[New for 2022] I know collaborations are nothing new, but isn't it still a little surprisingly when you see a giant company like Walmart team up with a smaller ice cream brand to deliver a lineup of 7 exclusive flavors? I've been doing this for almost 14 years and I'm still surprised. (We'll cover the two I tried first and then do a quick listing of the other 5 flavors)
Van Leeuwan Pizza and Wild Blueberry Shortcake ice creams
Snarky, I like it.
Kind of looks like pizza, doesn't it?
I go pizza first and my first thought is cheesecake... which then morphs in to thoughts of Ellio's pizza. It's not terrible, but it's definitely messing with my brain. I feel like I should want to spit it out, but instead I scoop in more.
If you've ever had cold pizza.... it's nothing like that. Cold lasagna maybe?
And what are these little doughy bits? I'm not positive. I keep trying to get away from the swirl so I can taste them but it's not easy. Maybe they have a bit of blondie vibe to them?
So it's weird to say this, but this pizza ice cream ain't bad at all! It's definitely out there, but if you are used to tomato sauce in some of your regular meals, you might find yourself enjoying this one.
And now it's blueberry shortcake time.... and I let it temper a smidge too much. Oh cool, I'm already hitting the enjoyable shortcake bits.
I mean it, just look at all of them (hope they didn't all float to the top during the freezing process!). The blueberry flavoring isn't too strong, so don't worry about being bowled over by either its sweetness or its tartness.... ok, I finally got a bite with concentrated swirl and the swirl is tasty.
The base is just vanilla ice cream, but with everything else going on (including the fact that this is a eggy French ice cream), the flavor profile will seem that much more complex and enjoyable.
I think "delightful" is the word I would use to describe this one. Flavors like these are going to help continue to grow Van Leeuwan's reputation, especially with them being readily available at Walmart instead of hidden in the all natural section at Stop & Shop or Whole Foods.
On Second Scoop: I'm really digging the blueberry one, but I promised my wife I would save her some. Solution? Yup, already bought another pint of it, so I can finish it if I need to. It's very tasty, though I wish there was more blueberry swirl (we'll see if pint #2 is similar).
Here's the rest of the lineup: Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Planet Earth (Green Matcha Tea), Hot Honey, Royal Wedding Cake (with Edlerflower & Lemon), and Bourbon Cherries Jubilee.
Verdict? good!
Buy Again? already did
Buy Again? already did
We agree about the blueberry. It’s amazing. Also, there’s one in a red carton, brown sugar with cookie dough or something? With walnuts. I liked that one a lot too. The bourbon cherry was also good but not as good as the blueberry.
ReplyDeleteYou must be thinking of "Brown Sugar Cookie Dough Chunk". I haven't had it yet (and it's not an exclusive), but it does look good!
ReplyDeleteI got it yesterday and it's delicious!
DeleteYou probably don't remember, but I commented about the Macaroni and Cheese one on here months ago. Turns out I love it. I bought multiple pints for me and several for my brothers. It's addictive - sweet, salty, creamy, cheesy, absolutely wrong and absolutely delicious. My mom agrees with me. My brothers think I'm insane. Would love to know your thoughts on it if you try it!
ReplyDeleteI also liked the pizza flavor. I got the cheesecake notes too!
Totally with you on both the blueberry and the pizza one. We've had 3 different Van Leeuwens this month and we really liked them all. Even the dreaded mac & cheese one!
ReplyDeleteWhen my girlfriend and I went to NYC for Xmas, we went to one of their scoop shops, and I ended up also buying a pint of the Mac n Cheese flavor for the hotel freezer.
ReplyDeleteIt's so strange to have competing instincts that something is delicious and disgusting at the same time.... at least initially. I ate 80% of the pint (in one sitting), then had her try it and she finished it. Surprisingly not disgusting and grows on you with each scoop
Wild Blueberry Shortcake? Yum!!
ReplyDeletePizza flavored ice cream? bleach!