Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappuccino Ice Cream

I was a little afraid to try this ice cream. But I really like vanilla ice cream, and the thought of a new version excites me.

Why was I not sure about it? Well, first off, as big a fan of Starbucks coffee as I am, I don't like the cream based Frappuccinos. I don't like any of them; the vanilla in particular being my least favorite. And on top of that, I really didn't like the last of the Starbucks ice creams. I tried the Java Chip flavor. At the time of that review, several people wrote in to say that they preferred the old version of the Java Chip to the current version. Having never had the old version, I couldn't comment personally. But what I have found out since is that all of the Starbucks ice creams made prior to 2009 was made by Dreyers (Edy's), and the current versions of the product -- including the Java Chip I reviewed -- are currently manufactured by Unilever. (You can read their FAQ's here). So if you were among those who thought there was a difference in the ice creams...well, you were right.



What finally pushed me to try this version is that my local store had the little 3.5 ounce single-serve containers on sale (for $1.00!), and I didn't have much to lose.

So how is it?

It is an attractive vanilla, creamy white and speckled with vanilla bean. Definitely looks good.

As for the taste...meh. The initial vanilla flavor was goodish. It starts off rich, but it quickly degenerates into this weird malted milk, quasi-citrus, chemical funk. Does it taste like the drink? Kinda, but surely not in the intended way. Does it taste good?

No. It does not taste good.



I will give them points for the texture being much, much better with this flavor than it was with the Java Chip. It's super smooth, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it creamy. It doesn't leave that nice, fatty film in your mouth that super-premiums do -- but to be fair, I wasn't expecting that.

Maybe die-hard fans of the drink or those less picky about their vanilla will like this more than I did. Personally, I couldn't finish even half of the 3.5 ounces. Yeah, the taste was really that bad.



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

PRICE:
$1.00

CALORIES:
170 calories per 3.5 ounce container.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
starbucksicecream.com

Starbucks Milk Chocolate Burnt Caramels

Sadly, I do not have the actual packaging to these candies. I assure you the box is quite pretty, and these candies were part of a gift pack that included Christmas Blend Coffee. They were given to me by a friend who thought I would like the candy. I would have used a stock image had I been able to find one. But anyway...



The candies are the size of your average malted milk ball. The outer layer of chocolate is milk chocolate, and...well, it's OK. Reasonably smooth and cool on the tongue. The biggest downside to the chocolate is that it is on the waxy side. It's not that it's bad -- it's just a necessary evil on the way to getting to the caramel.

Burnt caramel may not sound like the bestest-ever name for a candy (well, it does sound pretty good to me, since you ask). But let me tell you that it is great caramel.



Lurking in the deep core of the bland chocolate orb is a pearl of the burnt caramel. The flavor is so intense that it reminded me of the caramelized sugar layer on top of crème brûlée -- only soft and pliable. The caramel has just the right degree of saltiness. There are faint vanilla notes. I know there is no maple in the caramel, but something reminds me of good maple flavor. And butter! The last notes of flavor are all about salt and butter.

I really hope that Starbucks will do something with this caramel that doesn't involve the chocolate. I found myself sucking the chocolate away from the caramel so that the caramel would be the only flavor. The caramel is truly outstanding, and worth dealing with the chocolate to get to. The chocolate itself...meh. Forgettable.

Hard to rate because part of the candy is so good, and part of it is just sort of there, but:


(Without the chocolate, easily would have been an 11)

PURCHASED FROM:
Gift

Starbucks Via Ready Brew: Italian Roast

I have a pretty serious bias against instant coffee.

We can thank my grandmother for this, as much as I loved my grandmother. If you've heard me talk about her before, you know that as far as I am concerned she is eligible for sainthood. But I could never understand why, out of all the ways you could possibly drink coffee, she preferred instant. And it had to be black. My grandmother also played fast and loose with the directions. She used so much of the coffee that the bottom of the cup looked like motor oil. Her reason for this was that using the prescribed amount resulted in a cup that was too weak. Oh, and she could easily knock off six cups or so. (Again, why she didn't just brew a fresh pot of good coffee completely escapes me.)

I have tried instant coffee made both according to the directions, and her way. And to be honest, I would rather just skip it in either case.

Being a fan of all things Starbucks, however, how could I resist trying their version of instant coffee? Well, I couldn't...so here we go.

My local Starbucks was giving away free single serving packets with purchase, so I opted to try the Italian Roast (the darker of the two available; the other being Columbia -- a medium roast).



I mixed my packet into eight ounces of steaming hot water and stirred to dissolve -- and thanks to the dubious magic that is instant coffee, it's immediately ready to drink.

It does have a nice dark smell. Not quite as full and roasty as a regular brew, but deeper than other instants. Actually, it smelled much like an average store brand coffee -- not an instant, but a regular. (Let's be honest, though -- it's hard for coffee to really smell bad.)

As for the taste? Well, I tried it two ways to get a feel for it.

First, I drank it black:



The taste is smooth. If you like the initial flavor of Starbucks coffees but tend to think they taste too dark or too burnt for you, this may be a Starbucks you like even more. It's missing the bitter finish that most Starbucks coffees have (and that I love). It's got an earthiness to it, but it stays mellow. If I drank this not knowing what it was, I wouldn't have guessed it was instant -- but I also would not have guessed it was Starbucks. It's more plain and basic than I have come to expect from their roasts.

I also drank it the way I normally drink my coffee -- with waaaaaayyy too much creamer and Splenda.



This way, while again I would not have guessed it to be Starbucks, I would also never have pegged it as instant. It reminded me of a respectable cup of home-brewed coffee. Nothing special, but still pretty good.

In the end, I would never pick Via over a freshly brewed cup of Starbucks; not even one made rather carelessly at home, let alone over one made at an actual Starbucks store. I am, however, truly impressed and surprised at how good it is -- especially for an instant coffee. In fact, I would choose Via over a traditionally brewed cup of most of the mass-market grocery store brands.

Honestly, I am not enough of a daily coffee drinker to say that I will be keeping a stash of these on hand. But for those of you who are, Via may be the instant coffee option you have long been waiting for.

But I suspect my grandmother would still have stuck to her motor oil.




PURCHASED FROM:
Sample received at Starbucks with a purchase (had a Venti Breve Hot Chocolate, if you care)

Starbucks Raspberry Sunrise Lowfat Muffin

What is it about muffins that make them so good?

Oh yeah...it's EVERYTHING about them! But why isn't the same true of low-fat muffins? It's not that they are necessarily bad -- kinda like the Ewoks at the beginning of Jedi. It's just that they don't always end up being good (kinda like the Ewoks at the end of Jedi).



The problem is usually that the cake tends to be far oilier than that of a normal muffin, and somehow, in my mind, greasy and low-fat shouldn't mingle.

The Raspberry Sunrise muffin is no exception to that rule, but it tastes so good that I have no problem overlooking it. The base batter is lemon flavored -- and we all know I love lemon anything. There is even a reasonably natural citrusy bitterness. The raspberries are what really make this muffin. The raspberries comes in via little patches that are actual whole berries.



The berries are great! Fresh and sweet. The seeds add a great little unexpected crunch. The fact that they used real berries over jam (or just raspberry flavoring) makes the whole thing hugely better than expected of a ready made, low fat muffin. And that's just the kind of surprise I like.

Fantastic muffin!




PURCHASED FROM:

Starbucks Mini Vanilla Scones

I have said before -- recently, actually -- that much like many girls, with brief exceptions to the rules, I love all things done in miniature versions.



Starbucks has introduced mini scones to the menu. And who am I to resist the allure of mini scones? No, it's not full size, but damned if there just isn't something about it that draws you in and says, "Here, take a bite, I'm scrumptious..." It's like resisting the sarcastically sexy allure of the also-small Stanley Tucci:



You could, but you would be missing out on something good -- even if he can't always reach things on the top shelf for you. (At 4'9" myself, maybe I should shut up and not refer to anyone else as short? Stanley, I hope this doesn't mean you won't be calling, you're way taller than me, I make you look like a giant! C'mon!...)

The Scones, unlike Stanley (sadly), are covered in a thin coating of sweet, vanilla bean flecked icing. Beneath the icing lies a soft yet toothsome pastry that starts to melts in your mouth.



I think the mini scones' size helps avoid the dry and overbaked portions Starbucks scones always seem to have. The minis that I have had (and it's been several over the last week) have all been perfectly flaky and just moist enough from end to end. The scone itself has almost a neutral flavor. You can tell the vanilla is there, but it does not come off as fake or cloying. There's a very sugar cookie-like flavor to it. I would love the basic recipe, because with but a few small tweaks of flavoring, the universe of flavor possibilities would be staggering. The base dough stands well enough on its own to be a tasty and satisfying treat.

Starbucks had recently announced that it was revamping its pastry lineup, and if these scones are any indication, they are off to a fantastic start!




PURCHASED FROM:
Starbucks

Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino Ice Cream

Believe it or not, Starbucks fan that I am, I have never had the Starbucks Ice Cream before.
Not sure why. I love Starbucks, I love ice cream -- so in theory, I should love Starbucks Ice Cream.


Yeah... that sounded like a good theory.

First thing, the texture was awful. Grainy. Airy. There was no smoothness, no creamy mouthfeel.

Next, the chips. They are not real chocolate, but instead are something called "dark chocolaty chunks." They aren't even good in terms of mockolate. The chunks are gritty and bitter. Think Ex-Lax, but less good.

And at last, the coffee flavor itself. Starbucks should be ashamed. Again, bitter is the word that comes to mind. It's like they took old grounds from the stores and used them to make the flavoring. There's a little sweetness but not enough to kill the burnt aftertaste.

Where did this go wrong? If STARBUCKS can't get COFFEE flavored ice cream right, there is just something seriously off in the universe.




PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

Starbucks Chocolate Madeleines

Madeleine's are one of those classic treats that I love to eat but have no desire what so-ever to learn how to make myself.
I group French Macarons in with that as well. Madeleine's may look kind of like a cookie but for those who don't know, they are actually small, spongy cakes. They are always shaped in that elongated shell-type shape (via a special pan of course) and the taste of a traditional Madeleine's is sort of like pound cake with a bit more butter and a little lemon.


I have never actually seen chocolate Madeleine's before, which either means I am not quite the bakery slut I had fancied myself- or that Starbucks is just being cutting edge. A quick Googling taught me that chocolate Madeleine's are more common then I realized, so I am not as well versed in fancydancy cake as I thought and Starbucks is just playing into Soccer Mom chic. Yeah well...


Anyway, let's talk about Starbucks version. The first thing I noticed is that while the ingredients list does not give any evidence that it's there, the Madeleine's smell very strongly of coconut.
The cake is moist but at the same time the mouth feel is lumpy. As if the dry ingredients weren't shifted. Rather then being light and spongy the texture is dense and a little greasy.

The flavor is pretty much like a really bad bakery cupcake. It has that overly processed taste that cheap cake products get. It does have a deep cocoa flavor to it, and while the ingredients does list cocoa powder and chocolate drops, it is more like a chemical version of what cocoa should taste like then real cocoa.

About the only redeeming thing I can say about these Madeleine's is that they are now gone and I don't have to eat another bite.

Rating:


PURCHASED FROM:
Starbucks

Starbucks Black & White Cookies

The next chapter in the quest for the black & White cookie in the city
Before anyone makes fun of me for even thinking Starbucks would have it, I figured there was a pretty slim chance but the cookie was there, I was there... so ya know...

The Starbucks version consists of two smaller cookies rather then one large cookie like the Entenmann's version.
Once again the cookie is a golden sponge cookie. There the first cookie was soft and springy this cookie is eggy and dense. Not without some tooth but it's just sort of there.

The frosting on both sides of the cookie is thick and very sugary. The white side has none of the faint vanilla that the first cookie had. On the other hand the chocolate is a bit better. it's richer, more like frosting from a tub.

All in all these aren't bad cookies- but they are not as good as the Entenmann's

PURCHASED FROM:
Starbucks NYC

Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolate- Salted Caramel

Starbucks jumps on the salted caramel band wagon!
This is one of the new "Signature" line. It's hot chocolate made with milk. It has caramel added and is topped with a mix of sea salt and Turbinado sugar. Blah, blah, blah what does it taste like?

Smokey is about the best overall description I could come up with. The chocolate it's self is the the classic Starbucks hot chocolate. The caramel does seem to be a little too strong- sadly that as a rule is my biggest complaint with Starbucks and any of they're caramel drinks is that they tend to go overboard with it. I am all for caramel- I just don't want to feel like I am drowning in it. The salt is there almost as an after thought during the drink- but the salt/sugar mix that they sprinkle on the top of the whipped cream is hands down the best part! I wouldn't mind using that on ice cream!

All in all, I have to say that I actually preferred the regular hot chocolate to this version but I did love that topping!

PURCHASED FROM:
Starbucks

Starbucks Chocolate Dark Chocolate Mini Beans

Sometimes my love of Starbucks can't be indulged at the desired moment...
This candy has given me another non liquid option for those times when a whole chocolate coffee bean just won't work. Well, actually there is not a huge difference between this candy and a whole chocolate covered coffee bean.

The candy is dark chocolate molded into the shape of a little coffee bean. The chocolate is dull and kind of waxy. When it does start to melt in your mouth it is gritty- there are actual bits of broken coffee beans in the candy! While this provides excellent deep coffee flavor, I think it misses out on the best part of the chocolate covered coffee bean experience- and that would be crunching into the whole bean it's self. I also didn't like the fact that the little bits of coffee bean got stuck in my teeth. It is like eating chocolate grit.

The aroma is incredible- even before you open the tin (and we all know how I feel about cute tins) and the overall flavor is good. I just didn't care for the texture and this is not something you would want to snack on if you cared about walking around with black specks on your teeth.

PURCHASED FROM:
Target

Starbucks Sorbetto- Tangy Tropical Mango

Sorbetto is a new drink that Starbucks is launching in select L.A.area stores.
Lucky me that I just happen to work near such a store!

The Sorbetto is a 10 oz. cold drink that is yogurt based and flavored with various fruits. According to Starbucks the drink was inspired by the drinks found in the cafe's of Italy. While I am full blooded Italian I have never actually been to Italy (sad I know) so may be i am missing something but I can't think of any yogurt based Italian drinks. I even came up dry over at Wikipedia! What the drink does remind me of is an Indian lassi. And I LOOOOOOVE me some lassi's!

The first thing you notice- besides the headscratching ode to Italy is that the drink is, relatively speaking tiny. At a mere 10 oz's for $2.95 I was starting to wonder if maybe I should have stuck with my normal quad-latte (I am hard core). Of course you knew I was not going to let the chance for a review pass so I ponied up.

The drink as it turns out was well worth skipping the coffee for. The yogurt- which is the very trendy Pinkberry is smooth and tart- but not face puckering tart. The mango which is swirled on top is great. It's sweet and they don't overload the drink with it. If your lucky enough to be near one of the stores carrying these drinks try them! They are surprisingly refreshing!

Starbucks Vivanno- Chocolate Banana

I am starting to think this is one of those weeks where maybe I shouldn't try anything new...
Starbucks recently launched the Vivanno line- basically that translates into spiffy smoothies. They come in two flavors Chocolate Banana (the one I tried) and Orange Mango Banana.

Personally, the Vivanno reminded me more of a meal replacement shake then a proper smoothie. The chocolate banana was chaulky because of the whey powder that is used to make the drink. The chocolate it self tastes ok. It reminded me more of cocoa powder then say chocolate milk or even just chocolate syrup. The banana portion is just bad. It's not that chemical banana doesn't appeal (a peel?) to me but...

Stick with the coffee!!

Starbucks Mint Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino® blended creme with Chocolate Whipped Cream

That may be my longest title ever!
Do I even have to mention my addiction to the 'Bucks?
I normally don't order the Creme Frappuccino's. To be honest I don't like them as a rule. First off they contain no coffee- and to me not getting coffee at Starbucks is like going to Disneyland and not going on any rides. Sure you can do it but...

So anyway, like I said I would normally not order the Creme Frappucchino, but the barista made it sound so good I couldn't resist. According to her the drink would taste almost exactly like mint chocolate chip ice cream.
And she was right! it really does taste like mint chocolate chip ice cream!
There are little slivers of shaved chocolate floating in the drink. Hands down the best part is the chocolate whipped cream. It was rich, but not too sweet. The chocolate flavor was deep and cocoa like.

This was a fun dessert-type treat. I plan on trying the coffee version soon!

Starbucks Chocotes Espresso Truffles

WOW! These are like the perfect cup of espresso-wrapped in chocolate.
Once you have unwrapped the truffle give it a good sniff- it smells just like fresh coffee beans (a smell I happen to love)

The truffles have a surprisingly thick dark chocolate shell. The shell gives a nice snap but still is milky enough that it melts smoothly. The cream center has a strong coffee flavor that's on the bitter side (just like real espresso)
The easiest way to describe this would be to tell you to image taking a sip of coffee with a piece of chocolate in your mouth. The chocolate plays second banana to the coffee but it works because it keeps the coffee from being over baring and the chocolate from being too sweet.

I have to say that while I didn't love the tea and chocolate tasting squares the truffles so far have been excellient! Check out the lways excellient Cybele's reviews of the truffles (and the rest of the line) HERE


PURCHASED FROM:
Walgreens

Starbucks Chocolates Chocolate & Tea Tasting Squares

This sampler has a trio of tasting squares all infused with tea!

I will skip the whole I love Starbucks routine. I know that you know that I love them and the longer it takes me to write the superlatives the longer it is until I get to the chocolate.

This box has three adorable rows of small "tasting" chocolates- the pieces are small and thin, kind of like a mini Ghirardelli square.

The one I tried first was the:
Passion Dark Chocolate.
When I am in the mood for a cold drink at Starbucks my choice is almost always the Passion Tea/Lemonade blend. In fact the Passion Tazo is one of the few teas I buy to drink hot so I had high hopes for this one.
Once the wrapper is opened the chocolate smells EXACTLY like a fresh cup of the passion tea. It's sort of floral and citrusy at the same time.

The first notes that hit your tongue are all about the tea. So much so that you could almost recreate the flavor of the square by drinking some of the iced version of the tea while holding a few chocolate chips in your mouth. That sounds weird but it actually was an interesting effect.
The chocolate it's self is just sort of there. It's not bad- but it's not good. It's grainy (although that may be the tea it's self), it melts reasonably fast. It's sort of a middle of the road dark. It's not dark enough that it has much bite of it's own (or that it refuses to melt). But it is also not milky enough to be smooth, sweet or have much of a dairy component. What I think I was most disappointed in is that it had no snap to it. Biting or breaking the square just yields a pretty wimpy bend.
Even with the so-so chocolate the Passion tea just tastes so good I would have this square again.

Onto the next square.

Citron Dark Chocolate:
I loved the smell of this square instantly. It smells exactly like freshly grated lemon zest and deep smokey chocolate.

The lemon has a stronger aroma then taste and while the smell is amazing the taste is... well it's not. Furniture polish is what immediately came to mind.
Again the texture is gritty, which in the case I think I can without a doubt attribute to the tea leaves. I love that they used the dark chocolate with lemon (it is one of my favorite combo's) Everything I said about the chocolate with the Passion square stands true here.

This square I will be avoiding in the future... unless I suddenly get the overwhelming craving for edible Pledge.

And last but not least.

Chai Milk Chocolate:
Let's remember that I LOVED the Chai Truffles. I was expecting these squares to be little flat versions of the truffles. While it is clear they are related the squares are not exactly the Mini-Me's of the truffles.

The scent is just as good. Warm, inviting and on the spicy side.
The Chai in the case of the square overpowers the chocolate. It's like there are to many competing flavors fighting each other in the piece. With the truffles it's easy to pick out the individual notes, in the square everything is just sort of mushed together and it ends up tasting more like black pepper then anything else.
Combine that with a slightly grainy texture (although less so thanks to the milk chocolate) and a mediocre milk chocolate, it's just disappointing after how high the truffles set the bar.


The stand out here is definitely the Passion Squares.
Is it worth the $5.00+ price tag for one decent set of squares, honestly? not really but should you see them at steep discount or the Passion squares alone then they are well worth a try.

PURCHASED FROM:
Kroger (Ralph's depending on your location)

Starbucks Chocolates Chai Truffles

A new way to take my Starbucks addiction to the next level!!
As if I really needed another reason. Starbucks has launched a new line of premium chocolate.

I started out with the Chai Truffles as my first taste/review. I love that chai spice has been so popular recently- this is what the third chai product review I have done.

I don't say this often but these candies are so cute!, they look like little upside down tea cups! The chocolate is a glossy milk. The truffles also smell terrific. Warm and spicy, the cinnamon and a hint of black pepper come right through.

Biting through the truffle the chocolate shell is thick and has a good snap to it. It's a sweet milk chocolate that has a nice melt.
The chai center is outstanding. Smooth, the spice plays off of the chocolate perfectly- you can taste the clove and anise. There seems to be some citrus notes. The cardamom is clean and deep.

I hope that the rest of the line is as good as these truffles because they did an excellent job with these.


PURCHASED FROM:
Walgreens

Starbucks Drinking Chocolate- Marshmellows

This may be the most half assed review yet!

Why could this be such a lame review you ask?
Well because as the package so clearly states this was supposed to be about drinking chocolate and to be honest this didn't last long enough to get drunk.

I don;t know if I am in a test market area for this stuff but I could find very little out there about the drinking chocolate line. As you can see from the picture above the product is composed of small chunks of chocolate- and since this is the marshmellow version these chunks are studded with tiny mini 'mellows. I think you are supposed to use about 2 table spoons poured into warm milk (or possibly water)

I say "supposed" because I could not resist trying one of the chunks on their own unmelted- and once I did that so did everyone else at my Christmas party. WOW were the unmelted chips good! The chunks are made with a dark, rich chocolate that has just the slightest hint of a bitter edge. The marshmellows melt as soon as they hit then tongue. they were the perfect size for popping and the creamy melt kept people coming back for more.

One of these days I might get around to buying a box and drinking some but let me tell you this make a good snack out of the box as is!

PURCHASED FROM:
Publix Supermarket

Starbucks Raspberry Mocha Frappucchino

I am having a hard time remembering if this is a relaunched flavor or not but if it is I had never had it until today...

...And to be honest I could have easily lived the rest of my life that way.
I have a love/hate relationship with the Frappuccino. Every great once and awhile I get an itch that can only be soothed by the sticky, creamy, sweetness that is a Venti, upside down Caramel Frappuccino with a shot of vanilla. To be honest if that happens once every two years that is a lot. I prefer hot to iced coffee and that much dairy does cause some Shatner like bloating.

But kids I will try anything in the name of a good review. Lactaid firmly in hand I took a gooey, whip cream full sip (hey if you are going to go this far you may as well have the whip cream!)

The verdict:
Not bad, but not good either. mediocre at best. It's not the mocha (that was the standard issue mocha), it wasn't the texture or consistency. It was "raspberry" flavor. it was like they had gotten a hold of a vat of that cheap fake raspberry filling that cheap Mega Mart bakery's use on they're mass produced layer cakes- then they used that in the drink. I am sure they are using at least a decent quality syrup but it just does not do this drink justice.
That said I am willing to bet that it would not be as cloying in a hot drink.

I still love the 'Bucks but I won't be spending any of mine on another of the Raspberry Frapps.