, my choice was always Toasted Almond. (Chocolate Éclair was great, but a distant third and I’ve never had Cookies and Cream.)

I haven’t had one of those babies in ages, so when I saw Good Humor had a Reese’s bar on the market, it was like hearing the Good Humor truck song all over again.

Good Humor Reese s Bar 3

These certainly look the part of a Good Humor bar. I was excited about the prospect of the chocolate and peanut butter crumb exterior, as that was always my favorite part.

I plucked a few crumb pieces off and tasted them individually. They weren’t bursting with the Reese’s flavor I was hoping for, but no big deal. I trudged on and went for a bite.

Good Humor Reese s Bar 4

The look of the ice cream itself was a bit uninspiring. It has a very light khaki color, that resembled cake texturally.

As for the flavor, the ice cream was not nearly as peanut buttery as I had hoped. Not only that, I felt the chocolate almost took a bit away from the already weak peanut butter.

The crumbs enhanced the experience a bit but weren’t as crunchy as I remember them being back in the day. They almost added a “stale” element to the bar to be honest. My memory could just be off here, but the bites felt less satisfying.

Look, you slap the name “Reese’s,” on anything, and I’ll enjoy it. I’d brush my teeth with Reese’s toothpaste if they felt inclined to make it. The Reese’s brand has never let me down, until now.

These aren’t very flavorful. They’re boring – I mean, pretty good boring, but boring.

These bars are one step above eating those healthy ice creams that people on diets pretend is good but actually tastes like ice you chip off the wall of an old freezer.

I’m disappointed a Reese’s product didn’t live up to my standards. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll probably still enjoy these, but I see no reason to recommend them. They’re middle of the road but aren’t better than the Good Humor OG’s. They’re not better than any other Reese’s products, and they’re probably not better than any other peanut butter item in the frozen section, so really, why bother?

(Nutrition Facts – 1 Bar – 180 calories, 100 calories from fat, 11 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 105 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 13 grams of carbohydrates, and 3 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $4.49
Size: 6-pack box
Purchased at: Stop & Shop
Rating: 5 out of 10
Pros: Taste like Reese’s light. Still a decent ice cream bar. Ice Cream Truck music. Good Humor memories.
Cons: So many better options out there. Lacking that Reese’s punch. Miserable Ice Cream Men. Subtle phallic box imagery.