Ice Cream happens to be one of my favorite, favorite treats. I love it so much that many of the desserts I’ve prepared at home over the years could have been and were usually paired with a scoop or two…and a half…or more. Not kidding. For “trying to be good” reasons, I now exercise extreme control when presented with the opportunity to grab some from the store, order it for dessert when dining out or to pick up a cone from an ice shop. However, when I received an invitation to attend an ice cream tasting, I could not and did not resist. I’m so glad I gave in.
The evening was filled with ice cream flavors inspired by the four seasons and were infused with some of the ingredients that seem to lay claim to their own particular span of the year. Take this Chocolate Cayenne ice cream, for example. It starts off smooth and creamy and finishes with just the right kick. The combination is a really nice contrast to the chill of those Winter months.
This flavor and all the others we tried are the creations of Chef Michelle Lewis-Headley, founder of Unique Ice Creams, an “alternative style of ice creams.” The best way to explain what this means is to show you.
There were two additional Winter frozen treats prepared for our “Taste of the Seasons.” The first was a creamy Chocolate Peanut Butter and the second was Cinnamon Vanilla. The latter was my favorite of the night. One would have the expectation of a slap in the face amount of cinnamon but that was not the case at all. The amount of spice used was perfect. Chef Elle said she used to live in Switzerland and this was a flavor they used to sell a lot so it’s a sentimental favorite for her.
Representing the Spring were two surprising blends. A sampling of Lemon Basil ice cream revealed a subtle touch of lemon with an unexpected burst of basil. However dominate the herb, the pairing of the two worked.
The next was Sour Cream ice cream and all I can say is that if you have a bowl of berries, put a scoop of this on top and see what happens. The flavor is not far removed from its namesake which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. It was light and full of possibilities when you start thinking about having something unique to serve alongside other desserts. Like cake.
Summer brought with it some Blackened Cookies ‘n Cream, which was good, and some Sweet Creamed Corn which was really good. I don’t know, maybe it’s the side of Burnt Caramel that took this one delightfully over the top. It tasted very much like the vegetable which was shocking to me because corn as ice cream doesn’t sound natural. However, I would eat some now if I could scoop a spoonful out of this picture. But I can’t so…
The final season was full of Autumn love. There was a lightly flavored Brown Sugar ice cream which would go well with a Fall inspired cake.
We also tried a Candied Bacon Caramel Drizzle which we tossed back like a shot since it was mostly melted ice cream. I did get the overall picture though and still find that bacon goes well with just about everything.
Finally, there was this Cream Cheese and Carrot Cake ice cream. It was tasty on it’s own, but I would totally pour some of the Burnt Caramel I mentioned previously over this and have it escort me promptly to my happy place.
See why I had to give in and say yes to this tasting? I also hope you understand what it means to say that Unique Ice Creams are an alternative style of ice creams. Chef Elle considers each flavor carefully and has a number of others ready to be explored. You can find more flavors on the Unique Ice Cream website.
As she continues to craft these delicious ice cream flavors, Chef Elle is also dreaming of expanding her business. To help move the process along, she created a Go Fund Me Campaign which could help get her ice creams into grocery stores and in ice cream carts. Check it out to learn more.
Disclosure: I received complimentary admission to the Unique Ice Cream tasting event via the Atlanta Food Bloggers’ Society. I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. You can view my full Disclosure Policy here.
