Thursday, January 31, 2008

The Thursday Three


If you're going to be surrounded by something frozen it should at least taste good.


What are your



Favorite Ice Cream Flavors?




There are a lot of flavors that I like depending on my mood, but these three always (but always) hit the spot.

#1. Mint Chocolate Chip. My very favorite flavor. I try to not buy this because I have such unlimited capacity for it. Baskin Robbins is my favorite, but I'm up for any of it. Perfect on its own, but if you pour some hot fudge on top of it, it transcends description.






#2. Peanut Butter Cup. I think I've been pretty open about my peanut butter addiction. If Skippy ever starts a 12-step program, I'll sign up immediately. Or maybe the next day. This ice cream is so good because you get swirls of peanut butter and caramel (another of my favorite things) in each bite, but then you have frozen Reese's Peanut Butter cups to make it truly decadent.





#3. Heath Bar Crunch. I love toffee. It's just like hard caramel. Only better. This ice cream has swirls of caramel (are you sensing a theme?) and big chunks of Heath Bar toffee all jumbled in. At Dairy Queen my favorite Blizzard is a Heath Bar Blizzard. Mmmm. Toffee.



As much as I love chocolate I don't like chocolate ice cream. The only exception to that is the best ice cream flavor I've ever eaten, which I don't think exists any more. At least not in California where I had it to start with. It was at an ice cream store named Swenson's and the flavor was called Swiss Orange Chip. It was dark chocolate ice cream with orange flavored chocolate chips in it and it was to die for. Before they opened a store in Pasadena, my main reason for wanting to get my driver's license was to drive to West Hollywood and get a Swiss Fix.


Ah, to be seventeen again.

34 comments:

Susan said...

The best topic you could have picked. Hands down, bar none, Baskin Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip is my favorite ice cream. If we kept it in the house, I wouldn't fit in the house. I LOVE it! I only like the BR variety though - it is those shaved pieces of dark chocolate. I don't like frozen chunks of chocolate so the MCCs that have big frozen chips just don't do it for me.

After that, I basically like all ice cream. Remember the Peppermint Stick at Soda Jerks? Miss it. Two others I like a lot are the Bailey's Irish Cream made by Haagen Dazs and Ben and Jerry's Fudge Brownie (or something like that), but basically, if it is ice cream, I'll eat it.

There is the opposite of what you described at Swenson's still available at Vons, it is an orange sherbet with dark chocolate chips in it. It is pretty good, even if it isn't really ice cream. A favorite of the husband's.

Ah, yes, to have the metabolism of a teenager again.

Altaglow said...

We have a new gelatoria(spelling ?)--gelato maker(spelling ?) not far from your family home. Five tablespoons of the stuff will set you back $4 but it is the BEST!!! Bulgarini's in Altadena. And, even you would swoon over the chocolate!!!

laurie said...

peppermint bon bon.
yum!

and you're right about chocolate ice cream. it's just not a good chocolate.

i like vanilla, too. with hot fudge sauce.

Altaglow said...

My Two Cents--

Stop by bulgarini's one day, sans children--because it's very expensive and most kids don't care much as long as it's ice cream. It's across the patio from Nancy's Pastries at Lake and Altadena Drive. Try it! You're going to love it!!!

Susan said...

Altaglow--I will! Trouble is I'll probably stop in at Nancy's, too.

Kim said...

I love mint chocolate chip, but it's not my very favorite.

I do like chocolate ice cream, especially if it has fudge and brownie pieces and almonds . . .

My absolute favorite, though, is pecan praline.

Nearlydawn said...

You'll just have to go to vegas - as of 12/2004 they have a Swensens and they HAVE your Swiss Orange Chip

http://lasvegas.citysearch.com/review/7030978

There's a phone number listed for the shop - you might call them and see if they can ship you some! :)

Enjoy!

Nearlydawn said...

Actually, Swensen's is still in business it seems and there may be a store closer to you. LOL There is a store locator at this link - happy hunting!

http://www.swensensicecream.com/index.php?sw_about_us

Jan said...

My all time fav's are- drum roll, please - Baskins Robbins Chocolate Chip, Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey, and Band and Jerry's Cherry Garcia. And I like any good Vanilla

Stacie said...

I love double chocolate malted crunch at Thrifty's/Rite Aide. When I was younger, they used to sell cones at the store near my house. We still get it for birthdays and at other special times--you know, like when I happen to be there and can pick some up. :-)

Irene said...

I find that this is such a typical American subject that I can't add my two cents worth to it. Oh, of course, we have all sorts of flavors of ice cream here, but none that you all talk about. I think eating ice cream, and lots of it, is a typical American activity and is indulged in more often than here in the Netherlands.

Having said that, I like real vanilla ice cream. The kind that has the little bits of vanilla in it and it has to be very creamy and almost beige in color. It has to taste as if it is really made of cream, although I am not naive enough to believe that it really is.

Flowerpot said...

I like rum and raisin and lemon meringue pie. Oh yum....

flutterby said...

First, Starbuck's caramel cappuccino which has to be about the richest ice cream ever made. After that anything with "ice cream" in its name. But if I have to pick two more I'll go with peanut butter swirl and butter pecan or maybe caramel with chocolate chunks or... I better stop, something is calling me from the freezer and I don't want to disappoint.

Potty Mummy said...

You like chocolate but not chocolate ice cream? Something tells me you have never tasted Green & Blacks Organic Chocolate Ice Cream. Once you've had that - there is no going back...

Diana said...

The Swiss orange chip ice cream sounds amazing. I can't possibly pare my favorites down to three, so I'll just say that I am particularly fond of dark, rich chocolate ice creams with some sort of 'bonus' thrown in (like more chocolate candies), anything with chocolate candy in it (covers mint chocolate chip and all its friends) and some less common fruit ice creams (like pumpkin and coconut). That said I'd not turn down any ice cream. Ever. If you want to make me particularly giddy, expand the ice cream into a sundae. Swoon.

kitten said...

You have been tagged! I'll come back later and read this.

Anonymous said...

I'm all about the Heath! MMM! :o)

LCM said...

I have never tried the Baskin Robbins flavor! Breyer's is my hands down favorite. It helps that I love peppermint patties and this ice cream is like an inside out ice cream. YUMMY!! When I really need something I make this awesome hot fudge sauce and pour it over the top.

Jen said...

Mmmm. Ice cream. I'm kind of boring. I love strawberry, but being allergic to strawberries makes it mostly forbidden. About once a year, I get a bottle of Benadryl, and a strawberry milkshake and indulge myself. It's worth the rash.

I also love the chocolate ice cream from Leopold's here in Savannah. I know they make it on-site. It's got just a hint of bitterness that cuts through the creamy texture.

And I love sherbet of all kinds. Orange and lime are my faves.

Marti said...

I love Baskin Robbins choclate chip ice cream. I cannot refuse it if we stop there.

I also love Ben and Jerry's heath bar crunch and the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

Any given day...those are the best.

ped crossing said...

I have to say that homemade vanilla will win every time. I even bought the attachment for my Kitchenaid. But, seeing as it is winter and I am already permanently cold, I'm not eating much ice cream.

the rotten correspondent said...

my two cents - I do remember the peppermint stick ice cream there. Yum. I've seen that sherbet here, too, and really should try it.

altaglow - Is it dark chocolate?

laurie - I like a good vanilla too. And it's hard to ever go wrong with hot fudge sauce.

kaycie - pecan praline sounds really good. I'm not sure I've ever had it. I'm assuming it's like Butter Pecan?

nearlydawn - oh my god, I think I love you. (The irony is that I've been in Vegas - a town I really don't care for - a whole pile of times and never knew it. I'll get on that locator ASAP. THANK YOU!!!!

jan - I love Cherry Garcia, too. Really, you can't go wrong with Ben and Jerry's period. Until you try to fit in your clothes.

stacie - I had forgotten all about double chocolate malted crunch. We used to go to Thrifty's all the time when I was a kid and get ice cream. 5 cents for one scoop, ten cents for two and a triple for fifteen. Wahoo!

Irene - yeah, we do like our ice cream over here. It really is like the national dessert, I don't care what they say about apple pie.

flowerpot - lemon meringue pie ice cream// Sign me up!

flutterby - ah, another peanut butter and caramel junkie. At least I'll have company in the detox room. And the Starbucks sounds amazing.

potty mummy - I haven't tasted it. I take it I'm missing something really fabulous. It is weird that I don't normally like chocolate ice cream but adore chocolate, especially dark chocolate. I have a friend whose husband loves chocolate ice cream even though he despises chocolate. Very odd.

the rotten correspondent said...

Diana - I also love coconut and pumpkin ice creams. Baskin Robbins has a Nutty Coconut that would be number four on my list. Throw some hot fudge on that baby and bay at the moon. Yum!

kitten - I've checked it out and I'll do it!

Lisa - I think that Heath is about the most perfect thing ever. I love Reeses Peanut Butter cups too though. But the two of them? - the only candy bars I'll ever need.

lcm - an inside out peppermint pattie? Oh.My.God. Breyers, you say? That sounds amazing. I'll have to check it out.

jen - welcome back, girlfriend. We've missed you and your pregnant self. Couldn't you just make a Benadryl and Strawberry shake and eliminate a step? I think I would really have to like strawberries to do that!

Marti - yeah, chocolate chip is good, too. And cookie dough is right up there. How come I never get this excited about carrot strips or unbuttered toast??

ped crossing - that's why I brought this up now. If it were summer I'd have gained five pounds in the day since I wrote this. Now I'm with you. It's too cold to even think about eating the stuff. But once it's Spring...

Anonymous said...

Never heard of peanut butter crunch ice cream. Sounds revolting!

Crystal xx

aims said...

We are into frozen yogurt. But once in a while the real stuff is a treat.

I just don't understand the cost of it these days. $4 a scoop?

Akelamalu said...

I love Hagen Das - any flavour!

the rotten correspondent said...

crystal - no, no, no. Peanut butter cup and heath bar crunch.

Ugh. Peanut butter crunch doesn't even sound good to me.

aims - I like frozen yogurt, too. And you're right. The price is insane. Especially when you can eat an entire container in one sitting. ;)

the rotten correspondent said...

akelamalu - Haagen Dazs? Can't answer your comment. Have shorted out my keyboard with drool.

Corey~living and loving said...

I love mint chocochip. yummmmmm and the one you described with orange chips...and dark chocolate. yummo!

Have a great day RC!

Aoj and The Lurchers said...

I luurrrve ice-cream. Unfortunately one mouthful puts about 3lbs on each hip so I don't eat it that often. Favourite flavours are:

"Proper" vanilla...with all the little vanilla seeds in it. Scrummy!

ANYTHING by Ben and Jerry...that is about the most exotic ice-cream we get over here.

Swearing Mother said...

Blurgh to chocolate ice-cream, it's just not right.

Anonymous said...

I love Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk. It is sooooo good!!!! Of course, I also love just about any kind of vanilla ice cream with peanut butter running though it. YUM!! I had a blast visiting the Vermont Ben and Jerry's Plant, they gave out free samples. Of course they were not big enough, so we had to buy more. A very fun day, it is set up high in the beautiful Vermont green mountains. I was really more into the ice cream!!!!

Beth said...

Mine are Ben & Jerry's Creme Brulee, Butter Pecan, and Breyer's vanilla. I'm picky about my vanilla.

kitten said...

Them are my favorite also and in that order. That last one sounds really good. Have your tried peppermint icecream? They don't make it any more, (that I know of) but it is good & really good if you put choclate syrup on it.