Ben & Jerry's: Cinnamon Buns

This post could be subtitled, "the best ice cream in the world." Because it is just that good. Seriously. Unless you are vegan, are allergic to dairy or other ingredients, or are trying to eat healthily, I simply insist you run straight out and pick up a pint. And hurry!

First a disclaimer or two: I have no involvement with B&J. I don't eat eat that much ice cream, and furthermore, I don't care for many of B&J's varieties, mostly because I don't care for the texture of the "extras" when frozen. For example, I love the pistachio ice cream base of their Pistachio Pistachio flavor, but can't stand the icky frozen nuts (even though I like pistachios). One exception that I do enjoy in pint form is Coffee Heath Bar Crunch, and in the scoop shops, I like the Mint Chocolate Chunk. So that should give you an idea of my tastes... pretty simple really.


Label Information
Ingredients: cream, skim milk, water, liquid sugar, sugar, wheat flour, corn syrup, egg yolks, soybean oil, brown sugar, butter, palm oil, molasses, cinnamon, guar gum, salt, baking soda, soya lecithin, carrageenan, natural flavors, inert sugar, vanilla extract.

Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc.
30 Community Drive
So. Burlington, VT 05403-6828
www.benjerry.com

We can't remember who said what when about cinnamon buns, but that's all it took for us to roll out the cinnamon dough, swirl in the streusel, and make this flavor happen. Our cool salute to cinnamon buns is sensationally cinnamon-sugary, irresistibly streuseled, and so deliriously dough-loaded, there's no telling where the cinnamon buns end or the ice cream begins. That's because it's one fun flavor all the way through. Enjoy!

We oppose Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone. The family farmers who supply our milk and cream pledge not to treat their cows with rBGH.

Ice Cream Review
OK, so I've already revealed my hand here: I love this ice cream. I really, really like it. In fact, I think it raises the bar for ice cream; there is nothing out there even remotely comparable. Unfortunately for B&J, I love it so much that I've stopped buying it. I had to, though--I was starting to develop a problem. It got so I was eating an entire pint in two sittings. I was emailing home from work on days I knew SodaBoy was going grocery shopping, demanding an update. Did you get Cinnamon Buns? I knew it was time to step off. I've seen for myself how these things can work out when not nipped in the bud.

See, when I was in college, my friend J. had an evening ritual involving B&J. Every night he would ride his bike a few blocks to the local bodega, and return with a pint. He would then proceed to eat the entire thing in one sitting. There was even a special oven mitt he used to keep his hand warm while he clutched the ice cream. After he graduated, he moved to the west coast, and a few years later SodaBoy and I flew out to visit. J. looked amazing. We asked him what was up, if the climate agreed with him, if he was working out. The answer: he'd given up the daily Ben & Jerry's ritual.

Even though I'm scared straight, I am glad that B&J's Cinnamon Buns ice cream exists. As Tennyson said, 'tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.