Thursday, January 31, 2008

Ice Cream Heaven: Perfectly Pumpkin

I'm the kind of girl who will eat ice cream all year round. My passion for it wanes only slightly during the coldest parts of winter (and that may be somehow connected to the inevitable (and short) attempt to cut back on sweets around the turn of the New Year).

One ice cream in particular has captured my heart this year. I know it's the end of its seasonal run, but I just have to laud this amazing effort by Double Rainbow, a company that produces premium ice creams in over 70 flavors. I chanced upon Double Rainbow's Perfectly Pumpkin flavor in Trader Joe's ($1.99) during October or November when pumpkin-flavored everything was all the rage (and no, I am not complaining!).

The moment I tasted it, I was in pure pumpkin heaven. The ice cream is silky and rich and bursting with the flavor of Mom's pumpkin pie (except spiced a little more heavily): cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and brown sugar are incorporated into the almost alarmingly bright-orange ice cream base.

Last week, I was lucky to find the last few pints of it (I can't believe people aren't buying it by the case!) in the frozen section at TJ's, so I grabbed two at the sale price of $1.49.

If you are paying $4 to $5 for a pint of Ben and Jerry's or Haagen Daz, you need to check out Double Rainbow's ice creams. They are half the price and, if Perfectly Pumpkin is any indicator, twice the flavor! I'm not knocking B&J's (I am a diehard fan of "Everything But The..." and "S'mores"), but the price tag is outrageous. The 2 for $5 sales just don't happen any more! I'm looking forward to seeking out some other flavors in the near future (maybe once it warms up).