Sunday, July 17, 2022

Dreyer's - Mocha Almond Avenue ice cream - July 16, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Dreyer's 
Mocha Almond Avenue ice cream
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2/3 cup (86 g.) / 1.5 Quarts (1.41 Liter) in total container
Calories: 200 calories in 2/3 cup serving
Cost: $5.99 (estimate) for 1 container 
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week--a series that has been temporarily high-jacked by a series of coffee/mocha frozen dessert entries due to summer weather.

Today's Mocha Almond Avenue ice cream was distributed by Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, Inc. (Oakland, CA), a company originally founded in Oakland in 1928.* 

Of all the ice creams so far this week, this Mocha Almond Avenue ice cream evoked the most positive childhood memories related to coffee and chocolate ice creams. It also had the most generous (and tasty) serving of nuts (almonds).

The aroma telegraphed rich, creamy coffee latte with faint nutty notes. The texture was light (pillowy) and quite creamy. And the flavors were smooth and well-balanced. A creamy coffee ice cream base contained well incorporated swirls of smooth dark chocolate fudge and the aforementioned crunchy hunks of roasted almonds.

Ingredients: Skim milk, cream, sugar, fudge swirl (sugar, corn syrup, skim milk, cream, cocoa processed with alkali, palm oil, bitter chocolate, modified tapioca starch, sodium alginate), corn syrup, roasted almonds (almonds, safflower oil, salt), whey, coffee, guar gum, carob bean gum, monoglycerides.

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk and almond ingredients."

*In 2004, Dreyer's invested in Haagen-Dazs. In 2006, Dreyer's became a subsidiary of Nestle; and in 2019 Nestle sold their U.S. ice cream brands to become part of Swiss joint venture company, Froneri as part of an estimated $4 billion deal. Note: If you live in the Eastern U.S. (east of the Rockies), the Dreyer's brand may be sold as Edy's Ice Cream. 



Negranti Creamery - Black Coffee Chocolate Chip Sheep Milk Ice Cream - July 15, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Negranti Creamery
Black Coffee Chocolate Chip (sheep milk ice cream)
Good ++
Weight: 1/2 cup (85 g.) / 1 Pint (473 mL.) in total container
Calories: 150 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $8.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week(s).

Today's Black Coffee Chocolate Chip sheep milk* ice cream was created by Alex Negranti and team at Negranti Creamery (Paso Robles, CA).

This ice cream had an authentic, rich coffee with milk aroma. 

The texture was more like traditional (home made/high-quality) ice milk--hard to find anymore. It was refreshing and satisfying, with an even, relatively quick melt, and with a bit less heavy cream and other residue(s). (The absence of vegetable gums and other ingredients often used in ice creams to enhance "creaminess" was refreshing in and of itself.)

Strong, bold dark, "black" coffee flavor melded with naturally sweet (almost fruity) and faintly nutty notes in this ice cream. Tiny chocolate chunks provided flecks of crunchy texture and added flavor depth.

Ingredients: Sheep milk, cane sugar, coffee, chocolate chunks (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, milk fat), tapioca starch. 

Allergen-related information: (Contained dairy (sheep milk)). "Made on shared equipment, may contain nuts."

*Why sheep milk? The sheep milk used to make today's ice cream almost certainly contained the easier-to-digest A2 protein (vs. the A1 protein in most cow milk sold in the U.S.). And the sheep were pasture-fed. (A grass diet can contribute to a healthier nutritional profile.) 

Also, sheep milk is said to be higher in certain vitamins and minerals as well as having fats that are healthier and easier to digest. 

Finally, unlike goat milk's very slightly gamey flavor, sheep milk tends to be neutral and slightly sweet.

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