Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Peppermint Crunch!

The Run: Tuesday, October 8th. 13.1 miles in 137 minutes with jogging stroller 

average pace: 10:27/mi. Calories burned: 1238

The Ice Cream: Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Peppermint Crunch

1,160 calories per pint - Four 1/2 cup servings at 290 calories per serving

I love Peppermint Patties and Junior Mints, so I was intrigued by this flavor which promises "peppermint and fudge swirls" as we'll as mint chocolate cookie balls, all in a chocolate ice cream base.

When I first opened the container, I could see the white silkiness of the mint swirl amidst the rich brown of chocolate ice cream. The dark wetness of the fudge swirl was also in evidence. The tops of two sweet mint chocolate cookie balls peeked out at me- just a hint of the generous portion added to this pint.

I was most excited about the mint swirl, which looked just like the inside of a peppermint patty, so I tried it first. It did not disappoint! It flooded my taste buds with delicious, creamy, pepperminty goodness, as if someone had taken a box of junior mints, drained them of their filling, and swirled it throughout this pint of ice cream. Another bite revealed, however, that this thick swirl that you can see in the picture, quickly thinned out and flattened to a narrow ribbon of flavor. Slightly disappointing. I wished there was more. Further consumption of the pint revealed that while there were a couple areas bearing rich veins of peppermint, most of the swirls were very thin and subtle. If you bought this pint for the chocolate, you will be in heaven. If you bought it for the peppermint patty filling, you will be teased, then left wanting.

The same went for the fudge swirl. Thick at first, then quickly dissipating to a flat, narrow ribbon. This didn't disappoint me as much because the chocolate ice cream itself was so rich and creamy that an over abundance of fudge would have been chocolate overkill ( if there can be such a thing).

Lets talk more about the chocolate ice cream base. Ben & Jerry's, like Haagen Dazs, uses a very rich, dense ice cream which is revealed in the calorie count (280 calories vs 140 calories for say, 1/2 cup of Turkey Hill). But happily, this is also revealed in the flavor. A little goes a long way (and a lot goes even farther!!! :) This chocolate ice cream screams CHOCOLATE and for the chocolate lover, leaves you wanting for nothing. If the average bargain brand chocolate reminds me of chocolate milk, put in the freezer, then slightly thawed and stirred, this ice cream reminds me of chocolate truffles, frozen, then delicately softened to the perfect consistency.

Finally, the mint chocolate cookie balls! Ben & Jerry is known for never skimping or disappointing when it comes to additives and this pint was no exception. Each ball was almost as large as a marble and they were packed throughout the pint. If I wanted a spoonful without one or two cookie balls on it, I had to work around them! The balls, in my opinion, are where the real peppermint flavor comes from in this ice cream. Each is coated with a thick thick layer of chocolate with a flavor intense peppermint chocolate cookie core.

I was surprised and pleased at how strong the cookie's mint flavor was. I had come in, looking for mint, been slightly disappointed by the dearth of white mint filling, and expected the chocolate balls to be another chocolate additive overkill that I would eat some of, then work around, but I found the strong mint flavor to be cooling and refreshing. The balls themselves were crunchy, kept from getting soggy by their thick chocolate coating, but were not too hard. They were fun both to chew and to let dissolve in the mouth.

I am not a huge fan of chocolate (gasp) but I am a huge mint fan and I really enjoyed this flavor. The quality of the chocolate was good and there was enough intense mint flavor in the cookie balls to satisfy me, though I definitely wanted more white peppermint swirl!

As a recovery food, the richness and sweetness really appealed to my body as it tried to recover from strenuous exercise and I had energy to continue my day and got to enjoy one of my favorite foods, guilt free! 

What is your favorite Ben & Jerry's flavor? 

What is your favorite recovery food and why?