Jeni’s Splendid Holiday Ice Cream Party

James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Jeni Britton was a pioneer of the creative artisan ice cream movement. When she founded Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in 2002, she introduced modern ingredients to make some of the most innovative ice cream flavors.

Recently I hosted a Friendsgiving Party and brought five different Jeni’s Holiday Ice Cream flavors to the table. There were six of us taste testing Jeni’s Merry Berry, Buckeye Frenzy, Rum Ball, Boozy Eggnog and White Chocolate Peppermint into large bowls.

Jeni’s flavor is a combination of two things: taste experienced on one’s tongue and scent. Since ice cream contains butterfat, that extraordinary flavor absorbs scent and releases aromas like an edible perfume. Grabbing spoons, we let the ice cream settle on our tongue. Our sensory receptors fired away like crazy as our brain processed the flavors of Rum Ball.

Jeni’s Dairy Free Rum Ball

This dairy-free ice cream is made with dense dark chocolate coconut cream spiced with nutmeg. Flavors of Jamaican rum with notes of molasses and boozy punch, plus a little tangerine for brightness. Crumbly white cake adds a soft, satisfying texture.

The texture of Jeni’s Ice Cream is either ethereally smooth, creamy or slightly gritty as ice cream contacts one’s tongue and roof of mouth. While sampling Merry Berry we appreciated the fragrant brambleberry creaminess with a little tartness from buttermilk and lush yogurt folded in. The made-from-scratch raspberry coulis provides a satisfying jamminess with every bite. There are crushed amaretti cookies similar to a Linzer cookie to provide an appealing texture.

Jeni’s White Chocolate Peppermint

The Body of the ice cream is bouncy or thin. Some flavors are dense and slightly chewy, while others melt slowly in one’s palate. A table favorite was White Chocolate Peppermint cream made with real peppermint. This flavor provided a cool and refreshing finish. White chocolate speckles and a touch of sea salt inspire fond memories of peppermint treats and white chocolate icing on sprinkle sugar cookies.

Ice Cream finish is how long ice cream lingers on one’s palate. Jeni uses the power of milk proteins, instead of adding fillers or emulsifiers. Pure vanilla and the fresh scent of peppermint flavor enticed us to take another bite.

Another flavor with a pleasing lingering finish is Jeni’s Boozy Eggnog. The silky egg custard is spiked with nutmeg and Jeni’s grandfather’s favorite spiked whiskey. Honoring Nearest Green, the first known African American master distiller, Jeni adds Uncle Nearest blend small-batch, Tennessee whiskey for a boozy custard finish.

These festive Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams are available online and in scoop shops.