Get Ready for the Scooper Bowl, Boston!

We haven't been as good at posting as we would like (and we hope this changes as it usually does in the summer!), but didn't want to forget to remind our Boston friends that next week is the Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl. (Non-Boston friends, too -- there's still time to get here to Boston for the biggest ice cream event of the year!)

The event runs from Tuesday, June 3 through Thursday, June 5 from noon to 8 p.m. every day at City Hall Plaza, Boston.

Read some of our previous posts here to get motivated for the event -- as if all-you-can-eat ice cream isn't enough of a motivator!

Scooper Bowl 2013

The all-u-can-eat ice cream event raised almost $300,000...wow!

We did it again. We fought crowds a couple weeks ago in order to test flavors at the Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl this year. And that we did. Between the two of us we had 32 scoops...ouch. Almost a little embarrassing but hey its our duty and it was worth every bite!

Each brand has four flavors to choose from and its all you can eat!

First of all, I have to get on my ice cream soap box about Scooper Bowl etiquette  Common sense? When you grab your ice cream or ice creams turn around and keep walking. I don't say this to be rude, but the place is so crowded that it just makes sense to clear out so more people can get in. People seem to linger by the tents, which just makes a crowded area even more crowded. Oh and the poor Moms with strollers...we empathize....it is barely impossible to get a stroller. But enough about that...

Bethany & Tina live at Scooperbowl. 

I think we both agreed that the flavors really weren't that exciting this year. Lots of the expected...Mint Chocolate Chip, Oreo, and Chocolate. The past years seemed to bring on new and a few more interesting flavors. But really this is a fundraiser and for an awesome cause so at the end of the day who cares! It's all good. But here are some thoughts: 

Bethany: 

Whenever I think Edy's, I think of one of my mom's favorite commercials: the dog high-fiving his owner over the promise of Edy's. (I could only find the Dreyer's version of it, but as I understand it, Dreyer's is the West Coast brand, and Edy's is the East Coast brand.) Anyway, Edy's Tropical Rainbow Sherbet was worth the Edy's high-five.) It was light, refreshing, and super creamy.

I liked Friendly's Celebration as well. It was a party in a cup!

While I have already given a rave review to Ben and Jerry's Liz Lemon that was another favorite, as well as Hood's Raspberry Granola Greek Frozen Yogurt (stay tuned for this review as I got some more flavors mailed to me from Hood and I was pretty impressed!).

Tina: 

Ok so I have to admit now that I am writing this a couple weeks later not much stands out but their were a couple I know I would go back for. I really liked Hood's Double Chocolate Chip Greek Frozen Yogurt. It was very creamy and I loved the chocolate chips in it. I also have to agree with Bethany on Friendly's Celebration. I am all about Cake Batter these days and I loved how this actually had cake pieces in it. And lastly Byrne Dairy's Green Monstah made a lasting impression. Interestingly they don't list Green Monstah on their site. I think they might have made that name up for the Boston occasion (they are NY based) so I think it really is their Grasshopper Pie. I love anything mint so that was a keeper as well.

All in all it's a can't miss event that we look forward to every year!

Tried the "first ever" Greek Frozen Yogurt Bar yet?

WE HAVE!  How could today possibly be the first day of Spring?! Seriously, more snow. Someone make it stop. The only good thing is that we have to look forward to warm days to come and that means more excuses to have some of our favorite summer treats. So awhile back I posted a sneak peek of a super fun package we received from Yasso. In case you don't yet who Yasso is, well they created the first "ever" Greek frozen yogurt bar out there created only with natural ingredients. Pretty cool. Yes, we know many have jumped on that bad wagon since but we give big props to the two founders of Yasso, who truly believe in and live by a healthy lifestyle and set out to make something that tastes great and won't pack on the pounds. And to be the first to do it with greek yogurt!

So as you may have seen, I was super excited when I opened this box from Yasso. Now typically we get samples in a big brown box and inside we find a styrofoam container with a pint of ice cream in it. No not this time...love how Yasso is branding themselves and standing out from the crowd. They are healthy and fun! Included was a Yasso beach bag (that I will proudly use on my beach trips..actually its my winter Y pool bag already!), a beach towel, shades, sun lotion, and an awesome drink cup. Oh and most importantly a box containing a bunch of new and existing flavors of their greek frozen yogurt bars. I love this page from one of the marketing pieces..."Get Bathing Suit Ready"...this package and the product fit it to a tee.

Well my coworkers were lucky that I decided to have this package shipped to my office because as that three o'clock hour hit when all were in a lull it was time for a taste test. This is fun because I get real reactions and its not just my take. Good crowdsourcing for this post. They sent the existing flavors of Strawberry, Blueberry and Raspberry and the new flavors that just launched of Vanilla Bean, Mango, and Coconut. I always find it interesting to see what flavors people pick. One who I would have pegged for a vanilla guy wanted coconut. So what was the reaction from everyone...."great texture"..."perfect and not too sweet"...."loved the vanilla but mango had an aftertaste"...."I need another now"..."like the creamy texture better than those healthy fruit bars...has some substance." There is one super health conscious person in my office and he was all concerned about the calories and protein in them. When I told him 80 calories and 6 grams of protein he was pleasantly surprised and then gave in to try one.

So after taste testing a few flavors myself I would have to say the strawberry was my favorite, I was excited about the mango but I think because they aren't very sweet (I have a major sweet tooth) I was expecting more of a burst of flavor and it wasn't there. I did really like the coconut and can see this being awesome on a hot summer day. These would be great on the go snacks. You know those days when you are going in a million directions and just need to eat something in the car quick. I already have a greek yogurt every morning so this would be a great option when I need to grab and go. I also like having this as an afternoon snack at work. Yasso was kind enough to send a good assortment so I was eating frozen yogurt bars as my late afternoon snack. Believe me every once in awhile I need some true sugar contents at 3pm at work but these did the trick. The Today show actually ran these on a "Cravings Curbed" segment which I do think they did but i have to agree with one coworker...that I needed more than one. Hey with only 80 calories I could have two and not feel guilty.

Yasso Strawberry Greek Frozen Yogurt Bars in production

All in all I am happy I was introduced to frozen yogurt bars. Why...well although I will take pure goodness of ice cream I too need to consider healthy alternatives and I have to be honest that fruit bars don't tend to cut it for me unless it is a super hot day. What I did really like about the Yasso Greek Frozen Yogurt bars is the consistency and creaminess. I felt like their was some substance to it. And I actually could see my grabbing this for the car ride to bring the kids to school, camp, the doctors as an alternative to my morning greek yogurt. What else...I love the brand and the people behind it and I haven't even met them! There is a personality behind these that you sometimes lose in big brands. They have a small office on Broad Street in Boston..right next to where I used to work. They are real people living their dream. Love that in itself. Thanks Yasso for sharing!!

Check em out on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Or run to one of these retailers and try them for yourself.

Seattle! Boston! New York! Portland (OR)! B&J Truck Tour!

Sometimes our posts are area specific. (Sorry those of you who don't live in the cities listed in the post title...) And sometimes they are a bit late. (Sorry L.A., D.C., Miami, and San Fran...) We are truly sorry about leaving people out at times, but feel free to let us know of something local to you that you may want us to post about!

Anyway, Boston, Seattle, New York, and Portland...there's still time for you ask Ben & Jerry's to stop by your neighborhood so you can get some FREE Greek Frozen Yogurt! It's all about social media these days. Tweet away! Terrence (below) explains how it works in New York City, but it seems to be pretty much the same for Boston, Seattle, and Portland, too.

East Coast, (that's you, New York and Boston) tweet Ben & Jerry's at @BenJerrysEast...

West Coast, (hey...Seattle and Portland, listen up!) tweet Ben & Jerry's at @BenJerrysWest.

For further info, visit the 2012 Truck Tour page.

[Scoopalicious is celebrating National Ice Cream month with a Post-A-Day throughout the month of July!]

Scoopalicious catches CakeSpy on her "Tour de Sweet"

Me and Bethany at CakeSpy's book signing in Boston

What a fun night to finally get to meet Jessie O of CakeSpy after all these blogging years on her Tour de Sweet! Wow, It feels like eons ago that we started our little ice cream blog and at the same time we found a friend and blogger online who not only is an amazing artist but a baker and blogger too. And on top of all that goodness she has recently published her own awesome book, CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life. And that was what led us to finally get to meet. We were super excited that her Tour de Sweet made its way to Boston and stopped at Sweet (how appropriate!) so we immediately saved the date and got our books ready to be signed. So fun to finally meet and so fun to see all her hard work come together in this fabulous book. Congrats Jessie!


And if you missed our interview post with CakeSpy you can  check it out here.

Boston's Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl is 1 week away...yippee

The event of all ice cream events is only 1 week away. Boston will hold its annual Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl, the all-you-can-eat ice cream (yogurt, gelato and sorbet too!) extravaganza on Boston's City Hall Plaza. Seriously we start planning for this months in advance and gather up all friends to join us for an ice cream lunch. I am totally bummed this year because I am traveling 2 of the 3 days the event is being held so I guess I'll just have to make my one day worthwhile. 

Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl 2011

Tuesday, June 7-9, 2011

Noon - 8pm

Boston City Hall Plaza

Here are all the awesome flavors. So excited to see my favorite Key Lime Graham gelato from Ciao Bella once again and am excited to try Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream. Oh and I just tried Baskin Robbins S'More the Merrier...OMG..love it and will definitely plan on getting a couple scoops of that one. Check out all the flavors to expect and like usual I am sure there will be more.

Baskin-Robbins®

• Lucky Mint
• Firehouse #31
• S'More the Merrier
• Oreo®Gold Rush

Ben & Jerry's®

• Late Night Snack
• Americone Dream
• Milk and Cookies
• Bonnaroo Buzz^TM
• 
  
• Ciao Bella Gelato®
• Chocolate S'mores
• Mango Sorbet
• Wild Blueberry Sorbet
• Key Lime Graham Gelato

Edy's®

• The Original Rocky Road
• Cookies and Cream
• Orange Sherbert
• Espresso Chip

Friendly's

• Hunka Chunka
• Vienna Mocha
• Mocha Chocolate Chip
• Rocky Road

HP Hood/Brigham's®

• Hood BoSox Brownie
• Hood Frozen Tangy Yogurt Rasberry Vanilla
• Brigham's Oreo
• Brigham's Mocha Chip

SoCo Creamery

• Dirty Chocolate
• Vanilla
• Espresso Cookie
• Berkshire Berry
• Mexicali Chocolate

#OMGFreeBenJerrys hits Beantown on July 28th

The countdown is on until the Ben & Jerry's scoop truck hits the Boston streets for 4 weeks handing out as many free samples as possible. This is so fun.....it all starts on July 28th and you can even influence where the truck heads.  Just go on their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter and tell them where you want it to go and maybe, just maybe, you might get lucky. Seriously I am going to go on every day and tell them to come to my work. Keeping my fingers crossed!

[Scoopalicious is celebrating National Ice Cream month with a Post-A-Day throughout the month of July!]

Scooper Bowl 2010...oh how we already miss you!

From the desk of Bethany: 

I think it would be kind of cool for both Tina and I to wrote a little about the Scooper Bowl and since I am on the couch relaxing and catching up from the Annual Ice Cream Party (more to follow) I thought I would take a bit of time to write my post.


For me, the Scooper Bowl always kind of kicks off the summer for me, even though the weather this year was kind of dreary and overcast and chilly to say the least...


This was a pretty cool Scooper Bowl though. A month or so ago we got an email from Russell over at Ice Cream Geek (your super awesome source for the science behind the ice cream making...) saying he'd be in Boston (from Dallas) for the Scooper Bowl this year. I have to admit, T and I were both slackers about replying and then when we did reply, we suggested we meet at the end or even after because the usual Scooper Bowl craziness seemed a little tough for meeting a new ice cream friend. But it turned out the Scooper Bowl was a little emptier thanks to the dreary weather and we ended up meeting Russell and his lovely wife Kathey in the confines of the Bowl's fences. (That's me, Tina, and Russell above.) What fun people! We had a nice time talking ice cream (favorite flavors of the day, the science behind ice cream -- the kind of stuff people with an ice cream obsession might talk about...) Tina had to get back to work but I had some time before my next meeting downtown. I joined Russell and Kathey for lunch at Wagamama (a favorite of theirs from their days in Sydney -- and, we come to find out, all three of the United States locations are in Boston so they just had to go!) Anyway, conversation continued to follow with talk of ice cream (well, duh) and some recommendations of Boston tourism. We really had a great time and hope to see them at next year's event!

From the desk of Tina: 

I agree with Bethany that Scooper Bowl is such a kick off to the summer and an event that really gets us excited to launch into our busy blogging season. It gets us chatting about all the different brands and flavors and how we might be able to do it better (no all the time of course but we try!). So since I work right around the corner in the city we usually do an ice cream lunch and I have one precious hour to hit up all the flavors or as many as I can handle. It's not as easy as you think to have 30 scoops in one hour. Really have to be selective. And this year it was even more exciting as Bethany mentioned we hooked up with another ice cream blogger whose wife labels him "The Alton Brown of Ice Cream"...seriously he truly knows the science of ice cream...so cool chatting with another person so into the art. So B and I did our rounds then went for seconds with Russell and Kathey before I had to unfortunately go back to my desk and try not to fall into an ice cream coma (very difficult by the way). 

As you can see below we had some favorites. Each year we see many of the same flavors but I am always excited for what's new. My favorite from the "what's new" category was Ben & Jerry's Bonnaroo Buzz. LOVE the coffee and malt ice cream and then the whiskey caramel swirl was as they say in Boston Wicked good! Others worth noting from me....Brighams' Peppermint Stick, Ciao Bella's Key Lime Graham Gelato, Haagen-Dazs Caramel Cone, and Gifford's Chocolate Lover's Chocolate.

All in all this event never disappoints even if the weather didn't work on our behalf (actually the rain helped us...so much less elbowing for scoops) and I want to thank Dana for supplying us with tickets to raffle off to our lucky winner Laurie (we'd love to hear all about your visit Laurie!). I can't believe I have to wait another year for this but it really got me excited for what's ahead during these next couple hot months.

Of course, a Scooper Bowl post wouldn't be complete without some flavor reviews, so we've posted below all the flavors and our comments...


The list below is copied from the Scooper Bowl site, and is the ranking from their "Text Your Favorite" -- our comments are next to it each (if we tried it). Bethany in orange, Tina in pink...

Ben & Jerry's® Boston Cream Pie	10.40% I had actually already tried this one the day before, but I LOVE it. I LOVE the custard (pudding?) swirls...Definitely a favorite of the day.
Ciao Bella Gelato® Key Lime Graham Gelato	9.30% Yum. Tina's recipe might be better though! Discovered this in NYC a couple years back and its always been at the top of my list...super creamy, refreshing and full of flavor.
Häagen-Dazs® Caramel Cone	9.30% I love anything with Caramel in it but this one is awesome..
Baskin-Robbins® Wild 'n Reckless Sherbet	7.00% Wow. I don't know about this one. Purple, blue and green and super sweet. Certainly not refreshing as many sherbets are. (pictured in top photo)
Ciao Bella Gelato® Mango Sorbet	7.00%
Baskin-Robbins® Superfudge Truffle	5.70% Um, yum if you love chocolate and lots of it. (pictured in top photo)
HP Hood® Fenway Fudge	5.70%
Ciao Bella Gelato® Blood Orange Sorbet	4.70% LOVED this. SO refreshing and wonderful. And wonderful color! Wasn't my favorite but tons of flavor and refreshing.
Breyer's® Cherry Vanilla	3.50% Breyers is local and I feel badly saying this, but I have never been the biggest fan of Breyers. That being said, I might have to change my mind, I LOVED this.
Brigham's® Cookie Dough	3.50% Pretty good. Nothing special.
Ben & Jerry's® Bonnaroo BuzzTM	2.30% I tasted Tina's. Probably would have liked it more if I liked alcohol and coffee flavoring. LOVED it! Probably my favorite new flavor I tried. I love coffee ice cream and malt flavor so that with the whiskey caramel swirl was awesome. B&J never disappoint.
Ben & Jerry's® Milk & Cookies	2.30%
Breyer's® M&M Vanilla	2.30%
Edy's® Birthday Cake	2.30% Always a favorite. I am a birthday cake ice cream nut! I love how Edy's swirls in frosting into their version. This is a fave of mine from Edy's.
Garelick Farms/Gifford's® Cherry Amaretto Chocolate	2.30% Oh, yum! It was just okay for me but I am not a huge cherry fan.
Garelick Farms/Gifford's® Chocolate Lover's Chocolate	2.30% Very rich. Now I know why this one got "the world's best chocolate ice cream" at the World Dairy Expo....rich and awesome.
Garelick Farms/Gifford's® Maine Lobster Tracks	2.30% This was good, but I got no lobsters in my entire scoop!
Häagen-Dazs® Bailey's® Irish Cream	2.30% Super smooth and flavorful. Could probably only eat a little due to the strong flavor but do like it.
Häagen-Dazs® Lemon Sorbet	2.30%
Baskin-Robbins® Premium Churned Light Mint Oreo®	1.20% Not fair I missed this one and Mint is my favorite.
Ben & Jerry's® Hannah Teter's Maple Blondie	1.20% So not a fan. This was either too maplely or too fake tasting. I am leaning towards the latter because I LOVE the maple ice cream I make that uses an entire cup of dark amber maple syrup per quart, tastes so yummy, and doesn't taste like this ice cream.
Ben & Jerry's® Phish Food®	1.20% Probably my favorite B&J flavor...the light version is just as good too.
Breyer's® Chocolate	1.20%
Breyer's® Strawberry	1.20%
Brigham's® Mocha Chip	1.20%
Brigham's® Peppermint Stick	1.20% (pictured in top photo)
Ciao Bella Gelato® Malted Milk Ball Gelato	1.20% Good, but again, Tina's might be yummier. She'll need to share her recipes! Good but I think I liked mine better with dark chocolate chunks in it and a little stronger malt flavor.
Edy's® Maxx Chocolate Cookies & Cream Collision	1.20%
Edy's® Maxx Chocolate Peanut Butter Chunk	1.20%
HP Hood® Rainbow Sherbet	1.20%

The Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl 2010 - Your chance for FREE tickets

Oh the day we wait for all year long is quickly coming and we couldn't be more excited! Its Scooper Bowl 2010, the all-you-can-eat ice cream extravaganza on Boston City Hall Plaza that supports cancer care and research for adults and children at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Wow, its been 27 years since the Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl has been gorging people of all ages with ice cream and in return has raised more than $2.65 million for cancer research. Simply amazing and just awesome!

This year it means even more to me for more than one reason. Not only am I a huge ice cream fan who attends this event faithfully but cancer runs way too close to me as well. Recently a close family member was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and she is fighting every step of the way. Not only is her husband a cancer survivor (he is the 5% with his rare form of cancer that has made it almost 10 years!) but she also has an even more rare form and is fighting the battle in the most positive way. SO if it takes eating a little (more like a whole lot!) of ice cream to help make a difference I am there!

And we want you to be too because its super fun, super yummy and all for a great cause. If you are interested in trying bottomless cups of more than 30 flavors of ice cream on one given day and taking part in this super fun event just post a comment and we'll be raffling off a pair of tickets (compliments of The Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl..thanks Dana!). Comment by the end of the day Tuesday, June 1st to qualify.

Comment and win a pair of FREE tickets!

Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl^®

^{presented by FedEx}

^{Tuesday, June 8 – Thursday, June 10, 2010}

^{Noon – 8 p.m. every day}

City Hall Plaza, Boston

http://www.jimmyfund.org/eve/event/scooper-bowl/default.html

Scooper Bowl Boston June 9-11 - All U Can Eat Ice Cream

Seriously, if you work (or live) anywhere near City Hall Plaza in Boston than this weeks water cooler chatter is not about the weather, its about whether or not you are heading over to The 27th Annual Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl for an ice cream lunch or not. Me..I'll most likely be there more than one day and since I am feeding for two these days there is absolutely no guilt!

The nation's largest all-you-can-eat ice cream festival starts tomorrow and ends Thursday. It goes from noon-8pm daily and will offer a few flavors from each of nine different premium brands. So that is about 9 brands times three flavors(some actualy offer more) equalling approx. 27 scoops...and there is always seconds. Thank god for maternity pants that give!

Truly this is a fun event and one of the most anticipated in the summer here in Boston. Its all about how many cups you can proudly stack, little ones covered in creamy sweetness, and just pure ice cream madness all for a good cause, The Jimmy Fund.

Individual tickets can be purchased at the entrance...
$8 for adults (Ages 10 and up)
$4 for kids (ages 3-9)
Free for kids under 3
$15 Scooper Passes available allowing you to attend up to three times are available online

Brigham's Wins Me Over With French Vanilla Ice Cream

I am coming on years here in Boston, and now I can say I am about 1/3 a Boston Girl, and 2/3 a Connecticut Girl -- I have spent a third of my life up in the Boston area. That being said, it's time for me to admit my leaning towards all things Boston (Growing up in Central Connecticut, we had to decide Yankees versus Sox, Giants versus Pats, and Knicks versus Celtics -- not being much of a sports fan, I never really chose.) However, I have to say, I am truly a Boston Girl (that's right, Pushstars, that song just might be about me. I find myself caring about how the Sox or the Celtics are doing. I can't say so much for the Pats, as (the horror) I have never understood football. I ♥ hockey though, so I do have to say the Bruins are second only to Hartford's one and only (and now defunct) pro team, the Hartford Whalers (once a Connecticutian, always a Connecticutian).

But I digress.

Back on topic. Now that I am a Boston Girl (or 1/3 anyway) another thing I ♥ that "I can call my own" (another Pushstars' Boston Girl reference) is Brigham's Ice Cream. I once wrote Brigham's in my sadness over the death of their Fluffernutter Ice Cream. So sad, in fact, that I had to make my own recipe for it. Yes, which I should post, and I will, I promise (though, long story short -- vanilla base, with peanut butter and Fluff -- along with the Somerville Illuminations Tour, Fluff is one of the best things to come out of Somerville -- swirled in).

Last month, we were supposed to have the lovely Clint, Stacey, and Ivy over for dinner. At the last minute, Ivy got sick, and our plans got canceled. Good news is, she seems to better, bad news is, we never rescheduled, and I found a new obsession. I had intended to bake (because I love to) but time ran short and I picked up a Vermont Mystic Pie Company pie (by the way, these are so much less expensive at Costco than the grocery store -- when I saw the reciept, I realized a fresh bakery pie would have been the way to go -- but alas, now we have a frozen pie that is actually quite good once cooked in the oven for a surprise visitor) and a container of Brigham's French Vanilla Ice Cream.

A few days after the canceled visitors, in a moment of sweet tooth weakness, I made the huge error of opening the carton. I dipped my spoon in and...WOW. On first bite, I knew this would be a problem. This ice cream was so rich, so creamy...it was the treu definition of frozen custard. It literally was creme brulee without the brulee, poured into an ice cream machine and churned. Oh. My. God. I love custard based ice cream (made with eggs as opposed to the Philadelphia style which has no eggs) so naturally I was in heaven, but to me, this was so much more. It was just the right amount of sweetness and egginess (I don't know if this sounds like such a great way to describe ice cream, but if you like custard based ice cream, you will know what I mean).

Anyway, long story short: I am a fan of Brigham's. Especially this French Vanilla. It alone makes living in the Boston area well worth it.

Stay tuned for an upcoming list of why the Boston area is a great place for ice cream lovers.

Author's note: I usually write my posts and then go back in and throw in the links. I did this with this post, went to link to the French Vanilla, and found no listing for it on their site. Oh, no, I thought. This did not have the same fate as my Fluffernutter, did it? I emailed Brigham's and this is the reply I received: "We no longer have that flavor available, it was only made in prepackaged quart containers, never in bulk for our scoop shops." Bum-mer. I am beginning to think maybe I shouldn't get Brigham's ice cream anymore. Everytime I fall passionately in love with a flavor, they stop making it. This is so true with Trader Joe's too: their black lentils, their orange cardamom cookies, and their vanilla bean paste...

Boston's J.P. Licks' Frozen Yogurt X

Yesterday my dear friend Amanda and I went to J.P. Licks in Harvard Square. Though I did settle on my favorite Oreo Cakebatter, I did want to try J.P. Licks' new Frozen Yogurt X (soon-to-be-named -- by you!): "Tart, tangy, non-fat, refreshing, no cholesterol, less sugar, millions of probiotic bacteria..." Hm, sounds a lot to me like Pinkberry...I asked for a taste and the scoop girl kindly agreed. Fancy that! It was much sweeter than I remembered Pinkberry to be (read my previous post on my Pinkberry thoughts), and I didn't actually hate it! Actually, it was good, but the truth is, I would never ever walk into an J.P. Licks and order it when I am surrounded by rich, sweet, creamy real ice cream.

But, if this is up your alley, run over to one of J.P. Licks' many shops in the Boston area before September 30, 2008 and taste for yourself, and then visit their site and suggest a name for a chance to one free medium serving of the new concoction every day for a year! (Or don't bother to taste it, as you can still technically name it without tasting!) 

Added bonus? Visit the flagship store on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain the weekend of September 28 and 29th and enjoy your frozen yogurt while visiting the 15th Annual Jamaica Plain Open Studios. (Stop by my old studio space at 128 Brookside Avenue and give a shout out to Gordon, Catherine, and Amy!)

 

Scoopalicious Scopes Out Scooper Bowl 26

The Scoopalicious Team: Tina and Bethany at Scooper Bowl 26
(That's Hochy in the background! Hi Hochy!)

So the Scoopalicious crew and two of our favorite assistants (thanks Al and Steve!) went to the Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl in Government Center, Boston today! This event has been a Boston staple for many years...in fact, the Scooperbowl is in its 26th year and its the nation's largest all-you-can-eat ice cream festival. Temps hit 95°, almost breaking the June 10th record of 96° set in 1959. Record breaker or not, it was a scorcher. (I felt pretty badly for my Haagan Dazs Honey bee friend at left here...)

We spent about an hour at the event, testing at least one flavor from almost each of the stands...

We aren't of the group who thinks we should stack our cups, but there are quite a few people who DO enjoy this...(These are actually mellow to those stacks I have seen in the past...)


We'll go into more detail in a future post, but here is one favorite from each of us...

B: "I loved the cake batter at Edy's. I am a big big fan of cake batter. Started with cake batter and ended with cake batter."

T: My vote goes to Coldstone Creamery's For Coffee Lover's Only... Supersmooth coffee ice cream, roasted almonds, caramel, and Heath Bar BUT there are two more days of this event so this could easily change!

The best information is on the Scooperbowl is on their website.

This event is one not to miss -- and I have to admit, I am surprised Boston is the only one that serves up such an awesome event yearly. It's a great cause and a tasty event. I guess I am going to just thank my lucky sprinkles that I live in Boston.

We'll be back with more flavor reports soon, but for now, we'll leave you with two things.

One, we invite YOU to submit your scoop on the Bowl...favorite flavors? overall experience?

Two: a picture is worth a thousand words. Here are some good ones...(thanks T!)

26 loooong hours til Scooper Bowl - Boston

But who's counting! All you can eat ice cream for three days for just $8 and all for a good cause. Unheard of! I already have plans to be there every day at lunchtime. Helps when my office is two blocks away! This really is such a fun and anticipated event. It's so fun to see all the little ones with ice cream all over their face, the friends arguing about what flavor is best, or the businessmen taking an extra long lunch while probably never admitting where they were! What's also fun is that you get to try new flavors that may not even be available yet...oh and have as much as you want of it (again, best part!). I do have to admit there is a limit to how much ice cream should be consumed in one day but for this one day, forget about it!

Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl
City Hall Plaza, Boston
June 10 and 12, 2008: 11:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
June 11, 2008: 11:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.

http://www.jimmyfund.org/eve/event/scooper-bowl/default.html

Work near City Hall Plaza? Then skip lunch and make it an ice cream lunch!
Playing hooky on a warm summer day? We won't tell but watch out, your coworkers may be there!
In Boston on vacation? Then you found a goldmine to fill your day!

...or with this year's extended hours you can scoop away til sundown.


Last year's favorite....Cinnamon Bun by Ben & Jerry's. Can't wait to see if anything tops that! Stay tuned....

The Entries Are In For the First Annual Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup!

Wow! It's been one month since Stef at the Cupcake Project initiated this fun Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup with us and we are astounded by the yumminess and creativity of all the entries. Check 'em all out and next time you decide to make cupcakes, don't forget the one special ingredient to top them with...ice cream!

Thanks Stef and all the amazing bakers who contributed a yummy ice cream cupcake....this was so fun!

Sooooo, we couldn't figure out how best to do this, so we made a chart and each got a color for a response. Bethany is black raspberry colored, Tina is mint colored!

Note: Neither one of us have actually tried any of these recipes, but we HOPE to soon! We'll be busy in the kitchen, I can tell you that!

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	Caramel Apple Pie a la mode by Of Monkeys and Cupcakes Can't believe this is OMAC's first round-up. She looks like she has it down. Her step-by-step photos are beautiful (I love the cutaway) and her write-up is great! I love her combo of caramel ice cream and caramel apple cupcakes, but I do have to admit, my favorite part, the part I just wanted to lick the screen for, was the cream cheese frosting! Way to go OMAC, and thanks for your entry! Ooh, caramel is my fave and these really sound and look great. I love how you piped in the ice cream...wow that must have took time waiting for it to defrost to the perfect consistency . So impressed by your first roundup!
	Dairy Free Sticky Toffee Pudding Cupcakes with Kahlua Almond Ice Cream and Caramel/Cream Cheese Sauce or "Frosting" by Flour Arrangements I think FA says it best in the first line of her post: "Wow...that's a long title for cupcakes that took an even longer time to make ;)" That's one thing I did realize. These cupcakes are time consuming! At least mine were. So many steps and so much freezing and working, freezing and working. I am impressed with FA's attempts to go vegan in her cupcake making. Impressive! Also, as much as I loved loved loved the image to the left of the caramel/cream cheese frosted ice cream cupcakes with the cherry and almond on top (beautiful presentation!), I was also impressed by her creativity in using the leftovers to send to work with her husband! Way to go! (I, on the other hand, was left with a freezer full of ice cream cupcakes that were going to get the best of me!) Lucky Jose and and his co-workers! P.S. FA, love your little recipe card application-thing on your blog! Hey did you use Bethany's fake ice cream recipe because these are so picture perfect they almost look fake! The cherry and almond are so thoughtfully placed and the dripping frosting falls just right. I think the watery consistency resulted in a darn nice looking ice cream cupcake!
	Chocolate Orange Guinness Cupcakes by Couture Cupcakes First of all, CC, I don't even know where to begin! Your write-up and photos are fantastic! I LOVED CC's little "package" for each tester -- treat and spoon all bundled up nicely! The cup idea was also fantastic. I had a hard time eating my creations in their wrapper on a plate...ice cream isn't meant for a plate, silly me! The cup seems like the perfect solution -- a place to bake as well as a solid structure to eat out of! I think it is great as well that CC got friends and family to do reviews -- so nice to see a number of responses! OK, and the recipe itself? AWESOME. I am not a huge fan of beer, but I think I might like these, as they are so rich with flavors I DO love together: chocolate, orange, and raspberry...yum! One more tip I like: "Take cupcakes out of freezer 10 minutes before serving." Very good advice! I have been dying to make Guinness ice cream for my husband who is a big fan of the stout so these intrigued me. The fact that you actually made two flavors of ice cream was adventurous in itself never-mind the clever packaging and great photos with scribbles. These are so cute and sound awesome. Love the mix of orange with it. Oranglicious!
	Miss Scarlet by Little Ivy Cakes First of all, creme brulee ice cream?! Um, yum! These are beautiful. I love the mixture of colors and textures. The garnishes work so well, as well -- these are just incredibly beautiful. My mouth is watering just looking at and thinking about that mixture of the richest foods I know: red velvet cake, creme brulee, meringue, strawberries, blood oranges... Wonderful entry, and perfect name as well! I know I have been under a rock but I have never had red velvet cake and these have me even more intrigued after seeing the red batter on the mixer. Each step of this ice cream cupcake sounds awesome and I can't even believe the frosting itself took almost 45 minutes..wow you are a trooper. But it all looks worth it. The color and contrast of layers is fantastic and the creme brulee ice cream sounds to die for.
	S'mores Ice Cream Cupcake by Jesse Jesse's ice cream cupcakes are right in time for the season (by the way, has anyone seen those s'mores kits they sell now? Marshmallows, grahams, chocolate and sticks all included...can't people even find sticks in the woods for s'mores making any more? I mean, c'mon...half the fun is finding the perfect stick to toast the perfect marshmallow on...anyway...). Anyway, these are just beautiful! I want to dive right into the marshmallow meringue topping, just like the graham cracker did. I mean, these looks SO inviting! I am also impressed that it is Jesse's first time making ice cream! Of course it is hard to really see how it came out as it is sandwiched between a cupcake and a mountain of fluffy meringue, but it's not in an unfrozen puddle around the cake, so I have to assume it worked out pretty well! Love the little graham cracker fun fact! Summertime and camping...that's what these are all about! I must try this Cinnamon Graham Crunch ice cream, thanks for posting the recipe, it sounds too good and you're right Philly style is way easier and when you have a project with so many steps its perfect. Love the shot and the placement of the graham is prefect. It's the details that count...great job!
	Rootbeer Float Cupcakes by Coconut and Lime These are just adorable! They are so retro and charming -- the presentation is wonderful! Use of the ice cream glass and the straw is perfect. As much as the look takes me back the fifties -- wait, you have to have lived in the fifties to go back to the fifties, huh? I just barely made the seventies! -- er, um, anyway, you know what I mean -- the flavor combination seems wonderful and classic diner feeling! Yum! P.S. Where EVER did you get those liners, C&L? I want them! Love it...this just looks fun. It's simple and sweet and I can just picture myself sitting at a diner counter enjoying this. Hmm..maybe there is one nearby but I doubt they serve this wonderful creation.
	Choco-Caramel4 Fudge Ice Cream Wafflecakes by I♥Cuppycakes These are so charming! I think the waffle bowl would add an awesome crunch to this recipe -- just like IHC (That's I Heart Cuppycakes -- I don't know how to make that heart!!) said. I will have to try it out! I love how the cone bowl flattened. It's so pretty! In fact, at the point where IHC hadn't added the ice cream yet, there is a shot that looks like a big flower! I love the sundae look of these as well, and for a chocolate lover, these are, um, perfect! BUT, I could also see how wonderful peanut butter ice cream would be too, just like IHC and her husband both suggested after the fact. Let us know how that turns out, will ya, IHC? Wow, what a creative idea to use these cups and had you never mentioned the flattening of them I would have never known. I think they fell perfectly and am amazed at the idea of cooking the brownie in it (can you tell I don't take risks in baking!). The cup and brownie topped with Triple Caramel Chunk (which I must try now..darn only edys in the fridge) sounds scrumptious. This really looks like you stole a photo out of a cookbook..wonderful!
	Chocolate Strawberry-Rhubarb Ice Cream Cupcakes by Cooking In Cleveland These are just beautiful. I could stop right there. I don't want to eat them, I just want to look! OK, but truth be told I LOVE strawberry rhubarb anything. I have never had it with chocolate though, but it sounds amazing. The balsalmic vinegar in this ice cream recipe sounds like it adds a great twist as well. This is definitely one I am going to steal some rhubarb from mom and dad's garden for...! LOVE rhubarb...my favorite summertime pie and ice cream sounds even better. Never had it but its now on my must-have list and thanks for sharing the ice cream recipe. I will defintiely try this one. Love the photo and the shaved chocolate and perfect strawberry really finish these off beautifully!
	Strawberries and Chocolate by Red Kitchenaid These are charming! I am going to have to make them for my star loving sister! RK's presentation is wonderful. I just love the shine of the hot fudge finishing off the personal desserts. Strawberries and chocolate? What could be finer? (OK, the verdict is still out on strawberry rhubarb and chocolate above!) KA had a problem with the strawberries in her ice cream being very icy. As I wrote on her blog: "I keep running into the icy ice cream problem too. I read that if you macerate the fruit in sugar for a while before mixing in, it is supposed to help." Great work, KA! Neat idea putting this all in a mold and topping it with hot fudge is the best part. I've made lots of ice cream now and every batch is different so definitely try again. You may be pleasantly surprised the next time. But these really look great and I bet tasted just as good.
	Chocolate Cherry Amaretto Ice Cream Cupcakes by Tempered Woman The name says it all: chocolate cherry...This is one of those classic combos that you can't go wrong with. Add some liquor, and you can go even less wrong! I love the idea of the marscapone in the frosting. Sounds so yummy! As I was reading TW's description of the ice cream soaking into the cake, all I could think about is that: I. Want. These. NOW. Love the photo too...the image is so inviting. They have such a cheerful, playful, summertime look to them that I keep half expecting my four year old neighbor to come running into the picture with his bathing suit and inflatable arm bands. "Stay away, Oscar, these are for adults only!...and remember, you can't go swimming until a half an hour after eating..." Can I just have a spoon loaded with that frosting. Man that looks good..and with marscapone cheese its gotta be. I just love how the ice cream is sandwiched and how playful the piped frosting is. Although from the sounds of it the outdoor photo was challenging, but it frames them wonderfully. These look incredible!
	Chocolate Fire Ice Cream Cupcakes by My Own Sweet Thyme These look and sound so yummy. I love the richness that chile powder adds to chocolate, and to top that combo off with cinnamon ice cream, and cream cheese frosting sounds like a match made in heaven. MOST even has an image of the cupcake unwrapped, the creamy white ice cream melting into the dark chocolate cupcake that makes me want to climb into my computer and eat it. Ah, if only it were that easy. (I'd be gaining weight by the second as I write this...) My husband isn't such a sweets fan, which I can't understand, but he does like spicy things, so I think I should try making them for me, er, um, I mean him. The name is great -- it's a perfect match for the spicy mixed with cold combo. Wow, these sound super flavorful and fantastic. After all those steps you said you would definitely make again..they must be good! Oh and the weather may not be right there for ice cream yet but start making your own and it becomes a year round obsession!
	Burnt Sugar Lilac Cupcakes by Big Black Dogs These make me want to sit in a lace filled victorian house and drink tea. Absolutely beautiful! Love the lilac and colored sugar garnishing the top. Burnt sugar and lilac sounds like a pretty cool combo to me! I like the lightness of flower flavors in moderation, and I think that the combo of burnt sugar and lilac sounds like a perfect mix. The white chocolate ganache seems to be the perfect topping, and also what I will now use as the topping to my cupcakes, as no one was particularly thrilled with the caramely white chocolate topping on my experiment! (Thanks, BBD!) I wonder, did the ganache harden on the ice cream? These are definitely the prettiest entry by far. It looks like a bouquet and I can smell the flowers from here . I have to say I am not so sure about actually eating lilacs but its so different I think I might have to try it to see what its all about. Oh and topped with ganache...sold!
	Cookie Dough Chocolate Ice Cream Cupcakes by Beantown Baker Ah, the Beantown Baker...one that (I assume) hails from the great city of Boston...(A little biased, yes, but that is where I met the lovely Tina, without whom we wouldn't have this ab fab blog!) First off BB, I have to say, I am so so sorry about your lactose intolerance. I don't know how I would be able to function on soy/tofu/rice/anything-other-than-rich-heavy-cream ice cream wannabes! (I mean, to each his own, really -- its just not for me!) Love how BB added the ice cream "mush" to her cupcake and reminisced about childhood. Didn't we all mix our cake and ice cream mush together? The chocolate cream cheese frosting seems to be the perfect last ingredient of the chocolate -vanilla cookie dough-chocolate sandwich BB made. Um, BB, maybe you could send Tina and I your address so we could come over and eat the rest of these for you, as um, you are lactose intolerant. ;) My favorite step...send hubby to the store for ice cream! Sounds like my nightly although if its homemade, "send hubby to the kitchen to get me a bowl of ice cream!" Regardless its a great start to a fun process. These look great..cookie dough and chocolate cupcakes topped off with cream cheese frosting sounds like a perfect combination. p.s....since you're in Boston be sure to hit the Scooper Bowl next week on City Hall Plaza (endless ice cream for $8..what's better than that!)
	Kalhua Chocolate Crunch Ice Cream Cupcakes by Lick the Spatula I have to admit. I have the taste buds of a five year old. I like sweet sweet sweet, and I always say I don't like anything coffee or alcohol flavored. That being said, I'd still try these...Kalhua is sweeter than most liquors, and sometimes I actually think it gives a nice rich flavor to things, as does the chocolate and coffee combo (once I made my friend a coffee/chocolate cake knowing she would like it and I wouldn't -- it was just past Christmas and I was trying not to eat as many sweets to make up for all the sweets I had eaten -- but I still did and thought it was one of the richest cakes I had ever eaten. Long story short, even with my childish tastes, I think these have the potential to be rich, sweet, and delicious even to me! Beautiful work though, I love LTS's testing of alternative cupcake holders as well as her ability "to think outside of the cupcake liner"! I too am a big chocolate and coffee fan so these sound right up my alley. I usually try to have each daily and now I can have them together. Thanks for entering and thanks to your husband for doing the dishes. Where can I get one of those! Capitol D...Delicious!
	Chocolate Strawberry Bliss Cupcakes by Confessions of a City Eater I love the stripes of color in this cake, made by Tina and my Boston neighbor (Go Celtics!). It is so simple and elegant. I am curious to know the kind of frosting used. It looks delish! OMG, I didn't realize these were white chocolate. I love love love white chocolate. And with strawberry? Even better! And COACE? Since I commented on your posting, you'll be happy to know I found a whatchamacallit to pipe frosting at Marshall's so I picked it up. Now if I can only get the actual skill down... Ooh another Boston girl...Scopper Bowl next week, don't miss out! I absolutely love this photo with the city in the background. Maybe these should have been called Bliss in the City (BITC)...appropriate timing! These look so refreshing and your strawberry ice cream sounds great.
	Oreo Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes by Küchenatein I have heard of cone cupcakes, but it never occured to me to make them and then add ice cream to make a REAL ice cream cone cupcake! Brillant! I just love the idea, and it is basically an all-in-one, good for the environment (no trash) solution! These are adorable! Perfect for a kid's party -- you wouldn't have to deal with ice cream and cake on the spot, as it is all predone! Also pretty cool with the cone removed too! I think oreo ice cream is one of my all time favorites...so these are rigth up my alley. The other day I had, get this, cake batter oreo ice cream at J.P. Licks in Brookline, MA. That might be my new favorite -- two of my all time favs combined!! Hey I have been dying to try the cupcake in the cone idea. I came across this idea when researching recipes for my toddler's birthday and thought it was such a neat and fun idea so I am psyched to see this here. This is a classic and so right for this roundup. I just want to lick them now!

Thanks to everyone who took part -- every single one of the recipes was creative, unique, and so delicious looking...we'll report back again when we actually try some of these!

In the meantime, if our readers try any of these recipes, please send us a full report!

What I loved best?...I loved how the every presentation was completely different than the last. It is amazing to me how people take the same problem and come up with their own solution that is so "out of the cupcake liner," as Lick the Spatula so aptly put it!