Schar - Double Chocolate Cookies + Rick's Choco Cherry Ice Cream - Dec. 7, 2025

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Schar 
Double Chocolate Soft Baked Cookies 
Good ++
Weight: 2.4 oz. (70 g.) / 7.4 oz. (210 g.) in total box of 6 cookies
Calories: 320 calories in 2 cookies
Cost: N/A - gift from family member
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Rick's Ice Cream
Choco Cherry Ice Cream
Good ++
Weight: 1/2 cup serving / 1 Quart total container
Calories: unknown
Cost: $19.50 for 1 quart of ice cream
Purchased from: Rick's Ice Cream, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate, Movies & Entertainment Theme Week, featuring an excellent two-product pairing--that resulted in a delicious ice cream sandwich.

I loved ice cream sandwiches as a child--outdoors in warm weather, indoors in the winter. It was dark and cold today, so I tucked into this tasty chocolate and cherry sandwich while watching the Job Switching (1952) episode from the "I Love Lucy" (TV) show--where Lucy and Ethel (in their newly found jobs at a candy factory) were bested by a rapidly moving chocolate conveyor belt. One of the top classic chocolate comedic moments on film.

Also enjoyed: a variety of cartoon shorts from the Ice Cream Sandwich (YouTube) channel. 

Double Chocolate Soft Baked Cookies

These gluten-free, chocolate cookies with chocolate chips came individually wrapped in a box of six. They were good by themselves. And the cookies' texture and relatively mild, smooth chocolate flavor made them perfect for ice cream sandwiches. 

Texture: soft and perfectly cohesive (not too crumbly, dry or starchy) with a pleasing chew.

I don't know how they would fare over time in frozen form; but they were just right when used fresh.

Ingredients: "Corn starch, Chocolate chips (sugar, cocoa mass**, cocoa butter**, soy lecithin, natural flavor), Brown sugar, Rice flour, Blend of vegetable fats and oils (coconut fat, sunflower oil), Butter (milk), Chocolate (Cocoa mass**, sugar, cocoa butter**, soy lecithin), Corn syrup, Sorbitol syrup, Eggs, Fructose, Cocoa powder**, Dextrose, Xanthan gum, Baking soda, Ammonium bicarbonate, Salt, Soy lecithin, Natural flavor."

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Soy, Egg, Milk, Tree nuts (coconut). May contain: Tree nuts."

Choco Cherry Ice Cream (and sandwich filling)

Aroma and flavor notes for this Chocolate Cherry ice cream included: Light colored, Burgandy cherry-style ice cream aroma and flavor with flecks of dark chocolate.

Texture: Light and creamy in texture, easy to scoop, and enjoyable to eat. Also perfect for ice cream sandwich making. A denser ice cream would have been more challenging to scoop/shape.

Ingredients: (Not listed on container)

Allergen-related information: (Not listed on container.) Contained Milk.

Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream - Chocolate Chip ice cream + mint - July 9, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream
Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Good - Good+
Weight: 1/2 cup / 1 Quart container
Calories: 250 calories (guesstimate) in 1/2 serving
Cost: $9.00 for 1 Quart container
Purchased from: Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Mint Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Chip ice cream from Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream (Palo Alto, CA) didn't have any mint in it.

However, this satisfying, light and creamy ice cream with flecks of dark chocolate was whirled in a blender with fresh mint leaves and a splash of mint tea and transformed into a tiny, refreshing mint milkshake.

The subtle hint of mint (from the backyard) worked very nicely in the blender—resulting in a home-grown version of mint chocolate chip ice cream that was less sweet than most (a good thing).

Chocolate, Chai and Ube - June 28, 2013

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Rick's (Rather Rich) Ice Cream
Ice Cream Sundae (with Chocolate Ice Cream + Ube Ice Cream)
Good - Good +
Calories: 525 calories (estimate) in 1 sundae
Cost: $4.49 for 1 single size sundae in a cup
Purchased from: Rick's Ice Cream, Charleston Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA

Chocolate and Surprise Me Theme Week technically ended last night, with a bubble gum bar. However, it was a hot day today, and during a walk with a neighbor (thanks Margaret and Albert!), I couldn't resist stopping at the local ice cream shop, Rick's Ice Cream (Palo Alto, CA), to enjoy one last fun flavor.

I picked up an ice cream sundae. Underneath the whipped cream, nuts, cherry and chocolate sauce were small scoops of Ube ice cream and "plain" chocolate ice cream. The Ube ice cream, a popular Filipino dessert, was made with purple yam, and had a very slight yam-like texture. However, the added purple color brightened up the sundae.*

*Also, I can now say I've mixed chocolate with a food starting with a "U." Now I have only to find a food starting with "X" and I will have covered the whole alphabet.

The "plain" chocolate ice cream (one of several chocolate ice creams offered at Rick's) was anything but plain. It was all that I'm generally hoping for in a chocolate ice cream -- rich, authentic, creamy chocolate flavor and texture.

- @ - @ - @ - @ - @ -

Peet's Coffee and Tea
Iced Chai Latte with a shot of mocha/chocolate syrup
Good - Good +
Weight: 12 oz. in 1 small Iced Chai Latte
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) for 1 latte + shot
Cost: $3.49 + shot
Purchased from: Peet's Coffee and Tea, Charleston Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA

Today's Iced Chai Latte from Peet's Coffee and Tea was a variation on a traditional Indian spiced milky tea. It was constructed with a blend of Peet's teas and spices (don't forget the cardamom), and 2% fat chilled milk. No whipped cream today; it was too hot. This flavorful, satisfying cold tea latte kept me from over-heating on the walk back home.

ChocolateBet: September 14, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream
Mexican Chocolate
Very Good
Weight: ~ 1/2 cup serving/1 Quart
Calories: 250 calories (estimate)
Cost: $7.50 for 1 pre-packed Quart to go
Purchased from: Rick's Ice Cream, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #5 of Spicy Chocolate Week, and I celebrated the day with a small bowl of Mexican Chocolate ice cream from Rick's Ice Cream (Palo Alto, CA). This ice cream shop is a local favorite, with several wonderful specialty flavors. Other flavor favorites of mine at Rick's have included: Lemon Lavender, Saffron Pistachio, Rose, Molasses Chip and White Chocolate Ginger.

I enjoyed this Mexican Chocolate ice cream with a little extra dash of cinnamon on top. Que rico y delicioso.

We're enjoying some Indian Summer sunshine this week. I hope it lasts a bit longer. However, I do see some red edging starting to appear on a few green leaves to the north of us. I may have to hunt for a spicy, hot chocolate drink for tomorrow's selection.

ChocolateBet: June 17, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream
Mint Chip ice cream
Good+
Weight:
Calories: 250 calories (guesstimate) in 1/2 cup serving
Cost: $7.50 for 1 Pint
Purchased from: Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream, Palo Alto, CA

Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream is a popular ice cream shop within walking distance of my house. However, I never seem to go there on foot. I tend to stop by there in the car, on the way back from errands, so that I can dash home with some ice cream quickly, before it melts. Today I picked up a quart of mint chip, and a quart of lavender honey ice cream. Both great summer flavors.

As promised, this Rick's ice cream tasted rich and creamy, and the mint flavoring tasted authentic. The chocolate chips were a little on the hard/frozen side (a common occurrence with some chocolate chips); but I could still taste a nice dark chocolate flavor. A little fresh mint for a garnish, and life was good. I managed to eat this just before it melted into a bowl of sweet mint soup.

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Mint Ice Cream Theme Week. 

ChocolateBet: December 18, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 sundae
Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream
Peppermint ice cream hot fudge sundae
Good+
Weight: Small size
Calories: 290 calories (estimate)
Cost: $5.00 (estimate)
Purchased from: Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Peppermint Candy Cane Theme Week. There are lots of interesting peppermint ice creams out there -- all good candidates for hot fudge sundaes.

Rick's Rather Rich is a great, local ice cream parlor down the road from my house, so I'm a frequent customer there. I dolled up this fresh-tasting Rick's Peppermint ice cream sundae with whipped cream, hot fudge and a cherry in my car -- with a few mini Bob's Candy Canes. OK, it was a bit of a mess, but now it really feels like the holidays.

ChocolateBet: December 15, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1 oz.
Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream and Fudge
Chocolate Walnut Fudge
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 grams)
Calories: 150 calories (estimate)
Cost: $5.95 for total box of fudge
Purchased from: Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream and Fudge, Palo Alto, CA

Today was the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate and Rocky Road Theme Week. I started with some Rick's Rather Rich Chocolate Walnut Fudge -- packed in its own box, with small white plastic knife included. And thought I might build my own rocky road dish, with the fudge as a starting point. Chocolate. Walnuts. All I needed was a marshmallow.

I tried topping the fudge with a strawberry-filled (Hello Kitty) strawberry-filled marshmallow. This didn't work, although it might have, had the strawberry flavor been a bit more authentic. (I forgot I still had a few alpine strawberries in my yard.)

I'd read that rocky road desserts in other parts of the world incorporate chocolate, nuts and marshmallows -- and also cherries, or strawberry sauce. That information (correct or not) was enough to send me off into a creative frenzy of experimenting with variations on this theme.

My conclusion: Rick's Rather Rich Chocolate Walnut Fudge was good all by itself, but it can also be part of a larger dessert tray, or other combination.

I went about messing with left-over rocky road ice cream with strawberry jello and sweetened cherries and whipped cream. It seemed to cry out for a dash of cinnamon on top, and indeed it was better that way. The trick with these mad scientist experiments -- don't take it too far. So, I quit while I was ahead, and ate the whole mess.

ChocolateBet: December 11, 2011

Chocolate of the Day: 

1 Small Cup
Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream
Rocky Road ice cream
Very Good
Weight: 2/3 cup (estimate)
Calories: 350 calories (guess)
Cost: $3.85 for Small Cup
Purchased from: Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream, Palo Alto, CA

It was Day #3 of Chocolate and Rocky Road Theme Week today.

I elected to pursue a theme week packed with cold ice cream entries during a week with somewhat frosty weather. But, evening temperatures rarely dip below 40 degrees (F) for too long where I live. And, I was looking forward to sampling the Rocky Road ice cream at the local ice cream shop -- Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream (Palo Alto, CA).

I sat down at Rick's to enjoy a Small cup of their Rocky Road (made with toasted almonds instead of walnuts), and I wasn't disappointed. Play it again Sam.