Haagen-Dazs Five: Caramel Ice Cream

I was trolling the ice cream selection at the old mega mart on my last shopping trip and noticed that Haagen-Dazs had added a caramel flavor to the Five lineup. That said, my local store is actually really slow on getting the new Haagen-Dazs flavors -- so I'm not exactly sure how long ago Caramel was tossed into the mix.

I do love caramel ice cream though, and since the "death" of the heavenly Fleur De Sel Caramel (the only way that could have been better was if I got to lick it off Gerard Butler), Ben & Jerry's Dulce Delish (which, although I have eaten way more pints of than I care to admit, I have somehow managed to not review to this day) has picked up the title of current favorite. (Note to my friends at B&J -- if you would like to arrange for me to lick Dulce Delish off Gerard Butler I am perfectly willing to take one for the team. Just sayin'...) Anyway, for a full-fat ice cream that's still in the Haagen-Dazs lineup, they also have the now-classic Dulce de Leche, which is also pretty darned yummy.

I have to admit I always sort of eye the Five line with suspicion. It seems when a flavor is good it's really good, but when it's bad it's enough to make me seriously regret the lactose issues I'll be stuck with for the next few hours. And I am still a little bitter that the Brown Sugar flavor got discontinued (though to be fair, I think I may have been the only person on the planet who liked it).

What I like about the Five line is that in terms of ingredients, it is as simple and close to homemade as you can get, with each flavor containing only -- you guessed it -- five ingredients. It's also slighter lower in fat and calories than the rest of the Haagen-Dazs line. Admittedly, I would rather simply have less of something with higher fat because I prefer the mouth feel and texture -- and since I'll to have to deal with dairy issues anyway, I'd at least like to enjoy it to the max before the inevitable happens. But for people who are just watching the numbers, it's a great option to have.



So how did it scoop up?

Flavor-wise really, really well. It is completely on par with the classic Dulce de Leche. It's sweet of course, but not overly sickly sweet. The caramel is heavily on the milky side, but sadly there is no caramel swirl (which was one of the best parts of Dulce de Leche). It's not a complex caramel but it is still tasty. I wish that there was a little salt kick to add some zazz, but then I guess that would make it six ingredients rather than five, and that would kinda defeat the purpose. The flavor also wanes quickly -- as in under five minutes. I will grant you that eating anything cold tends to dull the tongue, but even bringing it close to room temperature gave the same results...along with melted ice cream.



Texture-wise, like all of the Five line, it's on the soft and fluffy side. It's funny how that works for some flavors and not so well for others. Fortunately, this is one of the flavors that it does work for. It has a silky smooth mouth feel, and when it melts it glides down your throat in a happy puddle. Also like the rest of its Five siblings, it doesn't have the rich, fatty mouth feel of its bigger cousins -- but for a lighter calorie, lighter fat option, it really is top notch.

Best Five flavor since my beloved Brown Sugar.



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

PRICE:
$4.75

CALORIES:
240 Calories per 1/2 cup serving

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
haagendazs.com

Haagen Dazs Dark Chocolate Mint

I won't lie -- this has been sitting in my freezer for a few months. Oh, I kept telling myself I was going to get around to reviewing it...and then something else would come along and catch my eye, and...well, long story short, no review.

Tonight I just felt like ice cream for dinner...and hey, guess what was in the freezer.

I really liked the "plain" dark chocolate flavor Haagen-Dazs introduced as a limited edition last year. It has since made a normal part of the regular line, so I was hoping that it would be the same dark chocolate used for the base of this flavor.



Just as I hoped, it was in fact the same base. It's a really deep cocoa. And at the same time it's creamy and smooth.

The mint is where the flavor lacks. It reminded me a lot in terms of taste to the Five Mint. It also reminded me a little too much of a toothpaste mint. While the texture is as creamy and rich as you could ever hope for ice cream to be, there is something about the mint flavor that makes me think "chalky" -- even though the texture is nowhere near it.



I think this flavor would probably work great for milkshakes -- or maybe mixed with another flavor for balance. On its own...eh, I would prefer to stick with the plain dark chocolate.



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

CALORIES:
250 calories per 1/2 cup.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE
haagen-dazs.com

Haagen-Dazs Five: Lemon Ice Cream

This is first new flavor that Haagen-Dazs has added to the Five line since its creation in early 2009. The idea behind the Five line is that it's all natural and contains only five ingredients. Out of the original six flavors, Brown Sugar has been my favorite -- it seems to be the love-it-or-hate-it flavor, but to me it tastes like an ice cream version of Panda Licorice. And I can't help but love that.



I haven't been paying much attention to the Five line beyond that, because there had been nothing new added to it. But when I saw the word "Lemon," it screamed out "BUY ME!" And what sealed the deal was the fact that this is lemon ice cream, not sorbet. (Although I do love a good lemon sorbet, too.)

I don't know why more people don't love lemon the way I do. It's clean, it's refreshing. It must have been popular at some point. In fact, towards the end of the movie Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?, when Baby Jane took her sister to the beach and got her an ice cream cone, one of the flavors offered was lemon. (It was a truly demented scene, and if you haven't seen the movie, you really should.)



The color of the ice cream is sort of an ivory white, with just the faintest hint of yellow. What's interesting is that when you see a bowl of white ice cream, your brain (well, my brain, at least) tells the mouth to expect the creamy sweetness of vanilla. But of course that's not what you're going to get this time.

No, instead, what you get is a vibrant, zesty lemon. It's like they took the best lemon curd in the world and made ice cream out of it. There is just enough sweetness to the flavor that it keeps the ice cream from becoming puckering sour. It's incredibly refreshing...and addicting.



If you look closely there are even little teeny, tiny bits of lemon pulp. This is actually the only part I didn't like. It's not that the pulp bits don't taste good, it's just that the pieces throw the texture off. Beyond the bits, the ice cream is silky smooth and rich. Those little bits throw off the mouth feel. It's not enough to stop me from eating it, mind you -- but I think it would be better without them.

Pulp bits or no pulp bits, this is terrific stuff.



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

PRICE:
$1.99

CALORIES:
210 per 1/2 cup serving.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
haagen-dazs.com

Haagen-Dazs Five: Ginger Ice Cream

It's been a while since I had ice cream, and my local Albertson's finally started carrying the Five Ginger...so I couldn't resist.

I am one of those people who love ginger in pretty much every form. Fresh ginger, candied ginger, pickled ginger, ginger ale, ginger beer, Ginger from Gilligan's Island. You get the point.



The pale buttery yellow of the ice cream almost lulls you into thinking that the flavor is going to be be mellow and sweet. Instead, lurking inside is a warm, peppery true ginger flavor. It's got a fiery bite to it, but at the same time it doesn't taste like bad medicine or the faux Asian foods that one might find at a fast food place. Once my taste buds adjusted, it actually reminded me a lot of Haagen-Dazs seasonal Egg Nog flavor. It has a spicy side to it that could easily be mistaken for nutmeg.



It is sweet and it is creamy. The texture is not as heavy as full-fat Haagen-Dazs, but it is smooth. It is pretty aerated, but I thought it was less so then the Five Mint. There are also teeny, tiny bits of ginger randomly mixed into the ice cream. I wish there had been more; larger pieces of ginger that would have been great.

It is a toss up to which Five flavor I like more--this, or the Brown Sugar. I will say that if you don't like ginger, or only like it a little, you will probably not be a big fan of this flavor because it is so intense. (And if you want to send me the rest of your pint I am OK with that.) I loved this one!

Marvo reviewed this flavor way back in March! Be sure to read his review here.



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

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

Haagen-Dazs Five- Mint

I LOOOOOVED the Brown Sugar Five so I went into the Mint flavor with high hopes
Just like it's Brown Sugar cousin the Mint has only five ingredients. What I loved about the Brown Sugar had been it's rich flavor and creamy texture. Sadly, the mint didn't quite make the same high marks.

The flavor is a very, very mild mint. It's not as strong as pretty much every other mint ice cream I have ever had- at the same time it has sort of a mouthwashy taste. I think if it had a stronger mint, or if there had been a dash of vanilla to round the mild mint out it would have been much better.

The texture is also different. Where the Brown Sugar had been dense and creamy the Mint is much more aerated and well fluffy. That said it's not that it was bad but it was not what I was expecting.

It's not so much that I didn't like it because it was bad, it just wasn't all that good. I still am looking foreword to trying the rest of the line because the Brown Sugar was just outstanding.

PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

Haagen-Daazs Fleur De Sel Caramel Ice Cream Bars

I LOVED the Fleur De Sel Caramel pint I reviewed in the past (as well as the many I have bought since) and Haagen-Daazs once again caused me to make that too loud, too embarrassing squeal I have been known to do- (you know the one that tween girls make when they see a glittery picture of Robert Pattinson) when I saw these bars in the freezer case
After a quick look around hoping no one else in the aisle had heard me (they had- I can be really loud) I beat it out of the store and back to my laptop (oh, yeah I paid for the bars too)

The bars are enrobed in a thick layer of dark chocolate. The caramel ice cream base is sweet, but thanks to he dark chocolate not too sweet.

Just like with the pint the star is the salt. It's sharp but at the same time it's not. It makes the sweetness of the caramel stand out. It adds depth and earthy notes to the chocolate. When the salt hits your tongue it's like all the flavors get as shiny and glittery as Edward Cullen on a moonlit night. The salt makes everything that was alreayd good better. As much as I like the pint edition I give this version a slight edge because the salt is a little more pronounced as it runs in stripes down the bar rather then randomly mixed in.

PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

Haagen-Dazs Five- Brown Sugar

Five is a new line of Haagen-Dazs. The five refers to the fact that there are only five ingredients per pint!
Who doesn't love the idea of ice cream (or any food for that matter) with a list of ingredients you can not only pronounce but identify?!

I tried the Brown Sugar flavor first- and yes, you guessed it there were only five ingredients. There are no chunks or bits this is just a smooth ice cream (no complainants). The first thing that struck me is how incredibly smooth this ice cream is (kinda like I imagine Hugh Jackman's butt to be). There just seems to be a really high fat content (although the pint does say it has 30% less fat- less then what I am not sure. Regular Haagen-Dazs is my guess)

Flavor, this is like the ice cream version of Panda Licorice- and that is such a good thing (almost as good as Hugh Jackman's butt) there is a seriously deep molasses flavor. As you eat more of it (uh... I might have done that) it almost pick ups a coffee like taste.

Look, I could go on, and on about this flavor but really just go get some right now and then send me fan mail. You will thank me and then I can finish the pint without having to go through the motions of "writing" when all I really want to do is look at this:

and be eating. GO!- NOW!

PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

Haagen-Daazs Rocky Road Ice Cream

Believe it or not I have made it to the ripe old age of thirty something having never tried Rocky Road ice cream.
I love chocolate, I love marshmallows and I like almonds. Here's the thing though, I tend not to like almonds and chocolate together and I really don't like nuts in my ice cream. Your probably wondering why at this point I am even trying this.

Good question. I have been making an effort to try things I have previously said I didn't like. I have to say that Haagen-Daazs isn't making it easy to still call nuts in ice cream "icky"

The base of the ice cream is classic Haagen-Daazs chocolate. It's got that strong cocoa base too it. The almonds were lightly salted, roasted and crunchy- if all the previous nuts I had had in ice creams past had been this good I would not have spent all these years avoiding them... well except walnuts. I HATE walnut.

The best part hands down is the marshmallow swirls. It's sweet. There's a touch of vanilla, it's a little sticky. From a texture stand point I think I would have loved it if they had used actual mini-marshmallows but I am not complaining.

I am definitely pointing this flavor into my rotation.

PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

Haagen-Daazs- Peppermint Bark

Woohoo Peppermint ice cream!
Yes, just like I get excited by the first egg nog of the year, the first chestnuts. The first peppermint ice cream gets me all happy too.

The Peppermint Bark ice cream is a white chocolate base with with pieces of peppermint bark and peppermint candies.

The white chocolate ice cream is sweet and rich. I couldn't really pick up any white chocolate but there is a vague malty quality to it. The peppermint bark was great it was a nice bitter dark chocolate that was infused with peppermint. And lets for forget the small but still crunchy pieces of mint. This remind me of a frozen Peppermint Patty!

I admit I could have easily eaten half a pint in one sitting if I didn't practice self control.

YUM!
PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

Haagen-Dazs- Banana Split

Banana splits are one of those treats I love but I rarely ever seem to actually eat.
I don't know why. No actually, I pretty much do. The vast majority of the ice cream that I eat is had at home and to be perfectly honest I next to never go through more effort then pulling the lid off the pint to eat it. Let's face it banana splits require a decent amount of prep- and ingredients I don't tend to have on hand.

So, when I got my latest craving for one I took advantage of the fact that both Ben & Jerry's and Haagen-Dazs now both offer banana split pints. What made me choose the Haagen-Dazs over the Ben & Jerry's was the fact that they're version contains walnuts and I HATE walnuts- I am however hoping Jim from Jim's Chocolate Mission will chime in with his opinion on the Ben & Jerry's version if he has tried it.

Now, the Haagen-Daz version is a base flavor that is a blend of banana flavored ice cream and whipped cream flavored ice cream. then there is a fudge swirl and pieces of strawberry and cherry.
I think the mixing of the two base flavors was perfect. The whipped cream keeps the banana from tasting too artificial and after all what is a banana split without whipped cream?
The strawberries and the cherries are both plump and sweet. There is also a generous amount of chocolate. Now I know that Haagen-Dazs called it a "fudge swirl" but if you ask me it is more like Hershey's syrup then say traditional hot fudge. Not bad but not fudge.

It's good! I ended up really liking it... I liked it enough that now I want to brave the walnuts in the Ben & Jerry's version to do a comparison- so stayed tuned!!

Haagen-Dazs Brazilian Acai Berry Sorbet

I am starting to think it was not a good idea to review anything today
I feel like I am 0 for 2.

The Briazilian Acai Berry Sorbet is part of Haagen-Dazs Reserve line.
According to the pint the flavor is supposed to taste like blackberries and blueberries.
I sort of see that. But to me it tasted more like a mix of blueberries, rose water and raisins. Not a bad taste mind you but it is different. What I didn't like was the texture. It's gritty, super gritty. It's like sorbet with sand. I did love the color the photo doesn't do it justice. It is a deep red/purple (I want to do an accent wall in that color)

Great color aside I think I will pass on seconds.

PURCHASED FROM:
Publix Supermarket

Haagen-Dazs Green Tea Ice Cream Limited Edition

Finally a mass marketed Green Tea ice cream!
One of the best parts about going to Japanese places is that if you are lucky they have green tea ice cream on the dessert menu.

Haagen-Dazs version is very rich- this is a big improvement over some of the cheaper versions served at said places above. The flavor is light and slightly sweet but at the same time it has the taste of real green tea (as opposed to green tea flavoring)

I hope they consider making this part of the regular line!

Haagen-Dazs Fleur De Sel Caramel Ice Cream

Next to the Pomegranate Chip this was the flavor I most wanted to try off the Reserve line
Salt accented caramel is one of the food trends of the last few years that I have been a big fan of. I just love how salt Set's off the sweetness of caramel.

This flavor is a caramel ice cream base with a caramel swirl and salt accented chocolate covered caramels.
No matter how Haagen-Dazs wants to word it this is basically their wonderful Dulce De Leche with the addition of the Fleur De Sel Caramels. Personally, I am a fan of Dulce De Leche so you will get no complaints on that from me.

No question the ice cream is good- what makes it great is the salt! the salt really stands out. The combo of the sweet ice cream with the edge of the salt is mouth watering. The chocolate pieces themselves are adorable!- they look just like tiny pieces of high end chocolate. The chocolate it's self is dark and the caramel inside smooth and melts into your mouth as you bite into the pieces.

I could have eaten this entire pint in one sitting if not for self control and the desire to fit into my wardrobe tomorrow.


PURCHASED FROM:
Wal*Mart

Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Honey Bee Ice Cream Limited Edition

I can feel less guilty about eating this ice cream because Haagen-Dazs is donating part of the sales to helping the honey bees
And being the friend to the Bees that I am I of course had to do my part (yes, I am allergic to them but we aren't going to talk about that)

Even if I wasn't trying to help the Bees (being a giver and all) I would still buy it.
The vanilla is milder then the normal Haagen-Dazs vanilla but it is gently accompanied but the sweet taste of honey. The honey is strong enough that you notice it but not so strong that it overpowers the vanilla. I also liked the fact that the honey is incorporated into the base flavor rather then as a swirl.
The mouth feel is what you would expect from Haagen-Dazs, creamy and rich.
I would love to try this as a milk shake.

This was good, really good.

PURCHASED FROM:
Publix Supermarket

Haagen-Dazs Cookies & Cream Ice Cream

If anyone could do justice to yet another classic it would be Haagen Dazs

The thing with cookies and cream ice cream tends to be with the exception of Coldstone Creamery's version you tend to get stuck with something where either the ice cream or the cookies are good but it is always one or the other. Examples- Oreo ice cream. The cookies as expected are great- it's an Oreo how could it be bad?!. The ice cream not so much. On the other side Edy's/Dreyer's decent ice cream, mediocre cookies.

How did the Haagen-Dazs stand up?
The ice cream it's self was good. A nice strong vanilla. Bonus point's to Haagen-Dazs for using REAL vanilla. What seemed weird is that this particular ice cream seems to be more aerated then Haagen-Dazs is as a rule. I could have skipped that, but it was not a total deal breaker.
The cookies were eh. I wonder if they are Hydrox knock offs. They don't taste exactly like an Oreo (the palm oil stands out more) but the visable markings are damn close. The cookies in my pint were on the smaller side but they were nice and soft.

I liked this Cookies & Cream but to be honest I didn't notice much if any differance between this version and the Edy's/Dreyers. Honestly if I were feeling cheap I would just get the Edy's/Dreyers.

PURCHASED FROM:
Publix Supermarket

Haagen-Dazs Rum Raisin Ice Cream

Rum Raisin is one of those staple flavors that have been around forever and I had always overlooked it in favor of some of the more modern or exotic options
My best friend however (insert Edwin shout out here) has been fiercly loyal to both Cherry Vanilla and Rum Raisin for years. Since my local Mega Marts still aren't stocking the POM offerings Haagen Dazs has I decided to give one of my friends favorites a try (I already love cherry vanilla)

First I was pleasently to peruse the ingredient list and find that Rum Raisin actually contains rum! I had always assumed (and you know what happens when you assume) that the rum flavor came from artifical means. The ice cream is a base of creamy rum flavor. There is definatly some vanilla in the back ground but there is no mistaking the rum.

The raisins were the best part to me. They were large and hands down the softest, plumpest raisin I have ever had. I had no idea that raisins could be that soft!
I may not have gotten the allure of Rum Raisin before but I am a full on covert now!

PURCHASED FROM:
Publix Supermarket

Haagen-Dazs Egg Nog Ice Cream

This is one of those things I am glad only come around once a year

I would be HUGE otherwise!
Egg Nog is just one of those dairy products that I am willing to wrestle with the lactose beast for anytime. I will go as far to say that the flavor Haagen-Dazs has developed is the benchmark that all egg nogs should be judged.
It's rich and custardy without that cheap eggy taste that bad egg nogs can have. The cinnamon and nutmeg are strong but not overbearing and in the case of the ice cream they are in the form of a silky, fluid ribbon that winds through the ice cream.

I could talk about this ice cream all day but suffice to say this is one of the things you should ask Santa for.

Haagen-Daazs- Belgien Chocolate

MMMMMM Chocolate...

So basic but so good. No there is no ingredient of the moment, it doesn't promise any health benefits (well beyond the normal chocolaty happiness) and it doesn't have a cool pop culture tie in. But it is outstanding!

The base ice cream is a deep cocoa Belgian chocolate. It's just a tad bitter and that sets the perfect stage for the part of this ice cream that steals the show.

Oh yes, the finer people at Haagen-Daazs worked over time to find yet another tasty way to destroy my thighs. Folded into that creamy cocoa there are bits of finely shaved Belgian chocolate. The crumbly texture that they add is addicting.

This is a limited edition flavor and according the Haagen-Daazs website it will only be available for the rest of this month so stock up now!

Caramelized Pear & Toasted Pecan Haagen Dazs

I love the thought of this flavor. It just sounds so decadent yet refreshing.


Caramelized Pear & Toasted Pecan is supposed to have a base of pear flavored ice cream studded with chunks of Caramel covered pears and pieces or toasted pecans.

Like all Haagen Dazs the ice cream it's self is rich and creamy. The base flavor is supposed to be pear (you know like I already told you). I say "supposed to be" because it actually ends up tasting more like apple sauce ice cream. In it's own way apple sauce ice cream is not all that bad, I just wasn't expecting it.

The Caramel covered chunks of pears. Now those were interesting. I loved the caramel coating. It was just thick enough to add some depth but not thick enough that it was sticky or ran off into the ice cream- which could have been great. The pear themselves were weird. It was kinda like a chunk of caramel covered paper. I have to wonder If the R&D department of Haagen Dazs has ever actually tasted a pear because they are 0 for 2 so far.

The nuts. If they had had some crunch left in them they would have been good. They are lightly salted- which is outstanding with the caramel. The nuts in my pint however were rubbery and that just killed it. Of course on that count I could have just gotten a pint that had been on the shelf a little long.

If they tweaked the pear issues and the nuts were crunchy this would be a damn good ice cream. As it is it's not bad but there are better ways to consume empty calories.