Fudgy Brownies Bar

When I first started this project, hungry and ambitious, I vowed I'd eat all flavors, including those I've already had, and including all bars as well. Though all of the bars contain flavors I will have to eat on their own as well, may I reiterate that I was ambitious...and hungry.

The brownie pop was definitely good, but it was missing something. I guess it's fair to note that I'm not all that into ice cream pops. Something about the hard chocolate shell just doesn't do it for me, and I need a rich flavor and/or mix ins to really enjoy it. For example, Haagen Dazs makes a coffee/almond/toffee pop that I could eat on the reg...but this isn't about Haagen Dazs, is it? It should also be noted that I enjoy pops when I can share them with my puppy, who enjoys vanilla ice cream a LOT. If someone in my family indulges in said pop, we will eat the chocolate all off (my preferred way to eat it anyway) and once it is chocolate-free, we share the insides with our favorite princess. Since merely taking the chocolate coating off a brownie pop still left it laden with chocolate goodness (read: puppy killers), I couldn't even share my enjoyment.

The brownie better was delicious, as I imagine nearly all batters are, but something just missed the mark. Even still, I'll note I'm by no means mad I had to eat it... Did I mention it was a birthday gift?

Maple Blondie

After close to little hunting, I decided upon Maple Blondie for my next endeavor. After seeing it branded with the words "Limited Batch" all over the top, I got nervous (though the word batch was awkwardly quaint). Perhaps this flavor wouldn't even be on my list. Oh, the tragedy. I calmed down when I reminded myself Maple Blondie still sounded delicious, regardless of if it killed two birds with one stone and allowed me to cross a flavor off my seemingly never ending list. When did I become someone who solely wanted to eat ice cream if it meant fulfilling a criteria? Apparently, March 14. Thanks Blogger. I was simultaneously happy and relieved to see Maple Blondie, in its rightful place (alphabetically) on my B&J list when I returned home last night.

The flavor tasted like dulce de leche as it was almost sickly sweet with a caramel swirl running throughout. The swirl was said to be maple caramel but seeing as both maple and caramel are entirely comprised of sugar, it was hard to distinguish it from "regular" caramel. Moreover, the flavor of the ice cream was maple, though that too tasted like caramel. There were promised chunks of blondie to be found, though they seemed to be few and far between in my straight-from-the-pint-scooping.

The flavor was "created", or rather, endorsed by Hannah Teter, who I've discovered is a snowboarder. For those curious, I was confident she was one as the picture on the container featured her in snowboard goggles, though I later confirmed (via Google). She's from Vermont so I suppose the whole maple motif is pertinent, though perhaps pieces of candied maple would have fared better than blondie chunks. Or maybe I just saw that episode of Friends...

A whole pint seems like it would be a challenge, and perhaps it's a good thing it's limited "batch." Let Haagen Dazs relish in their Dulce de Leche glory.

Oatmeal Cookie Chunk & Half Baked

I must note that the way I tasted both Oatmeal Cookie Chunk and Half Baked were a bit out of the ordinary, though I'm not yet at liberty to disclose how. I'll also note I've had Half Baked before, but vowed that during my journey I'd eat every flavor, even those I've previously had. Back to my tasting of two flavors in an unconventionalway. A very special person had a very special birthday that I felt compelled tomake a sweet treat for. I used both of these flavors in a fairly innovative though entirely simple way, and the results it yielded were better than I ever could have imagined.

In regards to Oatmeal Cookie Chunk, though I had it in my possession for quite some time, I actually hadn't tried it for a decent while. To backtrack, one of my nearest and dearest, Miss Amanda Bess Heller, loves Oatmeal Cookie Chunk and bought it for me. Upon purchase, neither of us wanted ice cream but I solemnly swore (slash just

told her) that I wouldn't taste it without her. So it sat in my freezer, and it sat and it sat... until a test of run of aforementioned, undisclosed sweet treat required me to use whatever ice cream I already had in the freezer. I used Oatmeal Cookie Chunk but told myself I wouldn't even try a cupcake until Amanda was in my presence...though push came to shove and I did. It was delicious but a bit too cinnamony (say that three times fast!) for my taste.

On to the Half Baked which is synonymous with Ben & Jerry's, and for good reason. Brownie and cookie dough chunks never killed anyone (salmonella what?!) and in fact, have made a lot of people (specifically those "half baked") very happy. I, too was very happy after eating it. And a very vague hint on how I ate it...it involved gummy bears. I've already said too much...

Dublin Mudslide

After a month hiatus, my fate for trying a new flavor was left in the hands of someone else (just my style), and like they say, when in Ireland... speaking of Ireland (I'm known for my segways) the flavor at steak (mmm steak) was Dublin Mudslide. A Baileys-esque base (aka coffee) was offset with chocolate cookies (oreos sans cream which though sound horrendous were actually good) and chocolate coffee fudge which stole the show and had me eating obnoxiously from that point, purposely spooning (eh?) for the swirls of goeey fudge. Short and sweet just like my Dublin Mudslide experience.

Everything But The...

I was intimidated by the name but decided to delve in anyway, as the promise of heath bar, chocolate covered almonds, white chocolate chunks and peanut butter cups awaited me in Everything But The...

I've started to become a hybrid of lazy and greedy (attractive, huh?) and no longer scoop my ice cream, but rather dig spoon first into whatever strikes my fancy. I also have forgone the few-second-microwave bit to soften said ice cream, due to aforementioned laziness and my absolute aversion to the word "nuke."

That said, upon first glance the flavor appeared to just be vanilla ice cream. Upon first dig...and second and even third, I didn't notice much of the "everything" I was promised. A few more digs and I was a little bit more successful. The white chocolate chunks were pretty substantial and I enjoyed them greatly. When I was younger, our butcher used to sell these incredible Swiss white chocolate bars that my dad would put in the fridge and we'd break off pieces little by little and these chunks dug up (ba dum chh!) those memories. The almonds were also on the large side as they remained whole, as were the peanut butter cups, roughly the size of Trader Joe's peanut butter cups (aka crack) and I must note I never got any heath bar in my serving. Perhaps I gave up too soon (likely) but the blame can't be placed solely on me.

To cushion the blow, I may or may not have bought myself an oversized heath bar cookie to compensate a few days later. "May."

Chocolate

I'd long heard of Ben and Jerry's epic annual free cone day, but due to a lack of B&J (not feeling the initials but it's easier) in my town, I'd never had the opportunity to attend, much less enjoy it. My sister attended college in Saratoga Springs, New York where a large Ben and Jerry's resided, and as a girl on a college budget (read: parent-funded), she would rave about free cone day. The girl had financial priorities and ice cream wasn't the only thing she enjoyed at Skidmore...

When I decided to start this..."project" (said loosely because of my lack of discipline, though using the term makes it feel legitimate), free cone day didn't even cross my mind. I never even thought to seek out the answers to the numerous questions I once had about it. Was it the same day every year? Is it everywhere? Is there an age limit?

Then, all in one week, something magical happened. First, LivingSocial announced a $20 for $10 deal at B&J, and though I didn't jump on the bandwagon fast enough, I was pretty impressed with the timing of it all. In the same week, I heard word it was free cone day! I immediately googled locations and to my dismay there are only three in New York City. Harlem, Rockefeller Center and Macy's. Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad. Macy's is however in close proximity to my apartment, so the decision was made.

I wholeheartedly despise Macy's Herald Square, mostly because it somehow seems to resemble what I imagine Ellis Island was like in its prime, and the crowds are anxiety-inducing on more levels than one. Even still, free cone day was free cone day and how could I not attend? I made my way on a cold and rainy night and the usual crowds didn't bother me as much as they normally do, as the shoppers there may as well be immigrants with cholera who I dodge and avoid like...well, cholera. The line was absurd, though moved quickly as the scoopers (another technical term) more closely resembled factory workers on an assembly line, scooping and passing, scooping and passing. Did my scoop have a little residue (ew) of another flavor? Yes, but I still appreciated their efforts.

The disappointment set in when an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper (not framed...not even laminated) informed me of my flavor options. Options? Strike one. The flavors available were as follows: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, vanilla fro yo, lemon sorbet and one crossed out aggressively in black marker. Late Night Snack. The flavor that pushed me to start this "project" in the first place. Strike two. Here they were, the most generic flavors on the planet, and the most recent and acclaimed one was available and now, conveniently unavailable?! My shock and dismay as well as that of a one Amanda Heller, were off the charts.

I opted for chocolate and just as I made a mental list of why this was maybe a good thing (1. I have to eat all flavors eventually, 2. it was free, 3. it kinda sorta maybe hit the spot) we spotted customers with cones that had flavors that were not any of the above listed. Late Night Snack? It had to be. Strike three.

CoffeeCoffeeBuzzBuzzBuzz

Let me start off by saying that the way I go about my flavor picking is not scientific (in case you thought otherwise). There's no rhyme or reason, no order, and I'd even go so far as to say that convenience is the biggest, if not sole, factor that my choosing is based upon. Is someone (read: mom) going food shopping on my behalf? Does the market I pass daily en route from the train to my apartment (whattup Green Leaf) have something I need to check off my list? Done and done. I guess it goes back to my indecisive nature and the fact that I'm intimidated by many options, so I'd much rather decide based on availability. Similarly, I'm much happier at a restaurant with a limited menu than one with an overwhelming one. Diners? Let the anxiety attack ensue.

So, when a work week came and went and there was no ice cream to be eaten (credited to a lack of trying to be certain), Saturday seemed to be the day. My mom, sister and I ventured to Atlantic City for a little get out of the city weekend (note: this is not the same as a get out of jail free card, as my 27 year old sister and I were carded by security in the Borgata casino after video surveillance saw my feet dangling (no, they did not touch the floor) and assumed we were not yet 21. Had we not been of age, a get out of jail free card would have been clutch).

Back to my ice cream eating which happened by chance, as our hotel had a Ben & Jerry's. in it. Rewind to about an hour prior, where I had eaten a small pasta salad courtesy of Starbucks while shopping, as as per usual I let myself get hungrier than I should have and needed some on-the-spot nourishment. Upon arriving to the hotel, we opted for the food court as we had dinner reservations in only a few hours and didn't want to spoil our appetites [too severely]. The choices were decent (not too vast, but enough), and as if I didn't have a hard enough time deciding what to eat, my mom's voice echoed: You have to get ice cream after. Well, in that case, Lettuce Head, the make your own salad place should have been my pick, for may I remind you that I had just ate a decent helping of pasta salad, was planning to eat ice cream promptly thereafter and later intended on having steak. Tell me why then that I opted for Fatburger. Yep, not just any burger, but one with fat in its name. Necessary.

After a cheese (also necessary) Fatburger and a meal that had my sister, mom and I in tears of laughter (over my recent affinity for binge eating mostly), my mom reminded me that Ben & Jerry's was waiting. A kid's size scoop sounded perfect as the reminder of a looming (and gluttonous) dinner awaited. To lessen the blow (slash nausea), my mom told me she'd share with me and suggested CoffeeCoffeeBuzzBuzzBuzz because she needed the caffeine. Gotta love a good rationalization. Nearly bitter coffee ice cream was highlighted with espresso fudge chunks and was pretty delicious, being a variation of my long time favorite: coffee ice cream with chocolate syrup (or hot fudge when available). I later found out the flavor is a Scoop Shop only flavor which turned out to be a happy accident...the best kind of accident there is! Certainly cushioned the blow of force feeding filet down my throat at our dinner reservations mere hours later.