If you're reading this blog you're probably familiar with Ben and Jerry's ice cream and their tendency toward interesting new flavor combinations. A little while ago The Girlfriend and I realized that we had a little bit of money left over on a Target gift card we got for Christmas and decided to use it to create our own Ben and Jerry's tasting menu. The flavors we decided to go with? Red Velvet Cake, Bonaroo Buzz, Creme Brulee, and Late Night Snack.Right up front I want to say that without a doubt Late Night Snack was my favorite not only of the flavors we tried in this tasting but also of any Ben and Jerry's flavor I've ever had. It is vanilla bean ice cream, caramel swirl, and fudge coated potato chip balls. It sounds a little strange I know, but it was amazing how well all the flavors really worked together. The salty chocolate of the potato chip pieces were the perfect complement to the incredibly sweet ice cream. Nothing over powered anything else and yet I could taste each flavor individually. Go to the store and pick some up tonight.
Bonaroo Buzz I was less enamored with. The carton was clearly labeled coffee flavored ice cream, but the flavor profile of the coffee was overwhelmingly assertive. I was also disappointed with the English toffee pieces that were included. The toffee pieces were so big there was no way to incorporate them into one normal sized bite. Overall I didn't find it very pleasing as a dessert.
The Red Velvet Cake could best be summed up with what you see is what you get. The ice cream was cake flavored and slightly reddish pink with red velvet cake pieces mixed in. So if you're like me and enjoy Ben and Jerry's because you like multiple flavors in one package then this isn't for you. It was overwhelmingly one note. The cake pieces offered a texture difference but that's about it. If you're not expecting anything more you'll probably enjoy this more than I did.
Somewhat in the same vein was Creme Brulee. The ice cream was a ridiculously over sweet custard ice cream with some sugar crystals mixed in. To quote my man Homer J. it wasn't undelicious, but it lacked anything to really make it special. Also with it being so sweet it was hard to eat more than a couple bites at a time. Also, I thought it was strange to call something brulee when there would really be no possible way to have any brulee aspect to this at all.
The bottom line? Even if some flavors aren't as big of a hit as others when it comes to Ben and Jerry's they are always interesting enough to try out. If you have a different favorite flavor of ice cream or a flavor idea that would would like to see produced shout it out in ye olde comments section.
