A couple of months ago, between Zoom lectures, I logged on at precisely noon, with my credit card ready, to make a very important purchase. It wasn’t a 2022 concert ticket or a cheap AirBnb stay.
It was the limited edition Dolly Parton ice cream.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, a booming creamery with a huge online presence, had partnered with the queen of country music for the latest VIP flavor. Strawberry Pretzel Pie, A.K.A. Dolly in dessert form, sold out in seconds. Don’t worry about me; I’m well-trained in quickly filling out forms from Entertainment Committee event signups and managed to snag two pints.
Just as seemingly every food is getting a major Instagrammable update, the humble ice cream pint has attracted everything from big celebrities to major national brands. Most recently, Van Leeuwen partnered with Kraft to create macaroni and cheese ice cream, a culinary majesty/monstrosity. The opinions of the online food community were split, my own included. With inventive and controversial lavors popping up, I asked myself, what makes ice cream a newfound vessel for some Jimmy Neutron-esque culinary experiments?
I began with research (and by research, I mean eating as much ice cream as I could fit in my insulated shopping bag). When I went home for the summer, my sister had just returned from a trip out west. She came bearing gifts in the form of ultra-silky ice cream from Tillamook, a creamery known for its excellent treatment of their dairy cows. If there’s ever a food where you can “taste the love,” it’s this one. Their simple flavors, including the delicious Oregon Strawberry, shine without the bells and whistles of some more meme-worthy competitors. They got me thinking: surely, with a creamy and delicious base, some of these wackier add-ins–like powdered cheese–may just work.
I moved on to a recent Trader Joe’s favorite, the Cold Brew Coffee and Boba Coconut Non-Dairy Dessert. This was a prime example of interesting mix-ins in ice cream, especially for bubble tea lovers like myself. While the world is no stranger to solid mix-ins cookie dough, I was a little concerned that the texture of the boba wouldn’t hold up long-term in a commercial freezer. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The tapioca pearls retained their chewiness and combined well with the creamy coconut milk ice cream.
It was time to dive a little deeper with an unusual ice cream favorite of my own. Nicholas Creamery, a frozen dessert venture by a well-known local chef, has yet to disappoint me. They’re known for using a variety of seasonal ingredients, so I decided to try Jersey Sweet Corn. While vegetables may not feel like a natural dessert pairing, this was one that shined: it tasted just like buttery cornbread. Savory ice cream has my stamp of approval.
However, this was child’s play compared to some other options out there. The creamery Salt & Straw hawks savory flavors like Arbequina Olive Oil and Pear and Blue Cheese. While they haven’t expanded to the East Coast just yet, all these and more are available in their online store. However, like any food writer worth their (sea) salt, I already have more than one pint in my fridge and will be postponing a sampling to a later date. My college-sized food budget is safe for now.
At this point, I had tried and enjoyed three ice creams beyond the standard Turkey Hill. While I eagerly anticipate my chance to try Dolly Parton’s ice cream, I’m still not ready to subject my tastebuds to the dinner-meets-dessert that is Kraft ice cream. However, I’m no cheese hater: that Pear and Blue Cheese ice cream is already on my grocery list. If I’m feeling more adventurous, I’ll let you know.
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