The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Reader Recommendations => Topic started by: uniwelder on June 09, 2021, 09:30:18 AM
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I was just enjoying a spoonful of ice cream and wondered what the mmm group's opinions were. A quick search didn't bring up any ice cream (store bought) threads, though it must exist. I don't like gums and stabilizers--- I prefer it 'crisp', where it goes from solid to liquid without much mushy in between. Years ago, it was Breyers, then as they changed the recipe, Turkey Hill all natural, and now recently discovered Aldi brand super premium.
The Aldi super premium is everything I've been seeking--- cheap ($4 for 1.5 quart container), no gums, only a few ingredients (cream, milk, sugar, egg, cocoa), and dense (2/3 cup serving is 136 grams).
For other snobbish types out there, what's your favorite ice cream for the money?
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Homemade
We bought an ice cream maker years ago, and I make a few gallons every year. I know exactly what goes into it, I get to try multiple new flavors every year, and it's way better than anything I can buy.
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Tillamook for me on the west coast
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We like the homemade helado from a local Mexican place. Creamier and denser than any commercial brand we've tried, cheap and supports a small business.
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We don't eat a ton of ice cream, but I like Kawartha Dairy as decent quality not overly expensive stuff.
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We rarely buy ice cream from the store, but we usually go with Turkey Hill.
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We rarely buy the larger containers of ice cream. Usually Talenti gelato as a treat when on sale with the added bonus that the containers can be repurposed after consumption.
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Homemade
We bought an ice cream maker years ago, and I make a few gallons every year. I know exactly what goes into it, I get to try multiple new flavors every year, and it's way better than anything I can buy.
Have you ever calculated the cost of a batch versus store brand? I suppose a lot depends on the ratio of cream and fruit/nuts/chocolate added in. What kind of ice cream maker is it?
Glad you like your homemade mix. We borrowed a friend's machine a few times, but I suppose we were still on the learning curve before deciding (giving up) it wasn't worth the hassle for the results we attained.
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We like the homemade helado from a local Mexican place. Creamier and denser than any commercial brand we've tried, cheap and supports a small business.
Sounds delicious!
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Homemade
We bought an ice cream maker years ago, and I make a few gallons every year. I know exactly what goes into it, I get to try multiple new flavors every year, and it's way better than anything I can buy.
Have you ever calculated the cost of a batch versus store brand? I suppose a lot depends on the ratio of cream and fruit/nuts/chocolate added in. What kind of ice cream maker is it?
Glad you like your homemade mix. We borrowed a friend's machine a few times, but I suppose we were still on the learning curve before deciding (giving up) it wasn't worth the hassle for the results we attained.
Assuming the Instacart prices match the prices in store, this is what our last batch cost:
Strawberries: $2.45
Sugar: $0.27
Heavy cream: $1.75
Whole milk: $0.20
Vanilla extract: $0.15
Salt: negligible
Total: $4.82
That's for about two quarts.
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Homemade is my preference too.
My husband makes a fabulous coffee gelato (we sub regular whole milk as the heavy cream is too rich) and lemon sorbet. The strawberry ice cream seems to require cream to be creamy but most others are good with whole milk. Much cheaper than store bought and nothing weird in it. If you don't want to invest in a good ice cream maker try indian ice cream recipes. They are super dense and creamy and don't require an ice cream maker.
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Coaticook is the best ice cream in Quebec. But I will eat almost any ice cream as long as it's made with real cream - none of that "frozen dessert" crap.
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Homemade is tempting to try again. I looked up Indian ice cream recipes--- Kulfi sounds easy--- whip some cream and add sweetened condensed milk.
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We have a local ice cream place that does it themselves. I don't know their full ingredient list (I should look next time I pull a tub out). Cheap it is not, but it is excellent, especially their dark chocolate. I'm not identifying the brand because it pretty much identifies my town, but it is available at multiple local grocery stores. So... go survey all your grocery stores and see if there's someone who smells local and is tasty.
For regional/national brands -- Aldens is pretty good.
I wonder if the briers recipe change is why my shakes/malts don't seem to come out right anymore. I figured it was something to do with different milk, or that I was making them wrong/different than dad used to when I was a kid... but now I wonder... Perhaps it is time for some buying of alternate ice cream to see if I can find something that mixes up like my memory says.
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Coaticook is the best ice cream in Quebec. But I will eat almost any ice cream as long as it's made with real cream - none of that "frozen dessert" crap.
I was wondering if someone was going to bring up Coaticook. IMO it’s the store-bought option that most closely resembles crème glacée molle (soft serve).
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Dairy Queen.
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My boyfriend and I talk about ice cream brands as being in tiers related to quality. Top tier, 2nd tier, 3rd tier, etc. There are differing opinions about which brand belongs in which tier, but for us top tier would include brands such as Hagen Daas, Ben and Jerry's, and The Chocolate Shoppe (local). 2nd tier would include Kemps (we particularly like the Kemps Simply Crafted that avoids a lot of the additives in other ice creams), Tillamook, etc. 3rd tier includes the lesser brands some of which we love to hate, such as Cedar Crest.
Most of the ice cream we eat is in the 2nd tier because we enjoy it quite a bit and it goes on sale regularly making the price significantly lower than the top tier ice creams (which we only buy when there are really good sales).
Having lived quite a few places, I am well aware of there being quite a bit of regional variation in ice cream brands. Even living one state away from the state I grew up in, the ice cream brands are largely different here! I'll have to try the Aldi ice cream OP refers to-- I haven't ever had it.
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Dairy Queen.
The frozen dessert that Dairy Queen sells isn't classified as ice cream by the FDA. Seriously, look it up! The milk fat content is too low for it to be considered ice cream (which of course doesn't mean the actual fat content is lower - just that the milk fats have been replaced with cheaper processed oils).
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Tillamook for me on the west coast
I second this. I find it funny how their packaging says "more cream than is legally required".
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I'm in the eastern US and love Adirondack Creamery for the flavors, premium quality, and really decent price. That said, I've never made my own ice cream!
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Tillamook. It's not cheap but it's worth it.
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I have to disagree on Tillamook.
I find it a bit thin and lacking complexity of flavor. I get it for my kids but prefer Haagen Dazs for my super premium ice cream or something local.
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You’re probably looking for ready-made but imo, nothing beats what I get from my kitchenaid ice cream attachment. I also make sorbets in it like strawberry basil and lemon lavender. Last year for my (summertime) birthday my spouse made a cucumber basil sorbet and served it with gin and a generous squeeze of lime poured over.
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Ben and Jerrys, could finish a pint any time of day anywhere. I only buy a couple times a year max for myself (1100 calories a pint anyone?) so the cost at $3-5 a pint doesn't bother me.
My in-laws love costco, when i've eaten it i've always been surprised how nice it is.
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For store bought, I like Alden’s and Strauss. We also make our own sometimes, but I’m more likely to make a fresh fruit sorbet than actual ice cream. There are also some local shops that have amazing flavors that I absolutely love for a really special treat!
I’m not budget conscious when buying desserts. If I’m buying them enough that it’s impacting my finances, the impact to my waistline will be a bigger concern!
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I have to disagree on Tillamook.
Me too, sadly. I'd love to support local, but they put a bunch of gum fillers in there. Not top shelf, unfortunately.
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Costco’s Kirkland brand vanilla is great quality for the price. Once we tried it, we quit buying premium pints like Talenti. We add our own fruits or flavors. With peppermint schnapps and some chocolate shavings, yum!
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I have to disagree on Tillamook.
I find it a bit thin and lacking complexity of flavor. I get it for my kids but prefer Haagen Dazs for my super premium ice cream or something local.
Tillamook makes my favorite cheese, and their ice cream isn’t bad. However I’m in the season of life where the best ice cream for the calories is more important than best ice cream for the money and for me, that is Haagen Dazs.
One of these days I should really experiment with making my own.
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My boyfriend and I talk about ice cream brands as being in tiers related to quality. Top tier, 2nd tier, 3rd tier, etc. There are differing opinions about which brand belongs in which tier, but for us top tier would include brands such as Hagen Daas, Ben and Jerry's, and The Chocolate Shoppe (local). 2nd tier would include Kemps (we particularly like the Kemps Simply Crafted that avoids a lot of the additives in other ice creams), Tillamook, etc. 3rd tier includes the lesser brands some of which we love to hate, such as Cedar Crest.
Yep, Chocolate Shoppe and Kemps are two of our go-to's! The Exhausted Parent is one of my favorites, we love biking over to the Atwood location for cone in the summer. My wife is 36 weeks pregnant so we've become quite familiar with the flavors Kemps has to offer :) lately we've both been big fans of their Caribou Coffee one.
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I have to disagree on Tillamook.
Me too, sadly. I'd love to support local, but they put a bunch of gum fillers in there. Not top shelf, unfortunately.
The question wasn't best ice cream... it was best ice cream for your money.
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I have to disagree on Tillamook.
Me too, sadly. I'd love to support local, but they put a bunch of gum fillers in there. Not top shelf, unfortunately.
The question wasn't best ice cream... it was best ice cream for your money.
Fair enough!
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Interesting to see Tillamook here. I just noticed it for the first time at a local store in Pa. It was on sale for $1.99 for a 1.75 quart container. It's claim to fame is "smooth and creamy" I think. I like it, and it is thick and gooey. It's nice for a change. And the price is right. I wonder what it usually goes for.
I like that it is in a "big" container, 1.75 qts. Used to be all ice cream was in 2 quart containers, which is how it ought to be, lol.
It has guar gum and tara gum. But No high fructose corn sugar, which is the bad thing, right?
I got the chocolate mint and the vanilla bean. The vanilla has a great vanilla taste. The mint flavor is pretty weak for some reason. But OK.
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Interesting to see Tillamook here. I just noticed it for the first time at a local store in Pa. It was on sale for $1.99 for a 1.75 quart container. It's claim to fame is "smooth and creamy" I think. I like it, and it is thick and gooey. It's nice for a change. And the price is right. I wonder what it usually goes for.
I like that it is in a "big" container, 1.75 qts. Used to be all ice cream was in 2 quart containers, which is how it ought to be, lol.
It has guar gum and tara gum. But No high fructose corn sugar, which is the bad thing, right?
I got the chocolate mint and the vanilla bean. The vanilla has a great vanilla taste. The mint flavor is pretty weak for some reason. But OK.
Holy smokes. $1.99 is a great price - usually I pick it up for like $4.50. The vanilla bean is my favorite.
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I prefer either homemade or the stuff that the local ice cream shop makes (and their homemade waffle cones are to die for). My husband is a Blue Bell fan.
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Chocolate Shoppe. Homemade isn't cheaper once you factor in the extra healthcare costs I'd incur from eating too much ice cream if I gave myself that option.
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Kroger or Smith’s Private Select ice cream is amazing for a grocery store brand. I especially like the chocolate chip. Otherwise I’m a big fan of Ben & Jerry’s and Hagen Das, especially the Baileys Irish cream one.
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If there's a brand I haven't tried I have to have it.
Weis store brand
Edy's/Dreyer's
Breyer's
Friendly's
Turkey Hill
Great Value store brand
Publix store brand
Kroger store brand
Wilcoxsons
Blue Bell
Food Lion store brand
Hershey's
Ben and Jerry's
Hagen Daas
Tillamook
I'm sure I've left brands out but can't recall them off the top of my head.
For the money, companies that make ice cream in southern Pennsylvania really know what the hell they're doing. Weis store brand and Turkey Hill are both fantastic and under $4 per carton at retail price (not on sale). I'm not convinced Weis doesn't have someone else making their ice cream for them, its that good. Tillamook seems like it's $7 every time I see it and damn that's a lot of money for ice cream. Wilcoxsons is really good too, a regional creamery out of Montana I think) but it's pricey.
I was pissed earlier this spring to see every Food Lion in coastal North Carolina replacing Turkey Hill and Friendly's, both solid brands charging $3.39 per carton, with Tillamook at $7 and Blue Bell at $8. Ugh. Breyer's is meh so all we were left with for reasonably priced ice cream is Edy's. Still a good brand but they had less variety.
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We rarely buy the larger containers of ice cream. Usually Talenti gelato as a treat when on sale with the added bonus that the containers can be repurposed after consumption.
Slightly off topic: I had never heard of Talenti (talenti) until we were cleaning out a rental property. The tenant left at least 50 empty talenti jars on a shelf in the garage. I thought the containers were cute and might come in handy for something. I kept about a dozen of them and recycled the rest (oof!). When we got home, I realized they'd be perfect for portioning out the ingredients for DH's workday oatmeal. It worked so well that I wanted a few more containers. When I saw some on sale at Target for 2.49, I grabbed a few flavors to try. Some rang up for 1.99. I pointed out the discrepency to the cashier, who insisted they were scanning correctly. For a couple of delicious months, I'd drop by Target occasionally and check stock. Those four flavors were still ringing up for 1.99. I kept adding to my container collection because those four 1.99 flavors were delicious. I don't really frequent Target otherwise, but the talenti deal made it worth the detour. I amassed about 30 containers, so every five or six weeks, I prep a new batch of oatmeal starts with bulk purchased ingredients and stack 'em in the pantry. Not having to think at 4:45 am is a huge bonus. Once I discovered that filling the jar to the horizontal bar of the lower case "t" in talenti was exactly one cup, I never looked back, lol. Eating yummy ice cream to make breakfast prep easier was a worthy goal, IMO.
On topic: I've recently tried Tillamook, purchased for 2.99, less 10% on Senior Morning at Grocery Outlet, and found it lovely. When I know I have room in the freezer, or I need dessert for a crowd, I buy Costco's Vanilla Ice Cream. Lotta bang for the buck.
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Wow, gonna have to see if the Tillamook is still on sale for $1.99 for 1.75 quarts. The vanilla bean is very good.
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Chocolate Shoppe. Homemade isn't cheaper once you factor in the extra healthcare costs I'd incur from eating too much ice cream if I gave myself that option.
Yes, it works out cheaper for us to go out and spend more per volume on single servings of ice cream because then we're not overeating on ice cream, and it's not sitting in the freezer taunting us. It's also a good way to enjoy eating out without spending on a whole meal.
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Homemade is tempting to try again. I looked up Indian ice cream recipes--- Kulfi sounds easy--- whip some cream and add sweetened condensed milk.
Usually kulfi involves boiling down rich milk til it is a little thick....
Indians revel in flavours like rose, kewda, (a flower), saffron, roasted pistachio and the most beloved: saffron. A common combination has plenty of sliced almonds and pistachios, saffron and a pinch of cardamom powder. Beloved too are ice creams with mango, tender coconut, lychees or jackfruit/mango/banana combined. (Kiwi, mangoes, coconuts and bananas originated in India.)
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2014/sep/03/how-to-make-perfect-kulfi
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Homemade is tempting to try again. I looked up Indian ice cream recipes--- Kulfi sounds easy--- whip some cream and add sweetened condensed milk.
Usually kulfi involves boiling down rich milk til it is a little thick....
Indians revel in flavours like rose, kewda, (a flower), saffron, roasted pistachio and the most beloved: saffron. A common combination has plenty of sliced almonds and pistachios, saffron and a pinch of cardamom powder. Beloved too are ice creams with mango, tender coconut, lychees or jackfruit/mango/banana combined. (Lychees, mangoes, coconuts and bananas originated in India.)
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2014/sep/03/how-to-make-perfect-kulfi
Thats a good article, but no way I'll be sitting at the stove stirring for 4 hours! I was thinking about doing one of the quick recipes since I've never tasted Kulfi before, so i'll never know the difference between authentic or not. We'd likely do some combination with rose, cardamom, pistachio, or mango.
edited to add--- @namasteyall have you ever made it yourself before? Or tasted authentic vs quicky?
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Yes, eaten super kulfi many times at weddings, in good restaurants, at home, etc. Boiling the milk down in a large iron pan and cooling it in earthenware pots can add a nice taste! Also nice to spoon up when not fully frozen! Indians, BTW, happily eat fresh rose petals on desserts and often wark, a super thin, fragile layer of silver. Or gold, if you are rich!
The condensed milk stuff is not for me....
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Best I've ever had is Amy's Ice Cream from Austin Texas. I went down there a few times on business trips in the early 2000s. It was incredible! Not sure whether it's around any more. Available in the airport and in town. Haven't seen it here in California...
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An update of sorts--- I just found out Tillamook is being sold in my area now. I've seen their butter for a few months, but now one of the food store chains is carrying their ice cream. This must have happened in the last month. The recent revival of postings on this topic got me curious and Tillamook website has a store finder map, so I went and got some on my way home today. Considering how many people wrote about it, whether it was their preferred brand or not, it really made me want to try it out.
I must say I am a bit underwhelmed with Tillamook. I bought the chocolate flavor to readily compare to other brands, and it does taste pretty much like most other ice creams I've eaten.
Its creamy, but I don't think that has anything to do with the 'more cream than required'--- I think it has to do with the gums added. My favored Aldi brand is 16% fat by weight while Tillamook is 14%, so definitely not the fat causing it.
It doesn't win price-wise either, though you might think so at first glance. Aldi is $4 per 1.5 quart, while Tillamook was on sale $3.50 per 1.5 quart, but Aldi Super Premium is not aerated, so its much denser. One container of Aldi brand weighs 1,200 grams instead of Tillamook's 850, so Aldi is 20% cheaper by weight, with better quality ingredients in my opinion.
With everyone's comments so far, no one has mentioned eating Aldi Super Premium ice cream. Is there anyone here that has tried it, regardless of whether you like it?
edited to add--- I've had Talenti in the past, and tried it again a few weeks ago. I would say its equivalent in taste/texture/density to the Aldi brand I like, but double the price/volume when its on sale.
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I have had Aldi super premium ice cream. It’s quite good but I like Tillamook better. The coffee almond fudge is particularly wonderful. One of our quarantine activities was blind taste tests and Tillamook was the favorite of all 6 people in the house of 10 tested. Aldi is some distance from me so I don’t buy ice cream there very often for fear of it melting.
For people in NYS or Vermont, Stewart’s is another solid contender. Good ice cream, and a half gallon is about $3.50, sometimes less.
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Interesting to see Tillamook here. I just noticed it for the first time at a local store in Pa. It was on sale for $1.99 for a 1.75 quart container. It's claim to fame is "smooth and creamy" I think. I like it, and it is thick and gooey. It's nice for a change. And the price is right. I wonder what it usually goes for.
I like that it is in a "big" container, 1.75 qts. Used to be all ice cream was in 2 quart containers, which is how it ought to be, lol.
It has guar gum and tara gum. But No high fructose corn sugar, which is the bad thing, right?
I got the chocolate mint and the vanilla bean. The vanilla has a great vanilla taste. The mint flavor is pretty weak for some reason. But OK.
Do you still have the container around? My Tillamook was 1.5 quarts and thats what I see on their website. If you had the bigger size, I wonder if they were clearing out inventory (hence the low sales price) to make way for the new smaller size.
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Pro-Tillamook here. There was a time I could only get it when I was visiting Oregon. One perk of living in Texas is that I can get it when I want, although it rotates with Blue Bell, and the HEB and Kroger house brands.
When I really want something special, I will go for a pint of Graeter's or Jeni's Splendid. In Michigan, I could get them in many places. Down here, I have to brave Whole Foods for either.
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Went to a 3 Michelin star restaurant and they have a legendary ice-cream based dessert (they call it butter with butter on butter). I raved so much about it and also explained I hade made it myself - it's pretty simple dish - so me and my GF got a second serving of it for free - as opposed to the rest of the meal which was very, very, very far from free...
Other than that - I prefer the home-made, generally make sorbets and not ice cream, however. I have a Gaggia Ice Cream maker. The Italians know how to do this and accoridng to my sources this was the device to get and it hasn't let me down so far after 10+ years.
Here is the recipe btw:
Ice cream:
• 270 g sugar
• 1200 g whole milk
• 163 g browned butter
• 11 egg yolks
Bring the milk and sugar to boil and pour over the egg yolks. Heat the mix to 80 degrees celsius, and add the browned butter. Cool down and freeze in Paco Jet containers.
Crumble:
• 450 g hazelnuts
• 200 g sugar
• 100 g flour
• 95 g browned butter
Mix all the ingredients and freeze in a vacuum bag. When frozen grind on large microplane and bake in the oven until golden. Put aside to cool down.
Molasses:
• 350 g cream
• 100 g browned butter
• 230 g of brewed natural coffee
• 290 g sugar
• 30 g malt syrup
Mix all the ingredients and cook in casserole to thick syrup texture.
Serve with crumble in the bottom of a deep plate with the ice cream on top. Pour over a spoon of the molasses sauce. Enjoy.
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Graeters ice cream. Amazing ice cream and the “chips” are like slabs of chocolate. My favorite is the black raspberry chip.
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Ben & Jerry's "The Tonight Dough" is my current fave. And the higher price means I don't eat much of it.
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Interesting to see Tillamook here. I just noticed it for the first time at a local store in Pa. It was on sale for $1.99 for a 1.75 quart container. It's claim to fame is "smooth and creamy" I think. I like it, and it is thick and gooey. It's nice for a change. And the price is right. I wonder what it usually goes for.
I like that it is in a "big" container, 1.75 qts. Used to be all ice cream was in 2 quart containers, which is how it ought to be, lol.
It has guar gum and tara gum. But No high fructose corn sugar, which is the bad thing, right?
I got the chocolate mint and the vanilla bean. The vanilla has a great vanilla taste. The mint flavor is pretty weak for some reason. But OK.
Do you still have the container around? My Tillamook was 1.5 quarts and thats what I see on their website. If you had the bigger size, I wonder if they were clearing out inventory (hence the low sales price) to make way for the new smaller size.
OK, I went to the freezer and checked. 1.75 quarts. I currently have 6 of these containers in my freezer. I have bought about a dozen since the sale started a month ago.
They keep extending the sale! And it's always 1.75 quarts. Never seen a 1.5 quart container of Tillamook there.
My faves are the cookies and cream, and the vanilla bean.
Thank you Tillamook ! (or the store, or both)
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We usually add our own berries/chocolate/etc to the Kirkland vanilla. Everything else tastes fake and gross. But...this thread is inspiring me to try out the homemade option. I have a professional KitchenAid that was recently gifted to me...just need to find an ice cream attachment.
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We just had a new one that's probably a contender for my Top 3. Umpqua, based out of Roseburg, OR. Very near Tillamook. Seems to have very limited distribution. We saw it in the Portland, OR area but now we're in Olympia, WA and don't see it. Their flavors are very neat, what I would call slightly adventurous without going too far, which is fantastic for someone like me who has had most normal flavors of most big brands. If you're in the Portland area it's worth looking for it!
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We usually add our own berries/chocolate/etc to the Kirkland vanilla. Everything else tastes fake and gross. But...this thread is inspiring me to try out the homemade option. I have a professional KitchenAid that was recently gifted to me...just need to find an ice cream attachment.
I've had good luck finding different attachments on FB marketplace. People (myself included) overestimate how often they'll use certain attachments. If you go that route, make sure the bowl isn't leaking the blue inner liquid. There was a certain run of those that had a problem after they were frozen/thawed a couple of times. I got mine as a "free gift" with the purchase of mine several years ago. I think I had to send in proof-of-purchase and a form and eventually it showed up in the mail. It's pretty cool, but I might only use it a couple of times a year. We did find out recently that it will make a decent Coke slushie.
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We usually add our own berries/chocolate/etc to the Kirkland vanilla. Everything else tastes fake and gross. But...this thread is inspiring me to try out the homemade option. I have a professional KitchenAid that was recently gifted to me...just need to find an ice cream attachment.
I've had good luck finding different attachments on FB marketplace. People (myself included) overestimate how often they'll use certain attachments. If you go that route, make sure the bowl isn't leaking the blue inner liquid. There was a certain run of those that had a problem after they were frozen/thawed a couple of times. I got mine as a "free gift" with the purchase of mine several years ago. I think I had to send in proof-of-purchase and a form and eventually it showed up in the mail. It's pretty cool, but I might only use it a couple of times a year. We did find out recently that it will make a decent Coke slushie.
Sorry for taking the thread off track, but @youngwildandfree could you please talk more about the coke slushies?
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We usually add our own berries/chocolate/etc to the Kirkland vanilla. Everything else tastes fake and gross. But...this thread is inspiring me to try out the homemade option. I have a professional KitchenAid that was recently gifted to me...just need to find an ice cream attachment.
I've had good luck finding different attachments on FB marketplace. People (myself included) overestimate how often they'll use certain attachments. If you go that route, make sure the bowl isn't leaking the blue inner liquid. There was a certain run of those that had a problem after they were frozen/thawed a couple of times. I got mine as a "free gift" with the purchase of mine several years ago. I think I had to send in proof-of-purchase and a form and eventually it showed up in the mail. It's pretty cool, but I might only use it a couple of times a year. We did find out recently that it will make a decent Coke slushie.
Sorry for taking the thread off track, but @youngwildandfree could you please talk more about the coke slushies?
We just added a couple of cans of chilled Coke to the ice cream maker attachment of the mixer and ran it for about 20 minutes. It tasted almost like what you used to be able to get at K-Mart. The flavor is just a little diluted because of the iciness. I suspect that K-Mart used to run a slightly more concentrated mix through their machines.
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We usually add our own berries/chocolate/etc to the Kirkland vanilla. Everything else tastes fake and gross. But...this thread is inspiring me to try out the homemade option. I have a professional KitchenAid that was recently gifted to me...just need to find an ice cream attachment.
I've had good luck finding different attachments on FB marketplace. People (myself included) overestimate how often they'll use certain attachments. If you go that route, make sure the bowl isn't leaking the blue inner liquid. There was a certain run of those that had a problem after they were frozen/thawed a couple of times. I got mine as a "free gift" with the purchase of mine several years ago. I think I had to send in proof-of-purchase and a form and eventually it showed up in the mail. It's pretty cool, but I might only use it a couple of times a year. We did find out recently that it will make a decent Coke slushie.
Sorry for taking the thread off track, but @youngwildandfree could you please talk more about the coke slushies?
We just added a couple of cans of chilled Coke to the ice cream maker attachment of the mixer and ran it for about 20 minutes. It tasted almost like what you used to be able to get at K-Mart. The flavor is just a little diluted because of the iciness. I suspect that K-Mart used to run a slightly more concentrated mix through their machines.
Hmm, now I need to look for that ice cream attachment. Thanks for the info!!
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Costco’s Kirkland brand vanilla is great quality for the price. Once we tried it, we quit buying premium pints like Talenti. We add our own fruits or flavors. With peppermint schnapps and some chocolate shavings, yum!
This is technically the correct answer for best premium ice cream for the money in 2016 according to Consumer Reports. We use Costco Kirkland brand as a foundation and add in our own fruits, nuts and sauces.
I created my own dreamsickle milkshake. Vanilla ice cream, whole milk, mango and orange juice. If you really want to go for it, you can add a scoop of protein powder to make it taste chaulky, like you are biting the stick.
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Anyone tried ‘Nick’s’ ? I can’t find it in any of the stores near me but the flavor combinations sound awesome to me.
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Costco’s Kirkland brand vanilla is great quality for the price. Once we tried it, we quit buying premium pints like Talenti. We add our own fruits or flavors. With peppermint schnapps and some chocolate shavings, yum!
This is technically the correct answer for best premium ice cream for the money in 2016 according to Consumer Reports. We use Costco Kirkland brand as a foundation and add in our own fruits, nuts and sauces.
I can't access the consumer reports ratings. What other brands were on their list? Was Aldi tested? There is no Costco near me, so I've never tried theirs.
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Costco’s Kirkland brand vanilla is great quality for the price. Once we tried it, we quit buying premium pints like Talenti. We add our own fruits or flavors. With peppermint schnapps and some chocolate shavings, yum!
We buy this with some regularity since reading about how good it is from America's Test Kitchen. I'd have to agree.
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Long time update from OP---
2 1/2 years later, and I'm currently eating some Haagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream. It was on sale for $2.50 per 14 oz container, so I felt compelled to splurge. It is the most equivalent to my beloved Aldi super premium that I've tasted so far, though even with this super sale, still comes out 40% more expensive. My criteria for 'good' ice cream generally means 1) flavor/texture, 2) no gums or stabilizers, 3) minimal whipped in air, and 4) full fat. I'm almost tempted to buy some more and do a blind side by side taste test with friends. As my memory is, I don't think anyone will distinguish the difference.
There have been numerous votes for Costco vanilla, but the closest one is 2 hours away. I'm curious to one day try it out.
edited to add-- Its funny to look back on this thread. The particular ice cream I keep talking about used to cost $4 per 1.5 quarts, but now is usually $6. That's an average annual inflation rate of 18%!
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edited to add-- Its funny to look back on this thread. The particular ice cream I keep talking about used to cost $4 per 1.5 quarts, but now is usually $6. That's an average annual inflation rate of 18%!
It also was probably 1.75 quarts. Ice Cream is an egregious example of shrinkflation, because of price sensitivity.
I give Blue Bell credit for keeping the 2 quart standard size. But now they are over $8.00.
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edited to add-- Its funny to look back on this thread. The particular ice cream I keep talking about used to cost $4 per 1.5 quarts, but now is usually $6. That's an average annual inflation rate of 18%!
It also was probably 1.75 quarts. Ice Cream is an egregious example of shrinkflation, because of price sensitivity.
I give Blue Bell credit for keeping the 2 quart standard size. But now they are over $8.00.
Unfortunately, it was already 1.5 quarts when I started this thread. Within a decade, when ice cream shrinks even more, stores will offer a 2.5 quart family size, which will then eventually shrink down to the original 2 quart. $6 is still a bargain, considering the equivalent alternatives.
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Ice cream is my favorite treat. I always search out top rated local ice cream places when I travel and love to try local supermarket brands as well. I agree that Aldi premium ice creams are exceptional for the price. I have never tried the Costco vanilla, and I shop there regularly. I will have to check that out!
I love homemade ice cream, and my Dad makes it all the time. Definitely a good value, but for me the time investment is more expensive as a FT worker bee than for my retired Dad. And I don’t use that much milk and cream for other things, so I’d have to make a few batches at once to use it up, which would be a lot of ice cream in my smallish freezer. (Might have the same problem with the Costco ice cream)
My favorite ice cream available in supermarkets here in the lower Midwest is Graeters, and that’s what I buy for special occasions. It’s pricy, but decadent. An affordable luxury.
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For price: Aldi's ice cream
For everything else: Mayfield Dairy Farms and Kay's Kastle
Runner-up if on sale: Breyer's and Turkey Hill
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We like the homemade helado from a local Mexican place. Creamier and denser than any commercial brand we've tried, cheap and supports a small business.
Hell yeah! High five!
There's a local neveria y paleteria (https://maps.app.goo.gl/vsjqD6hKzm2FwEuh8) that makes fantastic paletas and helados. Especially the traditional flavors (mainstream flavors are just OK).
There's a vanilla tequila popsicle, mango & chamoy, mint cucumber, dragonfruit paletas, mexican hot chocolate ice cream... every time I go I feel like a kid in there. I think I might be embarrassing my kids but who cares, I'm paying!
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Today it’s unquestionably Ben & Jerry’s for us.
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Tillamook by a wide margin. And it is often on sale here 2 for $3.99 or something. We like the vanilla bean. We have to keep it in stock in order to get the dog to eat her medicine once a month.