Ice cream review: Häagen-Dazs Gelato Stracciatella

Ice cream review by John

Score: 4 out of 5 scoops

Company: Häagen-Dazs

First off, what exactly does "stracciatella" mean? Well, the truth is, it can mean a few different things, usually all of them having something to do with European cooking of one type or another. In this instance, stracciatella refers to a style of Italian ice cream that is normally a vanilla with chocolate shavings inserted.

And that's sort of what we've got here, but better.

This new gelato flavor from Häagen-Dazs is actually a sweet cream gelato ice cream with tons and tons and tons of chocolate shavings. And when I say "shavings," I literally mean little curly-cue shavings of chocolate.

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows I am a big fun of including ingredients in ice cream that add to the texture, such as chocolate chips, nuts, candies, caramel stripes, and the like. To put it bluntly, I like stuff in my ice cream. And this gelato does not fail.

The sweet cream gelato base is quite good in and of itself, but adding those chocolate shavings takes this sweet treat to a whole new level. And don't worry, because there are plenty of those shavings here. This isn't some premium-brand ice cream that tosses in a couple of chocolate chunks. No, no. You're not going to get a single spoonful here that won't have tons of chocolate shavings in it, and the chocolate is top-notch quality, too.

If you haven't tried any of the new Häagen-Dazs gelatos, do yourself a flavor and pick one up. The Stracciatella might be a good place to start.

Ice cream review: Häagen-Dazs Gelato Sea Salt Caramel

Ice cream review by John

Score: 3.5 out of 5 scoops

Company: Häagen-Dazs

Häagen-Dazs puts out some of the smoothest, creamiest ice creams on the market, so how can they top themselves? By putting out some ice cream that's even more smooth and creamy! Don't believe me? If not, then you need to try some of the new gelato flavors from Häagen-Dazs.

This one is the Sea Salt Caramel. I can't say it was a favorite, but it's still quality ice cream.

What you've got here is quite the tasty sea salt caramel gelato with a sea salt caramel ribbon mixed in.

Sound great, right? It is.

But I have a few quibbles, and these are mainly personal, just my opinion. For one, I prefer ice cream treats that have stuff in them, like cookies or nuts or something, and this one fails in that regard, though that doesn't mean it's a bad ice cream, just not quite my thing. The sea salt caramel ribbon helps some, and it is the best part of this treat (my mouth waters just thinking about it), but unfortunately the batch I tried didn't have a whole lot of that ribbon. Maybe I just had bad luck, because other Häagen-Dazs flavors I've tried that had a ribbon usually were quite generous with the ribbon.

So, caramel fans, you'll like this one. Gelato fans, you, too. Häagen-Dazs fans, you'll want to give this one a try. It might or might not be a new favorite for you, but I guarantee you'll be glad you gave this one a try.

Ice cream review: Häagen-Dazs Banana Split

Ice cream review by John

Score: 4 out of 5 scoops

Company: Häagen-Dazs

If you want the pleasure of a banana split without all the messy clean-up, you need to try Banana Split ice cream from Häagen-Dazs.

What you've got here is a mixture of banana ice cream with whipped cream, then a fudge swirl and pieces of cherry and strawberry added in. Basically, just what you might expect in a banana split, right? Only, and this is a bit difficult to explain, here it's just about perfect.

The Häagen-Dazs people did a solid job with their base, the banana and whipped cream. Both are balanced quite well here, and the fudge swirl is just right, enough to bring a little of that chocolate fudge flavor without going overboard. The fruit pieces are also a nice tough, adding a little texture and a hint of flavor without burdening the ice cream.

As with all Häagen-Dazs flavors, this one is quite smooth.

Do I have any complaints, especially since I didn't give a full 5 out of 5 scoops for a score? No, no complaints, but my personal preference would have been for the fudge and perhaps the whipped cream to have been just the tiniest big stronger. But those are personal preferences, and I realize others might want something different.

Ice cream review: Häagen-Dazs Cookies & Cream

Ice cream review by John

Score: 4 out of 5 scoops

Company: Häagen-Dazs

My wife is the big Häagen-Dazs fan, but I can't complain about the company's ice creams because they are some of the smoothest around.

This flavor, Cookies & Cream, is no exception.

As with most Cookies & Cream ice creams, this one is vanilla ice cream mixed with chocolate cookies and a little stiff cream. The cookies are basically akin to Oreo cookies, but obviously can't be called such for legal reasons.

Here the folks at Häagen-Dazs provide their traditionally smooth vanilla ice cream as the base, and a fine vanilla it is. Though I prefer "stuff" in my ice cream, whenever I am in the mood for just plain ice cream that's smooth, I always go with Häagen-Dazs.

The cookies here are of high quality, and for the most part they come in big chunks with a few crumbs here and there throughout the vanilla ice cream. My only complaint is that I felt there weren't enough chocolate cookie pieces. Most Cookies & Cream ice creams disappoint me because the cookie pieces are so small, but that wasn't the case here; the cookie pieces were big enough for my pleasure, but there just weren't that many of them. Still, I'd not turn my nose up at this particular ice cream, and there's nothing wrong with my score of 4 out of 5 scoops.

Ice cream review: Häagen-Dazs Peppermint Bark

Ice cream review by John

Score: 4 out of 5 scoops

Company: Häagen-Dazs

Don't let this holiday ice cream fool you. At first glance it looks like simple vanilla ice cream with a couple of chunks of chocolate and maybe a little red candy tossed in. But it's not. It's so much more than that.

For one thing, that vanilla ice cream isn't vanilla ice cream. Nope, it's a white chocolate ice cream. And that's just the beginning of the pizzazz.

Mixed in with that ice cream are a few chunks of peppermint candy, but more importantly there are tons of pieces of peppermint bark candy.

And if you don't know about peppermint bark candy, you are missing out. Peppermint bark is quite simple, actually, though I have seen different types in stores. The peppermint bark in this ice cream appears to be a thin layer of milk chocolate beneath a layer of white chocolate, atop which is sprinkled little pieces of hard peppermint candy. Add all this together and you've got a great candy, but combine it with the white chocolate ice cream and you've got one of the best holiday ice creams available in grocery stores.

The next time Christmas and Kwanzaa and Hanukkah roll around, do yourself a favor and get a pint or more of this awesome ice cream.

Ice cream review: Häagen-Dazs Caramel Apple Pie

Ice cream review by guest

Score: 4.5 out of 5 scoops

Company: Häagen-Dazs

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times … “It’s as American as apple pie!”

The largely patriotic and appetite-inducing phrase evokes images of mom baking away in the kitchen like no other idiom that stirs the salivary glands. The buttery crust that melts in your mouth, the delicate crisp sweetness of the apples … ahh … What could make it any better? Caramel. My answer is ALWAYS caramel.

Here is yet another taste triumph for Haagen-Dazs; it’s their Caramel Apple Pie ice cream. It starts with the milky smoothness of the apple ice cream that has petite portions of juicy tasting apple bites mixed with a hint of cinnamon. Then add in the rich, flaky, buttery piecrust pieces throughout. To perfect this icy delight, there’s the light swirl of velvety caramel running through each spoonful.

I recently tried and reviewed another ice cream in this limited edition line of Haagen-Dazs. It was the Spiced Peach Crumble. Whatever cooking process Haagen-Dazs uses, they get it exactly right. The fruit pieces are just the right balance of tender and yet they stay crisp with the freshest taste.

Do yourself a favor; pick up Haagen-Dazs Caramel Apple Pie ice cream. It will transport you back to mom’s kitchen table and the apple pie that makes you feel at home again.

Ice cream review: Häagen-Dazs Rocky Road

Ice cream review by guest

Score: 4.5 out of 5 scoops

Company: Häagen-Dazs

I have the pint of Haagen-Dazs Rocky Road ice cream in my hand and a spoon at the ready. There’s just one more thing I need … Weird Al Yankovic singing his “revised” version of Joan Jett’s, “I Love Rock & Roll.”

SING IT, AL!

“Baby, I love Rocky Road
So won't you go and buy half a gallon, baby?
I love Rocky Road
So have another triple scoop with me
OW!”
*Jammin’ to that wicked accordion solo*

The ingredients for Rocky Road are simple: chocolate, marshmallow and almonds. The secret is getting the blend of these three elements just right. Haagen-Dazs has done it again. The milk chocolate flavor of their ice cream is called their signature flavor for a reason. You can taste the creaminess of the rich chocolate mixed with the sweetest, fluffiest clouds of marshmallow swirl and the delicate crunch of the roasted almonds. It is classic ingredients blended so perfectly that it creates something incredibly unique you will want again and again.

PLAY IT ONE MORE TIME, AL!

Ice cream review: Häagen-Dazs Spiced Peach Crumble

Ice cream review by guest
Score: 4 out of 5 scoops
Company: Häagen-Dazs

One thing I know about is peaches. I’m a Georgia girl, and we know about peaches. Peaches are one of my favorite fruits, and I eat them about any way you can prepare them. So when my husband brought home a new peach ice cream, it was my pleasure to taste it and give my review.The flavor is “Spiced Peach Crumble” from Häagen-Dazs. Before I go any further, I would be remiss if I did not tell you that Häagen-Dazs is my favorite brand of ice cream. I do like other brands of ice cream, but I have yet to find one that I believe is of superior quality. Hey, the blog is called “Ice Cream Snob.” If you were expecting an “all ice creams are created equal” approach, you may be very disappointed!

The base of “Spiced Peach Crumble” is a sweet cream ice cream. It is layered with a generous amount of gently cooked peach pieces and chunks of pie crust that are so buttery it will melt in your mouth. There is a light amount of nutmeg and cinnamon, just enough to enhance the flavor of the sweet, ripe peaches. These peaches must have been picked at the height of the season because they are perfectly sugary and tender.It is a 4 out of 5 scoops for me. I will rarely give a 5 scoops unless the ice cream comes with someone who will do the dishes for me.

Enjoy!

FLAVOR TOP NOTES

fruity peaches, warm nutmeg and cinnamon

FLAVOR FINISH NOTES

lingering butter and sweet summer peach