Best of 2015!
Thanks for sticking around and reading about another year of Madeline and Lizzy's ice cream adventures! Here's a round-up of our favorite ice creams of the year.
Best Flavor
Madeline: Rhubarb Cinnamon Almond (Sweet Science). I had absolutely no trouble picking my favorite flavor of the year. There are three or four vying for second place, but summer seasonal flavor Rhubarb Cinnamon Almond was just so far above and beyond. It was the perfect mix of tart rhubarb, toasted almond and sweet cinnamon-sugar swirl. I bought an extra pint, and I'm saving in my freezer until I can't stand winter anymore. Then I'll break open the pint and remember summer.
Madeline's Honorable Mentions: Tres Leches Brigadeiro (Haagen-Dazs), Salted Caramel Brownie Ale (Ben and Jerry's), Boom Chocolatta (Ben and Jerry's), Butterscotch Salted Fudge (Sam's Choice)
Lizzy: Lemon Cookie (Three Twins). I had a bit more trouble picking my favorite flavor than Madeline. I had a lot of good ice cream this year. But back in the spring when I tried this flavor, I had a hunch it might win flavor of the year. The chunks of lemons sandwich cookies were huge. The lemon base was sweet. This ice cream was everything a lemon cookie ice cream should be.
Lizzy's Honorable Mentions: Tres Leches Brigadeiro (Haagen-Dazs), Butter Mint (David's), Salted Caramel (Talenti), and Save Our Swirled (Ben & Jerry's).
Best Scoop Shop
Madeline: Ices Plain and Fancy (St. Louis, MO) wins hands down for me. It's more than ice cream. It's an experience. Ices Plain and Fancy uses liquid nitrogen to freeze your ice cream on the spot. With boozy adult nitro ices as well as more traditional flavors, there's always something new to try.
Madeline's Honorable Mentions: Scrumptious (Arvada, CO)
Lizzy: Clementine's Creamery (St. Louis, MO). I ate a lot of Clementine's this year after interviewing owner Tamara Keefe and purchasing 6 pints of Clementine's right before the scoop shop opened. When I was trying to decide the flavor of the year, I considered a bunch of Clementine's flavors, like Bourbon Kentucky Pie (made with two kinds of pie), Southern Sweet Corn, and Gooey Butter Cake. So instead having to decide between these flavors, I chose Clementine's for Best Scoop Shop.
Best Brand
Madeline: I have to go with David's Famous Gourmet Frozen Custard. I hope they start distributing nationally so folks outside of the midwest can experience this Iowa treasure. I love it so much I've re-purchased their Vanilla several times. Not as a sundae base. Just because it's so good. I think that says it all.
Madeline's Honorable Mentions: Sweet Science
Lizzy's: I'm going to agree with Madeline on this one. David's only makes seven flavors, but those seven flavors are some of the best ice creams out there.
Lizzy's Honorable Mentions: Whitey's Ice Cream
Best 'Treat'
Madeline: Honey Milk Chocolate Graham Ice Cream Bars (Haagen-Dazs). This was such an unexpected and sophisticated offering from Haagen-Dazs.
Madeline's Honorable Mentions: None (wow, I really don't eat that many 'treats.' New Years resolution, perhaps?)
Lizzy: Double Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Sandwich (Thelma's Treats). This seasonal flavor was the best Thelma's I tried.
Lizzy's Honorable Mentions: The other Thelma's ice cream sandwiches I tried this year. Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle, and Strawberry Sugar.
Best Mix-In
Madeline: Chocolate Cookie Core - Boom Chocolatta (Ben and Jerry's). I mean .... is anyone surprised that Ben and Jerry's captured the top spot here? If you haven't tried this flavor yet, please do. And then weep that you can't buy a giant jar of the core to bathe in.
Madeline's Honorable Mentions: Fudge Ice Cream Cones from Save Our Swirled (Ben and Jerry's)
Lizzy: Again, I am going to agree with Madeline. This core was so fabulous, creamy, crunchy, and chocolately all at the same time.
Lizzy's Honorable Mentions: Graham Cracker Swirl from Graham Central Station (Whitey's)
Best Non-Dairy
Lizzy: Speculoos Cookie Butter (Steve's). This flavor is so good you wouldn't even know it was dairy-free if they didn't tell you on the container. It is also one of the best speculoos ice creams out there, dairy or non-dairy.
Lizzy's Honorable Mentions: Orchard Peach Sorbet (Haagen Dazs) and Creamy Cashew (So Delicious Cashew Milk Ice Cream).
Worst Flavor:
Madeline: Chocolate Malt Frozen Custard (Edy's). This stuff was just so bad. It tasted like chemicals and sadness.
Madeline's Dis-honorable mentions: Mint Chocolate Chunk (Pumphouse Creamery)
Lizzy: Vanilla Dairy Free Ice Cream (Tofutti). This gummy mess didn't taste much like vanilla and the texture was horrible. I didn't even finish the pint before I threw it away.
Lizzy's Dis-honorable mentions: Tiramisu Gelato Indulgences (Breyers).
There you have it, folks, the best (and worst) ice creams, gelatos, sorbets, and frozen desserts of 2015!
Best Flavor
Madeline: Rhubarb Cinnamon Almond (Sweet Science). I had absolutely no trouble picking my favorite flavor of the year. There are three or four vying for second place, but summer seasonal flavor Rhubarb Cinnamon Almond was just so far above and beyond. It was the perfect mix of tart rhubarb, toasted almond and sweet cinnamon-sugar swirl. I bought an extra pint, and I'm saving in my freezer until I can't stand winter anymore. Then I'll break open the pint and remember summer.
Madeline's Honorable Mentions: Tres Leches Brigadeiro (Haagen-Dazs), Salted Caramel Brownie Ale (Ben and Jerry's), Boom Chocolatta (Ben and Jerry's), Butterscotch Salted Fudge (Sam's Choice)
Lizzy: Lemon Cookie (Three Twins). I had a bit more trouble picking my favorite flavor than Madeline. I had a lot of good ice cream this year. But back in the spring when I tried this flavor, I had a hunch it might win flavor of the year. The chunks of lemons sandwich cookies were huge. The lemon base was sweet. This ice cream was everything a lemon cookie ice cream should be.
Lizzy's Honorable Mentions: Tres Leches Brigadeiro (Haagen-Dazs), Butter Mint (David's), Salted Caramel (Talenti), and Save Our Swirled (Ben & Jerry's).
Best Scoop Shop
Madeline: Ices Plain and Fancy (St. Louis, MO) wins hands down for me. It's more than ice cream. It's an experience. Ices Plain and Fancy uses liquid nitrogen to freeze your ice cream on the spot. With boozy adult nitro ices as well as more traditional flavors, there's always something new to try.
Madeline's Honorable Mentions: Scrumptious (Arvada, CO)
Lizzy: Clementine's Creamery (St. Louis, MO). I ate a lot of Clementine's this year after interviewing owner Tamara Keefe and purchasing 6 pints of Clementine's right before the scoop shop opened. When I was trying to decide the flavor of the year, I considered a bunch of Clementine's flavors, like Bourbon Kentucky Pie (made with two kinds of pie), Southern Sweet Corn, and Gooey Butter Cake. So instead having to decide between these flavors, I chose Clementine's for Best Scoop Shop.
Hand packed pint of Gooey Butter Cake from Clementine's.
Best Brand
Madeline: I have to go with David's Famous Gourmet Frozen Custard. I hope they start distributing nationally so folks outside of the midwest can experience this Iowa treasure. I love it so much I've re-purchased their Vanilla several times. Not as a sundae base. Just because it's so good. I think that says it all.
Madeline's Honorable Mentions: Sweet Science
Lizzy's: I'm going to agree with Madeline on this one. David's only makes seven flavors, but those seven flavors are some of the best ice creams out there.
Lizzy's Honorable Mentions: Whitey's Ice Cream
Best 'Treat'
Madeline: Honey Milk Chocolate Graham Ice Cream Bars (Haagen-Dazs). This was such an unexpected and sophisticated offering from Haagen-Dazs.
Madeline's Honorable Mentions: None (wow, I really don't eat that many 'treats.' New Years resolution, perhaps?)
Lizzy: Double Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Sandwich (Thelma's Treats). This seasonal flavor was the best Thelma's I tried.
Lizzy's Honorable Mentions: The other Thelma's ice cream sandwiches I tried this year. Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle, and Strawberry Sugar.
Best Mix-In
Madeline: Chocolate Cookie Core - Boom Chocolatta (Ben and Jerry's). I mean .... is anyone surprised that Ben and Jerry's captured the top spot here? If you haven't tried this flavor yet, please do. And then weep that you can't buy a giant jar of the core to bathe in.
Madeline's Honorable Mentions: Fudge Ice Cream Cones from Save Our Swirled (Ben and Jerry's)
Lizzy: Again, I am going to agree with Madeline. This core was so fabulous, creamy, crunchy, and chocolately all at the same time.
Lizzy's Honorable Mentions: Graham Cracker Swirl from Graham Central Station (Whitey's)
Best Non-Dairy
Lizzy: Speculoos Cookie Butter (Steve's). This flavor is so good you wouldn't even know it was dairy-free if they didn't tell you on the container. It is also one of the best speculoos ice creams out there, dairy or non-dairy.
Lizzy's Honorable Mentions: Orchard Peach Sorbet (Haagen Dazs) and Creamy Cashew (So Delicious Cashew Milk Ice Cream).
Worst Flavor:
Madeline: Chocolate Malt Frozen Custard (Edy's). This stuff was just so bad. It tasted like chemicals and sadness.
Madeline's Dis-honorable mentions: Mint Chocolate Chunk (Pumphouse Creamery)
Lizzy: Vanilla Dairy Free Ice Cream (Tofutti). This gummy mess didn't taste much like vanilla and the texture was horrible. I didn't even finish the pint before I threw it away.
Lizzy's Dis-honorable mentions: Tiramisu Gelato Indulgences (Breyers).
There you have it, folks, the best (and worst) ice creams, gelatos, sorbets, and frozen desserts of 2015!
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