Ben & Jerry's Rocky Road-ish (Limited Batch)

Sometimes I wonder if the Universe just likes to screw with me. Why must I be tortured with a flavor like this and have it be only a limited edition? I only have an apartment-sized freezer; there is only so much pint hoarding I can do. (Or, wait...maybe I could rent freezer space from my scary redneck neighbors. I'm sure there must be a little space in between the severed human heads or whatever it is they store in there...well, it's something to consider.) In any event, I am getting ahead of myself. Let's talk about the ice cream before I run off begging. Long-time readers will know what had sent me over the edge in a moment.

Rocky Road-ish is a toasted marshmallow ice cream, with a toasted marshmallow swirl and fudge covered almonds. (Insert fan girl screaming here.) Hey, my love of marshmallow is legendary! If marshmallow is placed in a product, I will go to the ends of the earth to hunt it down. So, as you might have guessed, that combination makes this flavor like my ultimate wet dream. It's like the frozen version of Julian McMahon showing up at my door wearing only a smile. (Ben & Jerry's was the only ice cream he was ever seen eating on Nip/Tuck.) Even though the character of Dr. Troy was a Cherry Garcia man, Julian is welcome to come and partake of my...okay, enough! This review is running off track, even for me. Just give me a minute and some fresh batteries and I will be right back...

*looks around sheepishly...*

Well, I feel better, where was I? Yeah, the ice cream. In what has become the least embarrassing admission in this review--once again, because of dental work recently done, crunchy/hard foods are off the menu--I could not actually partake in the fudge-covered almonds myself. I can tell you that in classic Ben & Jerry chunk form, they were pretty sizable. (Look people, I am already taking the high road by not making any jokes using the words; hard, mouth, nuts or sizable!) They range from pea-sized to what looked like half of an almond. I outsourced the tasting and was told that the fudge is chocolaty and sweet with that slight grainy texture, and the almonds themselves were very crunchy and fresh.



As for the parts I did try: My first suggestion is to do yourself a favor and leave this pint out of the freezer for five or ten minutes (or maybe do a super fast microwave) before eating. Having eaten more pints of this than I am going to admit to, I can tell you that this flavor is 100X more awesome when slightly melty. Once the texture gets soft, the pint almost becomes like the richest, creamiest soft-serve you have ever had. The flavor of the base is indeed toasty (um, duh! the word is in the flavor description twice for a reason). It reminded me of marshmallows just browned over a fire. It's more about the burnt sugar notes, but it is not overly strong or sweet.



The marshmallow swirl: In the past, I have said I would like to die in a vat of the caramel used in Americone Dream. Well, now I would like to revise that statement and die in a vat of the marshmallow swirl instead. If the ice cream tasted like marshmallows toasted on in open fire, the swirl is all about marshmallows just out of the bag. It's sweeter, and there is a nice mellow (mallow?) vanilla note wafting through. But what just cements it for me is that it is like liquid marshmallow. (Dare I to dream?) I know, from top view, it looks as if the swirl is merely a weird darker patch of ice cream--but as you dig into the pint, everything changes. Think of rich, flowing rivers of marshmallow, instead of, say, the sticky gooeyiness of marshmallow fluff or the spongy cloud of one from a freshly opened bag.

Here's the most important thing: This flavor really MUST MUST MUST go from being a limited edition to a full-time flavor...because my life may truly be meaningless otherwise. (Well, that is just kinda sad...)



Be sure to check out what other bloggers said:
The Impulsive Buy
On Second Scoop
And a blog that is new to me that I am really enjoying:
Ben & Jerry's Fanatic

PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

PRICE:
$3.99

CALORIES:
250 Calories per 1/2 cup serving

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Contains nuts & tree nuts, kosher, awesome

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
benjerry.com

Vosges Holiday Bonbon Collection

Let me say a big thank you to Vosges Haut Chocolate for ignoring the fact that I rank rather high up on the Naughty List, and for treating me to an early Christmas present by sending me this collection of holiday-inspired truffles.




There are four different truffles in the collection:

* Mascarpone & Ceylon Cinnamon Snap
* Holiday Plum Pudding
* Candy Cane Peppermint
* Eggnog & Jamican Rum

And just try tell me they aren't beautiful to look at, I dare you! Anyway, for this review, I will start with...


Mascarpone & Ceylon Cinnamon Snap:



I love mascarpone cheese so much that I have been known to eat it plain, straight from the container. Mascarpone, should you not know, is a type of super-rich cream cheese that can be eaten on its own -- or mixed into anything and everything. In my family, we make cannoli filling with it. (Should you want to try my family's version pick, up a copy of Henry Hill's The Wiseguy Cookbook. The cannoli recipe on pages 86-88 is actually my mother's.)

And keeping with the Goodfellas theme, Ceylon cinnamon is basically the Godfather of the cinnamon world. All other cinnamon-type products, while still members of the family, are various levels of underbosses, capos, and plain old soldiers. The cinnamon is sprinkled generously atop the 45% deep milk chocolate shell. Inside is the mascarpone. This truffle also contains organic sour cream.



Giving the truffle a sniff from the top, it's the deep woodsy spice of the cinnamon that you notice. Once you get into the center of the truffle (normally I would just bite and dig in, but for the sake of pretty pictures we sliced the truffles first), what immediately stands out is the rich dairy smell of the cheese.

When I bit into this truffle, for a split second I swear all I saw was blinding white light and unicorns! There might have been a rainbow or two, and Barry Manilow was in the background singing a soaring crescendo. Yeah, this truffle is just that good. You start with a little heat from the cinnamon on top, then when you break through the deep milk chocolate shell, the cool silky filling flows into your mouth. It's sort of like an extra creamy chocolate mousse, mixed with a healthy dose of my beloved mascarpone cheese. The deep milk chocolate was the perfect choice. It's creamy enough that it didn't get lost in the strong dairy of the cheese, and yet not dark enough that it was bitter or upstaged the cinnamon. If I didn't know the sour cream was in there I wouldn't have noticed it -- but you know what? I don't care! If you only try one Vosges truffle in your lifetime, make it this one!


Holiday Plum Pudding:



I don't have much base of reference for plum pudding. About all I really know is that the Cratchits (the family from Dicken's "A Christmas Carol") seemed to think it would not be Christmas without it. Oh, and that the traditional version is a type of steamed pudding made with different dried fruits, liquors, nuts, and is often topped with hard sauce. But I can't say I've actually had one.



The Vosges version contains plums, Armagnac (a type of brandy), and marzipan, and is covered with 65% dark chocolate.

The truffle is topped with a pretty little piece of edible silver foil. What made this one stand out was the texture. The center, rather than being completely smooth, is layered. The top portion of the filling is the same silky creme as the others. Then right below that is a layer of what looks like finely chopped plums, and on the bottom of that is the grainy marzipan layer.

I loved the overall flavor. It was lightly boozy, and the plums were plump and sweet. The dark chocolate takes the edge off of the sweetness and melts nicely. I hate to say that what ruined this truffle for me actually was my beloved marzipan. Mind you, the flavor of the marzipan was good: almonds with mild cherry notes. It was the texture I didn't like. It was like a very loose, grainy fondant. Had it been smoother or firmer, I would have really loved it as is...did I mention that the plums were really sweet?


Candy Cane Peppermint:



It's hard to get more simple than all natural candy cane pieces, peppermint, and 65% dark chocolate. And simplicity is often a virtue.



I liked the fact that the top is where the crunchy bits of candy live. It gives a little contrast in texture, and the red bits look like shards of stained glass. The outer 65% dark chocolate shell is a really deep woodsy, earthy chocolate. There's some coffee flavor. On its own it would be a bit too bitter for me -- but paired with the sweetness of the smooth mint center, it's perfect.

The center is very cool on the tongue and the texture is almost like pudding. The chocolate is so smooth and rich I could practically drink it. The peppermint is brisk. It's very natural, not mediciny or artificial. Overall it worked beautifully.


Eggnog & Jamaican Rum:



WOOHOO! Eggnog! Eggnog with RUM! As I have said before, in honor of my best friend who is from St. Croix, I am partial to Cruzan rum. But Vosges didn't get that memo and instead they opted to use Appleton Estate rum. Appleton has been distilling rum since 1749 and is the oldest distillery in Jamaica -- so it's safe to say that they know a thing or two about making rum. The truffle also contains nutmeg and ginger, and it is all wrapped up in white chocolate from the Dominican Republic.



I went into this truffle excited because it's eggnog and rum, but also a little worried, because it's a white chocolate truffle and I am just not a fan. But if anyone could make white chocolate doable for me it would be Vosges, so...

The truffle smelled sort of like rum and steamed milk. I didn't get the eggnog or the ginger at first. But the truffle center is like the best eggnog ever. It's creamy, it's rich, it's custardy. The nutmeg is there. The rum is strong enough that its presence is known, but it doesn't over power the other flavors. The ginger is represented by little soft bits of ginger that go unnoticed until they explode in your mouth. Yum! The white chocolate... OK, again let's remember that I don't like white chocolate. I did find that the outer shell seemed dry -- and that was not the case of the dark or the milks. It was creamy tasting, and there were good vanilla notes. If you are a fan of white chocolate, I expect you will love the shell. I loved the filling...oh, the bad things I would do for large quantities of that filling...

Overall, even with the couple of (minor) qualities I didn't care for, this remains a truly stellar collection. The Mascarpone/Ceylon Cinnamon Snap alone is so good that no matter how the other three flavors had turned out, I still would have been happy.

Absolutely outstanding.



PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company

Let me remind those of you who are still shopping for the perfect gift for the old friends and loved one (or for yourself) that Vosges Haut Chocolate is offering my readers 10% off orders placed by December 31st. Just be sure to use the special code BLGF09 when checking out.

Weinrich Trüffel: Marc de Champagne

Whilst browsing in my local German deli, I came across a collection of Weinrich Trüffel bars, all filled with a variety of liquors and liqueurs -- so naturally I had to buy them.

I opted to start with the Marc de Champagne bar because I have a slight addiction to Champagne truffles. But what exactly is Marc de Champagne? Well, it's a brandy-like liquor that is distilled from the seeds and skins of the grapes used in Champagne production...sort of the hot dog of the Champagne world, if you will. I admit I have never tried it. But if it has any Champagne notes to it -- as grape based, distilled liquors such as brandy, Cognac, etc often bear a faint family resemblance to the wines they are derived from -- I expect I would like it. And I always seem to forget how much I like Champagne or sparkling wine until I actually have a glass (which is not that often). Also, there is something about Champagne mixed with chocolate that really raises my bubbles. Incidentally, I did not inherit my love of the "Champers" from my parents...

...One Thanksgiving, my brother and I were especially mortified by our father; in that special way that only siblings can share. That night, we'd gone to the fanciest-schmanciest restaurant in our 'hood. It's a restaurant that is widely known for its extensive wine cellar. And when the wine steward inquired as to my father's choice for the table, he was rather horrified when my father chose to lecture him on why the place should carry Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante! Now to be fair, it's not that there's anything particularly wrong with M&R's Asti. It's decent stuff. It's just that in this case, it was like walking into Peter Luger's (or even Ruth's Chris) and telling them they should serve the sirloin just like they do down at the Sizzler. Yeah, just another one of those times when it's so close, yet so far away... anyway, magical holiday family fun aside...



The Weinrich Trüffel has a milk chocolate shell that encases the truffle filling. Taking the chocolate out of the wrapper, you immediately notice an aroma that I could best describe as "boozy." But, it is a Marc de Champagne truffle after all, so let's call that a good thing.



The smooth outer shell is thin and the center truffle filling is a soft creme. The actual flavor of the truffle reminded me more of Turkish delight than Champagne or anything related to it. There is a soft, sweet rose note -- not as strong as in Turkish delight, but very similar. There is also definite fruit flavor in the background. I want to say it's grape...mostly because my brain is still trying to pin down something Champagne-like being the source of the flavor. But in reality, the best I can tell you is that it's fruity. The filling is sweet, but magically it never gets too sweet. There is just the tiniest amount of alcohol bitterness (whether it's actually alcohol, I don't know -- the label lists both Champagne and Marc de Champagne as flavors, but leaves it at that). It's actually the perfect amount, because it just keeps everything in check. And it was fantastic. I want vats of this filling. I want to put it on everything.



The milk chocolate that the bar is molded with is soft and melty, but held the molded design beautifully. (And did I mention how pretty the molding is? It really is a very nice looking bar.) It's creamy and you can taste the generous amount of dairy in the chocolate. On its own it might be a little bland, but it pairs with the truffle filling perfectly.

It's hard to rate this one. On the one hand, it didn't remind me of a Champagne truffle in the least. On the other hand, the filling is just so darned delicious that they could have called it Gebeizt Seife Trüffel and it would still taste great. (I will save you the Googling; that means "Pickled Soap Truffle.") It kind of goes against my standards in a way, but I am still scoring this one an 11 -- because even though it does not taste of anything akin to Champagne, it is still 17 kinds of awesome. Maybe even 18. Or maybe more than I could count.

Find it. Buy it. Eat it. You will be very glad you did.




PURCHASED FROM:
The German Deli (Upland, California)

Lake Champlain Dark Spicy Aztec Bar

My last trip to New York City was sadly not the foodie hunting trip that my visits normally are. (There was a lot of family stuff going on, and while I am sad I didn't get to find lots of good things to review, I am glad I was there for them.) But when I was leaving, I hit a couple kiosks at LaGuardia airport and actually found a few good things.



One of those things was this Lake Champlain Dark Spicy Aztec bar. I had read several reviews Cybele wrote on Candy Blog (read her review of the bar here) and thought they sounded great -- but I had never seen them "in the wild." Gotta love the United Airlines terminal!

Anyway, the Aztec bar is made up of a 55% dark chocolate, cayenne pepper, vanilla, cinnamon AND pumpkin seeds! I love pumpkin seeds, and you don't see them used in candy all that often. The bar is made up of six molded bite-sized squares. It also has a high gloss and fantastic snap.



The pepper stands out right away. Between the cayenne and the cinnamon, there is enough heat to cause a little burn. As a chilihead, I chase the heat, and for me it was just a little baby burn. (I admit it -- I can practically drink Sriracha sauce -- or my fave that other L.A. locals might know, the red sauce from King Taco.) If you are more sensitive to heat and spice, be warned that it might be a bit much for you. I love how the spice perfectly balances the dark chocolate. The dark chocolate has a smooth melt, and just enough sweetness that it keeps the heat in check.

My favorite part, though, is the pumpkin seeds. They add texture and crunch. And it's a pleasant change to get that from something that isn't a nut, or even crispy rice. They are a little earthy and salty...which plays well with the spice.

I really loved this bar. On top of tasting and looking great, it's also all natural and organic. That means I can eat more of it, right?



PURCHASED FROM:
Some random store in the United Airlines terminal at New York City's LaGuardia Airport...but you can also order direct from the company or find local retailers by visiting Lake Champlain Chocolates directly.

Ciao Bella Key Lime Graham Cracker Gelato

Back when I reviewed the Ben & Jerry's Key Lime Pie ice cream, reader Carrie suggested that I try this gelato.

And how could I possibly deny any of you dear readers a request? Yes, that is just how much I care! I care so deeply and profoundly that I will actually eat gelato for you guys...hey, someone has to do it...I am telling you, I am such a giver...



Now, I do have a favorite gelato -- and that would be any flavor sold by the wonderful folks at Grom Gelato on New York City's Upper West Side.

But I have had Ciao Bella's sorbets and been very impressed. (The Blood Orange is SOOOO good!) And I gotta tell you, for pre-packaged gelato, you will be hard pressed to find better than Ciao Bella.

I would like to thank Carrie for not steering me wrong. When she said that the lime flavor in Ciao Bella's version went KA-POW, she was not kidding. The lime is so vibrant and fresh it's almost like the juice was squeezed directly onto the creamy base.



The gelato is rich and perfectly smooth...except for the soft, delectable crumbs of graham cracker mixed throughout. The base has a light and mild, almost honeyed taste.

There is nothing about this gelato that isn't good. Even if aliens came in the middle of the night and sucked out your taste buds in some freakish experiment worthy of a call to Coast to Coast AM, you would STILL be able to tell how good it tastes.

Now go to the store, get some, and then leave comments telling Carrie how grateful you are to her.



PURCHASED FROM:
Vons Supermarket

Pocky Mikan

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Fuwarinka Rose Flavored Gum

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Haagen-Dazs Dark Chocolate Limited Edition

I woke up this morning with a scratchy throat. And if a scratchy throat isn't a good excuse for ice cream, then what is?

Since I was feeling rough around the edges, I decided that I wanted a chunk-free ice cream, so I picked the Dark Chocolate Haagen-Dazs from my stash.



The first thing that struck me about this ice cream is how earthy and dark the color is. I don't think the picture really captures the deep, coffee-like tone. It also has a strong cocoa aroma. As it melts, you can practically see Willy Wonka's boat sailing down the chocolate river.



The taste... OH MY GORD!

This is single-handedly the best chocolate ice cream EVER. If Haagen-Dazs doesn't remove this from their "limited edition" line and make it one of their permanent selections, then some kind of civil disobedience is in order.

The first flavor is a rich cocoa. It is bitter, but only in the gentlest possible way. As the flavor evolves in your mouth, it tastes a bit like a darkly roasted espresso bean, and then before the coffee taste becomes either overbearing or too much like a mocha drink, the taste mellows and sweetens. The final moments reminded me of raw Devil's Food cake batter. Must I repeat how much I love raw cake batter?

There is nothing that Haagen-Dazs could have done to make this better...well, they could have arranged for me to eat it off of Hugh Jackman...



WHAT?! That sounded perfectly reasonable to me -- in fact, you know what? I like that idea so much I am making it a new rating!



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons

Trader Joe's Fleur De Sel Caramels

I am a really late comer to review these caramels
Cybele reviewed them way back in December of 2006! (read her review HERE) .
This review has become my white whale. I have sat down to write this thing more times in the last month they I care to admit. For some reason I just blank when I get here. I think what has made it so difficult is the fact that these caramels themselves are inconsistent.

Salted caramel is one of the great pleasures of life as far as I am concerned. Since having salted caramel, "normal" caramel while still good is just not as good.

Some of the caramels in this package have been outstanding. The salt hits your tongue in just the right way so that the flavor as a whole seems brighter, sweeter. The milk tastes richer. The gently burnt sugar lingers in your mouth. The texture is slightly sticky, yet buttery smooth. There's just enough "pull", but not so much that it gets stuck in your teeth.

But some of the caramels in the box... they have tasted like plastic. There's almost an envelope paste aftertaste to them. And there is no warning! you could have 2 or 3 blissfully perfect caramels in a row and then WHAM! you get hit by this foul glue-type abomination. There's no warning. They look the same, smell the same. They're in the same box! I don't get it! Did I get an off box? is this just the luck of the Trader Joe's draw? Has anyone else out there noticed this?

I am rating this based on the good caramels with the assumption I just got an off box- but I may revise this if the next box is the same way.




PURCHASED FROM:
Trader Joe's