Dove - Mint Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream - Aug. 21, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dove
Mint Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
Good
Weight: 1/2 cup (69 g.) / 15.10 fl. oz. (447 mL) in total container
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 cup serving
Cost: $ (unknown)
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Frozen Desserts Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and Mint Theme Week.

Today's pretty, pastel-green Dove Mint Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream (distributed by Mars Chocolate North America (Hackettstown, NJ)) was flecked with small pieces of Dove chocolate.

Haagen-Dazs - Peppermint bark bar - Aug. 20, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Haagen-Dazs
peppermint bark ice cream bars
Good - Good +
Weight: 3 fl. oz. (84 g.) / 9 fl. oz. (266 mL) for 1 box of 3 bars
Calories: 280 calories for 1 ice cream bar
Cost: $2.29 for 1 box of 3 bars
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Due to an abundance of chocolates with overlapping inclusions, some chocolate theme weeks flow into the next. Today was one of those days. Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Frozen Desserts Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and Mint Theme Week.

Today I enjoyed a refreshing peppermint bark ice cream bar from Haagen-Dazs (distributed by Nestle Dreyers Ice Cream Company, Oakland, CA).

A core of white chocolate ice cream was dipped in dark chocolate and peppermint candy pieces. The chocolate and mint flavors were well balanced -- neither too sweet or too minty.

These Limited Edition individually-wrapped peppermint bark ice cream bars came packaged 3 to a box.

Tillamook - Tillamook Mudslide Ice Cream - Aug. 19, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Tillamook
Tillamook Mudslide Ice Cream
Good +
Weight: 1/2 cup (70 g.) / 1.75 quarts (1.66 L) in total container
Calories: 190 calories for 1/2 cup serving
Cost: $2.99 (estimate) for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Summer wouldn't be summer without ice cream and frozen refreshments.

With a long history in the dairy business, the 100 farm families that make up the Tillamook dairy co-op (in Tillamook, Oregon) -- as well as the cheese and ice cream makers there -- know a thing or two about ice cream.

Over time, Tillamook has expanded their ice cream and ice cream bar offerings. Today I tried the company's Tillamook Mudslide Ice Cream. It was laced with broad ribbons of chocolate and chunks of fudge, in a base of creamy chocolate ice cream.

This ice cream was made with "extra cream." I'm not sure what made it extra (beyond having 13.5% butterfat), but I found it noteworthy that the company plans to transition next year to a recipe that is "even creamier than our current recipe while eliminating Carageenan, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Cellulose Gum, Mono and Digyclerides, and Polysorbate 80." That sounds like a good thing to me.

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Frozen Desserts Theme Week. 

The Piping Gourmets - Chocolate Raspberry Whoopie Pies - Aug. 18, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Piping Gourmets
Chocolate Raspberry Whoopie Pies
Good - Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) / 8 oz. (226.8 g.) (per label) for 1 box of 4
Calories: 210 calories for 1 pie
Cost: $7.99 for 1 box of 4 pies
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Frozen Dessert Theme Week.

Yesterday, I tried a Double Chocolate Whoopie Pie from The Piping Gourmets (Miami, FL). Two rounds of moist chocolate cake (sandwiched together) held a chocolate frosting filling. Today I tried the company's Chocolate Raspberry flavor (chocolate cake with raspberry frosting).

Both these Whoopie Pies were made with gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate cookie-shaped cakes -- and were surprisingly good given what they'd left out or artfully substituted. The vegan raspberry "cream" frosting filling was not too heavy or sweet, which I liked.

Whoopie and moon pies in the U.S. are "hand pies" that have the frosting on the inside, making cake suitable for eating fork-free, with your hands. And these were very nice eaten cold, like an ice cream sandwich, as well.

While technically not meant to be a frozen dessert, like yesterday's Double Chocolate flavor, I ate this individually-wrapped Chocolate Raspberry Whoopie Pie right out of the freezer. It was great treat to beat the heat.

These pies were certified gluten free, vegan and kosher, and were Non GMO Project verified.

The Piping Gourmets - Chocolate Chocolate Whoopie Pies - Aug. 17, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Piping Gourmets
Whoopie Pies - Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting
(Double Chocolate)
Good+
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) / 8 oz. (226.8 g.) in total box of 4 pies
Calories: 210 calories in 1 pie
Cost: $7.99 for 1 box of 4 pies
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Frozen Desserts Theme Week.

On a hot August afternoon, there's nothing like a tall glass of ice water and some ice cream. A close second might be an ice cream sandwich. Or, today's chocolate -- a frozen chocolate Whoopie Pie.

The first Whoopie Pies probably originated with the Pennsylvania Amish, and are round cake-like sandwiches filled with a creamy filling.

Today's frozen "Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting" Whoopie Pie was from The Piping Gourmets (Miami, FL). Co-founders Leslie Kaplan and Carolyn Shulevich developed a gluten-free and dairy-free version of what looks a bit like a cookie ice cream sandwich.

Sold frozen, and packaged in boxes of 4 individually-wrapped sandwiches, these Whoopie Pies were technically not a frozen dessert. They were meant to be thawed and eaten at room temperature. However, I thought they were good right out of the freezer, especially on a hot day.

Today's Double Chocolate flavor was one of a half dozen different flavors sold by the company. Each individually wrapped Double Chocolate cookie-cake sandwich was filled with chocolate frosting.

The Piping Gourmets Whoopie Pies were made in a dedicated gluten-free facility and were also Non-GMO, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, and Kosher.

Mars - Dove Unconditional Chocolate Ice Cream - Aug. 16, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Mars
Dove Unconditional Chocolate Ice Cream
Good +
Weight: 1/2 cup (72 g.) / 15.1 fl. oz. (447 mL) in total container
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 cup serving
Cost: $2.00 (estimate) for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Frozen Desserts Theme Week.

It's August and it's hot. Perfect for a week of "cold" chocolate -- in the form of ice cream and frozen desserts.

Today's Dove brand Unconditional Chocolate Ice Cream (distributed by Mars, Hackettstown, NJ) was loaded with concentrated chocolate flavor -- shards and flecks of chocolate were buried in a chocolate ice cream base.

I ate this chocolate ice cream in the morning. But it was already so hot, that the ice cream started to melt within seconds after I scooped it into a glass to eat. It still tasted refreshingly great.

NadaMoo - Gotta Do Chocolate - Aug. 15, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

NadaMoo
Gotta Do Chocolate - Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
Good - Good +
Weight: 1/4 cup (35.5 g.) / 1 Pint (473 mL)
Calories: 60 calories in 1/4 cup serving
Cost: $2.00 (estimate) for 1 Pint container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to the first day (Day #1) of Chocolate and Frozen Desserts Theme Week.

This week will be focused on ice cream and other frozen desserts that incorporate chocolate.

Today's "Gotta Do Chocolate" flavor of Organic, non-dairy ice cream from NadaMoo (Austin, TX) was made with coconut milk instead of milk and cream. This was nothing like the more granular or uncertain, icy melts sometimes present in other non-dairy options. Each chocolate mouthful of NadaMoo melted with a silken creaminess.

NadaMoo is a family business that started after making their coconut milk-based frozen dessert for locals. Now there are several certified organic, gluten free, vegan and kosher flavors more widely available in the U.S.