Blue Bell Flavor Contest

As most Blue Bell enthusiasts know, sometimes your favorite flavor gets discontinued. Either it was a limited time flavor or it just didn't have the popularity to stay in rotation. We've all got that one flavor that we'd love to have just one more scoop of...my long lost love is Caramel Kettle Crunch. Well now's your chance to reunite with the one that got away.

Introducing Blue Bell's Crankin' Back The Clock Flavor Contest. From now until August 31 you can vote on your favorite discontinued flavor. The winner will be put back into rotation in 2013. So click on the link below and vote everyday! (You have to be a Country Club Member to vote, but sign up is free and easy.)

Vote Here

UPDATE

Caramel Turtle Cheesecake wins Crankin' Back the Clock Flavor Contest

Coconut Fruit Bars

So there weren't any flavors of Blue Bell that I hadn't tried at the grocery store this week so I picked up a box of these coconut bars (begrudgingly). Let me explain. I LOVE coconut; maybe its because I'm Caribbean and we use coconut everything from coconut milk in our rice, to coconut water as a refreshing drink and the coconut flesh in a wide array of different desserts and dishes. So when I say I LOVE coconut, I mean it! I'm always let down by coconut flavored treats, most especially coconut bars like these.

Usually coconut bars are an ice pop with a hint of coconut flavoring and a few flecks of shaved coconut for good measure. I've never had one that captured the sweet, creamy, rich coconuttiness that a real coconut embodies....until now. Blue Bell has finally done it! This is the perfect treat; so creamy and rich and loaded with just enough coconut flakes.

5 out of 5 popsicle sticks for flavor integrity and creaminess.

Strawberry Cheesecake

We very rarely buy the 1/2 gallon size of Blue Bell ice cream, merely because we don't have much freezer space, but when we saw this flavor today we had to get it! I'm happy to say it was well worth the precious freezer real estate (truthfully it won't be there for very long). 

DELICIOUS! There's just no other way to describe it. This flavor is seriously decadent: cheesecake ice cream with swirls of strawberry sauce and cheesecake chunks. Everything is perfectly balanced, and absolutely delicious, but the real star of this ice cream are the graham cracker coated cheesecake chunks! If you let it melt a little the cheesecake and graham cracker coating gets perfectly melt in your mouth soft. 

5 out of 5 scoops! 

Strawberry Banana Pound Cake

As I sit here with my pint of Strawberry banana pound cake, writing this blog, I am 37 weeks pregnant. My husband and I are on the edge of our seats with anticipation about meeting the latest addition to our family and introducing her to the world. I wonder if this is the same way Blue Bell feels when they debut a new flavor?

Well Blue Bell, let me be the first to say congratulations on your new arrival, strawberry banana pound cake...she's absolutely perfect!

The chunks of pound cake are deliciously moist and a little chewy. The slices of strawberry are ripe, sweet and just a little tart. The banana ice cream is the perfect base and the whipped topping swirl could be overlooked, but I wouldn't dare!

Thank you for making these last few weeks of my pregnancy a little more sweet with this perfectly balanced and slightly decadent treat.

5 out of 5 scoops for cake and ice cream!

New Flavor Suggestions

As Ice Cream season (aka Summer) approaches, I have a few flavor suggestions for Blue Bell!

King Cake - King cake pieces in a yellow, purple and green vanilla ice cream with a swirl of icing. *Seasonal

Ice Cream Sandwich Ice Cream - Vanilla ice cream with soft & chewy chocolate ice cream sandwich wafer pieces mixed throughout.

Cherry Key Lime Pie - Key lime ice cream infused with alternating swirls of cherry compote and whipped topping and bits of graham cracker crust throughout.

Deluxe S'mores - Grahahm cracker pieces and milk chocolate chunks in chocolate ice crew, with a toasted marshmallow swirl.

Waffle Cone - Rich vanilla ice cream with swirls of rich salted caramel and chunks of dark chocolate coated waffle cone pieces.

Chocolate Peanut Butter 2 - Smooth, creamy peanut butter ice cream with swirls of rich milk chocolate fudge.

Pretzel Sundae - Crunchy, fudge covered mini pretzels, roasted peanuts, caramel swirls, all in rich vanilla cream.

Tropical Sherbet - Coconut, pineapple and mango swirled together. An exotic, refreshing and delicious alternative to the traditional rainbow sherbet.

Rocky Mountain Road

I love Blue Bell's traditional rocky road ice cream, so when I saw that they were releasing this Colorado exclusive flavor to the rest of Blue Bell country I was ecstatic! After reading this flavor summary from Blue Bell who wouldn't be excited: "Dark chocolate ice cream combined with dark chocolate-coated peanuts, milk chocolate-coated pecans, white chocolate-coated almonds, and roasted walnuts, all surrounded by a flavorful marshmallow sauce swirl."

On paper this flavor looks fantastic but I have to say it, pecans and walnuts are AWFUL in ice cream! I'm sorry Blue Bell, I had to be honest (you know I still love you)! I've tried multiple Blue Bell flavors which are highlighted by these nutty offenders and I've never once been impressed, in fact they usually detract from the overall taste and texture of the ice cream...and this is also true for Rocky Mountain Road.

While the dark chocolate ice cream and the marshmallow swirl are rich and decadent and the chocolate covered, crunchy almonds and peanuts are a perfect addition, the pecans and walnuts fall flat. They don't fit the flavor profile at all and the light texture of these nuts don't stand up to the ice cream itself, so they end up a bit soggy.

4/5 scoops (5/5 sans pecans and walnuts)

Banana Nut Bread

My grandmother is one of the best bakers I know. She can make just about any cake or dessert just off the top of her head and it usually blows away the store bought stuff. I think this talent comes from the fact that she finds joy in what she does. She takes pleasure in thoughtfully and skillfully making something that she know others will enjoy. I believe this is why Blue Bell is just as good at what they do. How else could they have put the warmth and goodness of homemade banana nut bread into an ice cream?!

The new banana nut bread ice cream is a part of the "Holiday Favorites" line that's in stores right now. As I was perusing the freezer case this flavor caught my eye for two reasons, first banana nut bread is one of my grandmother's specialties; so, unfortunately, it's one of the things I miss out on living so far from home. And secondly, I was curious about how they were going to transform a classic like this into a viable ice cream option. Well, folks, they did it and they did it well!

Creamy banana ice cream with a healthy serving of banana nut bread pieces, roasted walnuts and a cream cheese frosting swirl running throughout. They did it right! Everything is perfectly balanced and the banana bread pieces are perfectly soft and chewy but not soggy!

5 out of 5 scoops for nostalgia and flavor integrity!