Bobtail Year: Lust

Control your appetite. And stop leering, creeper.

July is month two of my Bobtail Year, two pints of Bobtail Homemade Ice Cream a month for donating to Oracle Theatre.

"I love Lust."
"I'll take a pint of Gluttony."
"Let me taste the Sloth."

Thanks to some able enabling from Bobtail, I have gotten to say each of these cheeky phrases aloud and in public. While portraying dessert as a sinful affair has become a worn-out cliche--a fact dessert makers (and this blog post) are willfully oblivious to--the twist of creating flavors based on the seven deadly sins is inspired.* That being said, before anyone gets worried I want to clear the air and say there have been zero reported fatalities linked to Bobtail's new seven-flavor cycle. It is also true that local worship centers have reported no uptick in absolution-seekers, hedonism be damned! So, without further ado, allow me to introduce the first three temptations, along with some fine marketing copy:

• Gluttony - "a decadent concoction created from the union of dark chocolate chips and chunks of fudge nut brownies mixed into a rich chocolate-base."
• Sloth - "a viscous dreamland of peanut butter-base, marshmallow and butterscotch."
• Lust - "a scandalous affair between chocolate and cinnamon, mixed with fudge, cherries and dark chocolate chips."

Two months down. Ten to go.

Wait! Do I hear snickering? Was something funny about that last one, Lust? Did you enjoy giggling like a middle schooler because the description used some naughty words? "Scandalous." "Affair." "Cherries." It's okay. Laughing is normal, but it's probably time we had a little heart-to-heart chat. Have a seat.

I feel compelled to open up to you about about a recent Lust-filled evening I had. I won't share all the details--a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell, after all--but it is important that we have a judgment-free environment where we can safely discuss the temptations we face, those surges of desire we sometimes feel toward people or foods.

I confess, in confidence, that reading the words "cinnamon" and "chocolate" together was all I needed to get hot and bothered. (Scientifically-speaking, both ingredients are known aphrodisiacs. Mmm...nerd talk. Er, I mean, I shouldn't feel any shame if it's natural, right? ) Chocolate, cinnamon...and cherries? My, my! This flavor was shrouded in mystery. And seeing all of those words boldly posted in public, lordy! I worried the town gossip would notice me leering if I lingered too long. I had to act fast. "One nibble and that's all," I thought. But, oh, I was hooked from the first taste! Spicy and sweet, enough to sizzle but not enough to burn. I thought a second taste would cool me down--it's ice cream after all--but the cinnamon kept turning up the heat. With each sensual spoonful, it felt more and more like the flavor was tasting me while I tasted it. And even during the ice cream's soft and sultry pillow talk, my tongue could still sense the bite of the chocolate flakes. I felt like a delicately plucked cherry that had been spanked with a cinnamon stick.

After a night of Lust,
all that was left was a sticky mess.

Would I compare the flavor to a Valentine's Day box of chocolate-covered maraschinos? Or maybe to a cold, chocolaty Atomic Fireball? What can I say and still hang on to a modicum of modesty? I ate it slow. I ate it fast. It was spicy and sweet. Hot and cold. Soft and sultry with a bite. Oh, and there were cherries. I'll stop before this gets NSFW, but believe me when I say that this aptly-named ice cream is a lesson in lust.


* I am a BrAdvocate of taking inspiration from abstract concepts to invent new flavor combinations, as with my own Chicago Blackhawks ice cream.

Chicago Doughnut Update

Courtesy of Do-Rite's Facebook page.

Five-and-a-half months ago I gave my State of the Donuts Address, but much has changed, citizen! A mid-year update is needed! First, I'll debrief you on the recent history of the Chicago gourmet doughnut scene.

• Apr. 2011 - Doughnut Vault opens to enormous lines and at least one disappointed customer. (401 1/2 N. Franklin)
• May 2011 - Lincoln Park's Cookie Bar (open May 2010) begins opening in the mornings as a pop-up doughnut shop called Dirty Betty's. (RIP)
• Mar. 2012 - Do-Rite Donuts opens in the Loop. (50 W. Randolph)
• May 2012 - Glazed & Infused opens, having since expanded to five shops.  (Multiple locations)
• Feb. 2013 - Firecakes opens in River North and I find my new obsession. (68 W. Hubbard)
• early June 2013 - Much-hyped chef Enoch Simpson opens Endgrain in Roscoe Village, far from its more southerly brethren. (1851 W. Addison)
• late June 2013 - West Town Bakery (formerly Bleeding Heart Bakery) begins selling "doughssants" becoming the first known distributor of the much-hyped croissant/doughnut portmanteau within Chicago city limits. (Multiple locations)
• July 2013 - Cookie Bar, having closed its original location in 2012, reopens in Ravenswood with limited hours. Once again, it offers Dirty Betty's doughnuts. (1746 W. Wilson)

...But enough history. Onward to eating!

Best Overall Gourmet Doughnut:
Strawberry Mascarpone from Firecakes

Courtesy of the Firecakes Facebook page.

Since opening, they have slowly added new items to their menu, but none as awe-inspiring as their Strawberry Mascarpone doughnut, which effortlessly dethroned the previous "Best Chicago Doughnut." Firecakes' glaze + yeast doughnut + a sweet, subtly cheesy filling + the perfect amount of juicy and refreshing strawberries = a light-tasting, full-bodied doughnut with more layers of flavor than one ever expected to get from fried pastry. Quite simply, Firecakes has mastered the art of the yeast doughnut, which I already knew from my first taste of their classic glazed doughnut. Bonus points: it looks gorgeously elegant.

Runners-up:
Crème Brûlée from Glazed & Infused
Chocolate-Hazelnut Longjohn from Firecakes
Meyer-Lemon Pistachio from Do-Rite

Best Bacon Doughnut:
Maple Bacon French Cruller from Do-Rite Donuts (pictured above)

Finally, Do-Rite takes the bacon doughnut concept and does it, er, right. While a seemingly sensible combination of breakfast foods, maple bacon doughnuts are often a heavy, oily mess. Turns out that what they needed was to highlight yet another breakfast staple--eggs! French Crullers are the light, airy, egg-y answer to this doughnut conundrum. Perfectly balanced with Do-Rite's maple glaze, which doesn't overpower.

Runner-up: Bacon Butterscotch from Endgrain

Raspberry jelly doughnut from Endgrain.

Best Jelly Doughnut (or Jelly Cronut):
Rotating selection from Endgrain

The first bite. That was when I knew I was eating the best jelly doughnut of my life. More fruit than jiggly bits, their straight-off-the-berry-bush filling is in every bite of this jam-packed, er, jelly-packed doughnut. What makes this more notable than others? Let's take a look at the competition: The flaky-but-oil-retaining cronuts (billed as doughssants) from West Town Bakery, the cinnamon-sugar-topped bismarcks from Glazed & Infused and the gigantic jelly doughnuts from Firecakes are all best recognized for reasons other than their jelly. Endgrain gets it right. All jelly, all fruit, all the time.

No runner-up. Nothing compares.

Best Classic Doughnut:
Chocolate Glazed from Dirty Betty's/Cookie Bar

One could debate whether or not anything from Dirty Betty's is a "classic doughnut," since all of their gluten free products are baked instead of fried. But naysaying is the best evidence of someone who hasn't tried the products at Cookie Bar. Dirty Betty's has the best chocolate glaze I've ever consumed. One can actually taste the chocolate, unlike the lazily slathered chocolate glazes one usually encounters which, despite their best brown intentions, taste like something between coagulated sugar or grocery aisle cake frosting...a spectrum that doesn't include actual chocolate.

Runner-up: Valrhona Chocolate Glazed from Firecakes

Courtesy of the Firecakes Facebook page.

Best All-Around Doughnut Shop:
Firecakes

A doughnut shop with almost as many highlights as it has doughnuts, the only problem with a trip to Firecakes is deciding which doughnut to get. I've already touched on some of my personal favorites, but nearly the entire menu is worth exploring. Their Classic Buttermilk unlocks the power of this often bland doughnut selection. Their Honey Glazed is a masterstroke, the perfect realization of a classic. Their newer Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup is airy-but-dense mini-doughnut that is equal parts sweet and rich. The menu is so good that I've even revisited the doughnuts that I've found less impressive (their Coconut Cream cake doughnut and their rotating line of jelly doughnuts), believing there is genius to be found if I taste it on just the right day. Hubbard St. downtown has become Donut Way recently, but Firecakes is undoubtedly the place to go.

Runner-up: Endgrain

Bobtail Year: Lemongrass Mint Ginger

The subtle poetry and enlightenment one might find in the produce section.

June begins my Bobtail Year, two pints of Bobtail Homemade Ice Cream a month for donating to Oracle Theatre.

When I heard the flavor name "Lemongrass Mint Ginger" teased out on Facebook, I could not wait. Such a deliberately bold blend of flavors screams of genius at work. Lemongrass is known for adding a subtle dose of citrus flavor to foods. When paired with mint, one can assume that the mint was used sparingly enough as to not overpower. When paired with ginger, one thinks of East-Indian cuisine. As a whole, this flavor sounds refreshing, like meeting someone new and getting hopelessly twitterpated. In fact, it is exactly like that.

This ice cream is a soft and elegant lady that dares to be different, like the black sheep of a southern family turning everyone's heads at a debutante ball. After being charmed by the lemongrass (a flirt of sourness, not a tart sensation), the mint shyly asked me to dance (without being sickly sweet or "curiously strong") before the crystallized ginger cut in, adding a sugary, almost carbonated burn, one so delicate my sinuses didn't even flinch. As each of her ever-intriguing flavors gracefully waltzed in and out, we were swept into a smoothly executed accelerando. It wasn't until the flavors were Lindy Hopping in my mouth that I realized, though it felt as if I'd been switching partners throughout this ethereal evening, I'd been cheek-to-cheek with the same sweetheart. Totally smitten, I considered myself lucky to have kissed the hand of such a multifaceted belle and vowed to never let her go.

Despite the naïve promises of my delightfully dizzied taste buds, the whirlwind affair came to an end like a lover slipping into the night. I awoke as from a dream, standing on my kitchen's wood floor instead of in a lavish ballroom, holding my empty pint with the same care a prince would a glass slipper.

• • •

My Bobtail Year will continue in July!

Bobtail Year: Introduction

I think there's still some room on my back if you'd like to pat me on it.

Chicago's Oracle Theatre believes no one should feel limited from experiencing art. Since 2010, they've offered Public Access Theatre (read: free) for their mainstage season, "B-Side" productions that partner with other artists, original film screenings and their outreach program, The Radio Movement. A quote from the initial press release says it perfectly: "100% open access makes people feel invited and welcomed, not sold...[plus] Oracle fits all budgets, not just a few."

When I was unemployed, I knew I could always see a show at Oracle regardless of my financial situation. And recently I decided it was time to give back by donating $15/month to keep both their programming and admirable business model going. For this, I received the donor benefit of two pints of ice cream a month from Bobtail for a whole year. Let's do the math:

Oracle Theatre + Altruism = Ice Cream for a Year

Now before you start questioning the selflessness of my donation, let me just say this year is gonna be great! Eating ice cream and highlighting the standouts! Booyah! And Bobtail, one of the few homemade ice cream/gelato places in Chicago, is still experimenting with new flavors on a rolling basis! So you can expect to read about some customer-created flavors you've never even imagined during my....Bobtail Year!

• • •

Bobtail Year Rundown

June - Lemongrass Mint Ginger

July - Lust

August - Wrath
(Bonus: Reinventing Envy)

September - Cubby Crunch

October - Wrecking Ball

November - Sweet Potato Pie

December - Peanut Butter Chip vs. White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup

January - Fudge Walnut

February - Chocolate Covered Strawberry

March - Thin Mint

April - Vanilla Morghulis

May - Goat?

- - -

Update from 2014: Be sure to check out the end-of-year recap.

Stanley Cupcakes & The Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks cupcake by Magnolia Bakery.
Red sprinkles by Microsoft Paint.

My Michigan Avenue office building is across the street from Tribune Tower, the home of WGN Radio. Because of their close coverage of the Chicago Blackhawks, the neighboring courtyard has been celebration central several times throughout the hockey season and postseason. Having followed the Hawks more closely this season than I have any professional sport ever, I can understand why. (Where were all these fans when I was watching the early games in an empty bar?) Long before the Hawks began playing in the Stanley Cup Finals, there was no shortage of things to celebrate about this year:

• A record breaking streak to start the season. Going 24 consecutive games without a regulation loss, exactly half of the abbreviated season--they recorded a point during the entire month of February--the Hawks totally annihilated the previous record held by the 2006-2007 Anaheim Ducks which lasted 16 games. (That Ducks team went on to win the Stanley Cup.)
• Winning the President's Cup, which is awarded to the NHL team with the best record. Theirs was 36-7-5, totaling 77 game points out of a possible 96. Their game point percentage (.802) was the 6th best in NHL history. (With the exception of the 1929-1930 Boston Bruins, each of the top five went on to win the Stanley Cup.)
• Winning Round 2 of the Playoffs against the Detroit Red Wings. After being down 3-1 in the series, the team fought off elimination by winning three straight games. Sitting in the crowd with my brother, we watched as the Hawks won Game 7 twice, once in the third period--when referee Stephen Walkom denied Hjalmarsson's goal, I thought fans were going to break down the glass and charge the ice--and again in overtime off a goal by Brent Seabrook! Also, this round was historic because the NHL realignment means this meeting marked the last time these two rival teams could ever meet in the playoffs, other than the finals.
• Winning the Western Conference, thanks to Hatrick, excuse me, Patrick Kane's amazing Game 5 performance.

Plus numerous individual achievements:

• Corey Crawford and Ray Emery collectively won the William M. Jennings Award (goalkeeper(s) having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against).
• Jonathan Toews won the Frank J. Selke Trophy (top defensive forward) and was a top three finalist for the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award.
• Joel Quenneville was a top three finalist for the Jack Adams Award (top head coach).
• Brandon Saad was a top three finalist for the Calder Trophy (top rookie).
• Patrick Kane was a top three finalist for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (best sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and ability).
• Marian Hossa was awarded a silver hockey stick to commemorate his 1,000th game this season.
• Bryan Bickell exists.

So, yes, we've been and cheering (and singing) a lot.

During one of the celebrations in Pioneer Plaza outside WGN Radio, the Ice Crew handed out prizes to anyone who could shoot one-to-three tee balls past an inflatable Corey Crawford and into the net. Defying all odds I shot one in, though I'd never used a hockey stick in my life. (My prize was a red plastic cup with the team logo on it, valued at approximately ten cents. But I was so thrilled, they could have given me red, white and black pocket lint and I wouldn't have complained.)

Another, much more relevant time--Dessert blog! Focus! Focus!--Crumbs Bakery gave out free Stanley Cupcakes with the team colors to celebrate the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Realizing that "Stanley Cupcake" is too cute a phrase to let pass, the NHL sent out cupcakes with each competing team's logo in frosting to members of the media. One recipient used the bedazzled treats as inspiration in making his Playoff picks, predicting that the Blackhawks would be defeated by the Penguins in the Finals. As if a team wearing black and yellow could ever beat the Hawks. Ha!

With the real Finals having started--last night's triple overtime win against the Boston Bruins, the fifth longest game in Stanley Cup Finals history--the hype has picked up even more. Local Dunkin' Donuts chains have rebranded Boston Kreme as "Chicago Kreme." Another less detail-oriented bakery is offering their own Blackhawks cupcakes. (pictured above) Maybe, just maybe, it's time for me to revisit my recipe for Chicago Blackhawks ice cream--strawberry cookies and cream with marshmallows.

Field Report: Vegan Ice Cream: Say It Ain't Soy ('Cuz it Ain't)

I feel healthier just looking at their color palette.

My friend Rob Putnam submits his review (and photos) of KindKreme in Los Angeles. With a diet that has been free of refined sugar for 20+ years (KindKreme uses agave) and vegetarian for 18+ years, Rob is the man to listen to when it comes to the healthy side of dessert. 

Chris Rock once quipped "You could drive a car with your feet if you want to. That don't make it a good f@!#ing idea." Fortunately, the same general notion doesn't apply to vegan ice cream. It can be done and, no, it isn't a good idea. It's a great idea. 

Last week I strode into KindKreme in Pasadena, which is all vegan, all awesome. It's like real (i.e. dairy) ice cream only healthier, with most of the flavor and none of the insulin shock. I sampled four flavors: honey blueberry, Mexican chocolate and the soft serve chocolate and coconut. The blueberry flavors were subtle, the sweetness understated. It simply tasted and felt healthier. I didn't feel the heaviness or bipolar blood sugar fluctuations that often follows fraternization with the real deal.

Coconut-chocolate swirl.

While everything I tried was fantastic, the soft serve flavors were the standouts, coconut in particular. It was so good that I was surprised it was available without a prescription.*

Note that KindKreme variously uses coconut or almond milk and/or cashews for its base. As a longtime vegetarian with vegan sympathies, I'm accustomed to such shadings. Non-believers be advised: objects in cooler are more vegan than they appear. That is, the flavors aren't exceptionally social and may make a poor first impression, especially if you typically hang with a dairy crowd. But given time, neophytes will find them friendly enough. Amiable, even.

A word of warning: unlike its prices, KindKreme's servings fall on the small side. A single scoop comes in at $3.99, $4.99 for soft serve. No surprise, then, that so many vegans are thin. But consider the advantages of the higher price. Then buy it anyway. Because you deserve it.

*Check local laws in your area.

Flavor Battle: Ice Cream of Celebrity Apprentice

Consumers of Delish Ice Cream are never in want of fonts.

At certain hours, my Michigan Avenue office sits in the shadow of neighboring Trump Tower, Chicago's second tallest building. Last week, I gazed upward trying to steal a glance as I took the fifty yard stroll from my office entrance to the Walgreen's housed in the same building. And once inside I combed the store for more evidence of the comb over billionaire.

Back at my desk, I cracked the lid of two new Delish brand ice cream flavors that were imagined by contestants on Celebrity Apprentice: Penn Jillette's Vanilla & Chocolate Magic Swirtle and Trace Adkins' Maple Macadamia Mash-up. Though there are many things worthy of mockery about Donald Trump--mostly his inability to laugh at himself when he is mocked--he should be admired for using his reality show as a platform for a  nationwide ice cream competition.* My main grievance is that the competition was less about flavor quality and more about other factors. Here are my case studies on the two flavors:

Name: Penn Jillette's Vanilla & Chocolate Magic Swirtle
Details: "Rich Vanilla Ice Cream with a Sea Salt Chocolate Swirl and Fudge Caramel Candy Pieces." Though, they don't seem to advertise it anywhere on the packaging, the candy pieces are shaped like turtles.
Creator: Famed member of the illusion/comedy duo Penn & Teller. Also a famed skeptic and TV show host. I first knew of Penn & Teller from educational videos they made that were shown in some of my classes at school.
Expectation: I am bored to read that this is little more than vanilla with a fudge swirl with a fairly pedestrian mix-in. The use of salt seems a weak attempt at making the flavor original.
Review: Most of the bites are so salty, it makes me crave the bland vanilla ice cream that houses it. But every few bites, much to my surprise, the swirl itself is magnificent, a more nuanced flavor than one finds in flavors like Moose Tracks. It's a shame they used a much lower quality chocolate for the chocolate-caramel turtles.

Name: Trace Adkins' Maple Macadamia Mash-up
Details: "Dry Roasted Macadamia Nuts in Maple Ice Cream."
Creator: I can't say I'd ever heard the name Trace Adkins before. Based on his style of dress I wager he is a country singer. Based on his flavor concept, I would guess he is a Vermonter who likes spends his vacations in Hawai'i. Based on the fact he's on a celebrity reality show, I'd wager that whatever he's known for, his peak has passed. Zing!
Expectation: If the ice cream base isn't overly sweet, it will win. And macadamia nuts are a favorite ice cream mix-in of mine.
Review: I was pleasantly surprised that the maple base was flavorful without being cloying or overwhelming. It didn't taste like maple syrup so much as it tasted like the sweetness one tastes after the maple syrup has soaked into fluffy pancakes. And the macadamia nuts are a great touch!

Findings and Conclusions:

Wrigley Building & Trump Tower, Chicago

Maple Macadamia Mash-Up was the obvious winner. It was a new idea that worked. As a brand, however, Trump could do better to pair with a brand that makes a better product than Delish ice cream. Neither ice cream was as dense as I like, but just because a flavor is sold in pints does not mean it is super premium. The texture of both suggests a heavy reliance on corn syrup (the fifth ingredient). And then there's the mix-ins, which were in far to short a supply. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised that both flavors were stingy with the mix-ins. It is Donald Trump, after all.


*While the show has had ice cream competitions before--it was first done in 2004 during season two, where contestants imagined a red velvet cake ice cream (now becoming more commonplace) and a chocolate doughnut ice cream (what's the hold up?) that Caio Bella produced for them to sell around New York City--I believe this is the first time the show's flavors have been available nationwide.

Championship Round: Presenting the Winner...

Somewhere between following the Stanley Cup(cake) Playoffs and baking ice cream bread, I've inadvertently delayed the crowning of the AICM (April Ice Cream Madness) Tournament champion.

Unlike the democratic process of political campaigns or the popularity contests of reality TV, being the best is the only route to becoming a champion. But before any flavors start making victory laps, let's take a moment to remember the winners of each round:

• Round 1 - Häagen-Dazs Gelato Collection's Stracciatella
• Round 2 - Ben & Jerry's Class of 2013's Chocolate Peppermint Crunch
• Round 3 - Ben & Jerry's Greek Frozen Yogurt's Pineapple Passion Fruit
• Round 4 - Häagen-Dazs Class of 2013's Peanut Butter Pie

Only one among this year's new flavors from Ben & Jerry's and Häagen-Dazs can be the best. And only a champion deserves that glory...

This year's champion is Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Peppermint Crunch. While this wasn't the best chocolate mint ice cream I've ever had, I dare say this is the best chocolate mint ice cream to hit the grocery store shelves. Chocolate mint, white peppermint swirl, crunchy chocolate mint cookies. Time for another round.

Round 4: Häagen-Dazs Class of 2013

For the past few years Häagen-Dazs has only introduced new ice cream products as Limited Edition flavors. Their usage of the term "limited" is liberal considering some of these flavors have been featured for multiple years and a few have graduated to being members of the Häagen-Dazs canon (currently, those include Blueberry Crumble and Dark Chocolate). Anything to move product, I suppose. This year, two of the four limited edition flavors are new. I was delighted to snatch them up with the hope of erasing the unfortunate experience of eating three members of the new Häagen-Dazs Gelato collection. (Yuck.) Onto better things: the new flavors!

Peanut Butter Pie - peanut butter ice cream with a peanut butter swirl and chocolate cookie pieces
I come from the land of peanuts. They are one of Virginia's major agricultural products. It is inconceivable for me to imagine a meal at Virginia Diner--the combination plate with pulled pork BBQ and Virginia ham, collards and fried apples, biscuits, plus Waldorf salad and an extra side of carrot soufflé, plus tasting off of everyone else's plate--that didn't end with a slice of their famous Peanut Pie.

For the sake of transparency, I should mention that peanut butter has never been a flavor I've had strong feelings about as a dessert. Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Peanut Butter is the only peanut butter ice cream that I've purchased twice, though maybe not even thrice. So, of anyone, Häagen-Dazs had the best chance of winning me over.

My first bites proved promising. There was subtlety to the peanut butter ice cream and the chocolate cookie pieces. But once my taste buds met with the gloop of peanut butter swirl in the pint's middle, it was the only flavor I could taste. The flavor wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly dessert-y unless you enjoy eating sugary peanut butter by the spoonful to get your sweet fix. (I do not, but I realize others do.) Happily, the pint ended devoid of peanut butter swirl, reminding me of the subtle flavor I enjoyed when I first cracked the lid.

Bourbon Pecan Praline - bourbon ice cream with a brown sugar bourbon swirl and praline pecans
I had high hopes for this, though in retrospect I'm not sure why. My consumption of alcohol is limited to chicken wing sauces that have been hitting the sauce. The flavor was boozy, sickly sweet and gross. It tasted how inner-city liquor stores smell, the type where pocket rockets are the best sellers. I forced myself to take more bites when I really wanted it to end. When I revisited the pint for a second tasting, the odor was enough to drive me away.

I consulted the roommates on whether the bourbon flavor was genuine or artificial. Mike said the taste was completely artificial, "like someone tried to make bourbon with sugar." Makes sense: bourbon is nowhere to be found in the ingredient list. Mike did not take a second bite. As for Boren and Jamie, they enjoyed the flavor saying it tasted like bourbon, though with a "candied" flavor. They were pleased to be offered the remainder of the pint.

Luckily, Häagen-Dazs also has two other ways of getting one's pecan fix:  Butter Pecan and Pralines & Cream (a Walgreen's exclusive flavor).


This year, there are two other Limited Edition flavors available who are ineligible to compete in the tournament because they were members of the Häagen-Dazs class of 2012: Coconut Macaroon (Best of 2012! Amazing!) and Salted Caramel Truffle (Less so!). Check them out if you didn't last year.

---

This round's winner: Peanut Butter Pie

The AICM (April Ice Cream Madness) Tournament continues with the Championship Round...

Round 3: Ben & Jerry's New Greek Frozen Yogurt Flavors

Though Ben & Jerry's knows how to bring on
the summer, it does not how to spell "passion fruit."

Last year, when Ben & Jerry's unveiled their new froyo product line, I scoffed. I scoffed and I scoffed until I actually tasted it. Then I shut up. And while I haven't purchased any of the products since my original tasting, I didn't hesitate in buying two of this year's new flavors.

Liz Lemon - Lemon Greek Frozen Yogurt with a Blueberry Lavender Swirl
No false modesty here: it was hilarious when I griped about the hype surrounding the unveiling of a "new flavor" they "created" that was "inspired" by 30 Rock. But after the smoke cleared, I still wanted to try it, hype or no hype. Though Ben & Jerry's once created the mouth puckering Key Lime Pie, the sweet-tasting Liz Lemon FroYo just isn't sour enough to be satisfying. (Perhaps because lemon oil is the third-to-last ingredient?) And while the blueberry swirl does add a dimension to the flavor, it's not enough to remove the feeling that something is missing. This isn't a bad flavor, but it could use some tinkering to make it more lemony.

Pineapple Passion Fruit - Pineapple Greek Frozen Yogurt with Chunks of Pineapple & a Passion Fruit Swirl
Passion fruit has long been an outlier of fruit. Common enough to be recognizable, yet exotic enough to be exciting, it's name is rarely featured on the marquee. Even here, it's given second billing. For some reason, passion fruit hasn't been successful in the frozen dessert section. This hasn't kept it from being tried out, though. For example, this flavor actually echoes a Ben & Jerry's creation that now sits in the flavor graveyard, Island Paradise™. (Passion Fruit was also one of the original flavors in Haagen-Dazs' recently discontinued Five collection, though it was quickly replaced with a more common fruit.) As for this flavor, the sourness of the froyo perfectly compliments the tartness of the tropical fruits. It is both refreshing and bold. Here's hoping it isn't discontinued as fast as its ancestors were.

Also new this season is Vanilla Honey Caramel, Vanilla Greek Frozen Yogurt with a Honey Caramel Swirl.

---

This round's winner: Pineapple Passion Fruit.

The AICM (April Ice Cream Madness) Tournament continues with Round 4: Häagen-Dazs Class of 2013...

Because Peeps are not yet bacon-flavored.

Hippity hoppity, Easter's on its way. You've been warned.
© Waters Edge Church

What to do with all that leftover Easter candy? Make an Epic Easter Casserole, of course! In this expertly-crafted parody of Epic Meal Time, a surly Easter bunny reminds you to waste not, want not.

---

Though there's nothing in the video to suggest it, this video was made by a church. (The only evidence is the Jack Daniels being replaced by the equally nauseating Mountain Dew.) I don't know anything about this church or their views, but kudos to them for making a solid video with the sole aim of having fun. I wouldn't mind if my church followed their lead.

Thanks to Angie W. for sharing.

Round 2: Ben & Jerry's Class of 2013

Image capture of two pints Ben & Jerry's in their natural habitat.

After last's year's sub-par performance, I questioned whether or not Ben & Jerry's had lost their touch. I am happy to report that, despite the continued usage of corn syrup (though not as high on the list of ingredients as it is in the new Häagen-Dazs Gelato collection), this year's new products actually taste like food. More than that, they were enjoyable to eat! I was also happy to see on the Ben & Jerry's website their pledge regarding GMOs: "We commit to sourcing non-GMO ingredients for all our products everywhere by year-end 2013." This is cause for celebration and celebrate we shall: Free Cone Day is Tuesday, April 9!

Limited Edition Cannoli - The mascarpone ice cream base isn't as strong as I'd like--which makes sense because I prefer a light cannoli ricotta filling--but it is enough to evoke a powdered sugar sprinkled pastry. The cannoli shell pieces are inconsistent in their crunchiness, but the few good ones were enough to keep me digging for more. Overall, the flavor doesn't taste like its namesake as much as, say, Ben & Jerry's Boston Cream Pie ice cream does, but that didn't keep me from enjoying it. Tasty and worth checking out.

Chocolate Peppermint Crunch - This flavor seems purposed to appeal to the different types of mint ice cream enthusiasts. It is chocolate (what I look for), it has cookies (me, again), the chocolate-covered cookies have a substantial crunch to them (halfway appealing to those who like mint candy or candy cane in their ice cream) it has a white mint swirl (for those peppermint patty lovers who like a cool minty aftertaste). Which is the dominant flavor? Good question. Like some of the classic Ben & Jerry's flavors (Phish Food, New York Super Fudge Chunk) and two other usual suspects to my freezer (Half Baked, Everything But The...), the strength of Chocolate Peppermint Crunch is having so many different tastes and textures at once that it almost overwhelms the mouth. I couldn't help but keep eating, wanting more of each individual part. And though the flavor would have benefited from using real mint instead of peppermint oil, it still left me fat and satisfied.

These rookie products are joined by Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz, which rises from its plot in the flavor graveyard. I'd review the flavor but it interests me about as much as mud salad. Also available are two new products in Ben & Jerry's Frozen Yogurt collection, which I will review separately.

---

This round's winner: Chocolate Peppermint Crunch

The AICM (April Ice Cream Madness) Tournament continues with Round 3: Ben & Jerry's New Greek Frozen Yogurt Flavors...