State of Great Taste: Private Selections Next Ice Cream Flavor

Private Selection is asking YOU to help pick the next limited edition ice cream. Will it be my Mexcian Hot Chocolate?!?! Or will it be one of the other nine fabulous recipes created by my extremely talented blogging comrades?

This is part two of my awesome trip to Michigan a few weeks back. If you’ll remember, I posted on Thursday about our wonderful dinner and tour at the Old Mission Fruit Company. After a magical evening, we were up bright and early the next morning to the kitchens of the Northwestern Michigan College to meet with the resident ice cream scientist from Kroger– yes, an ice cream scientist. How cool is that?

The kitchen was set up with personalized chef hats and coats and all the ingredients we needed to make our signature ice creams. Many of us came with more than one idea so we wasted no time getting after it creating multiple ice creams to represent our home state.

Being from Utah, my mind immediately went to Jell-o but since I’m pretty sure that would make a horrid ice cream, I scratched it from the list. I decided to do something with honey- Utah is the beehive state after all! Starting with a honey base, I added honey-candied pecans and a fresh raspberry swirl after the fabulous raspberries that Bear Lake in Northern Utah is so well known for. I must tell you that this ice cream was amazing- possibly my favorite. But after letting the other ladies try it, we decided it wasn’t the one. I was only allowed to choose one flavor to call my own and after letting the other bloggers and team members at Kroger and Private Selection weigh in, I went an entirely different route.

Mexican Hot chocolate. You guys this ice cream is the bomb. With it’s subtle heat and all the components of a cup of hot chocolate, hard not to keep eating spoonful after spoonful. What does Mexican hot chocolate have to do with Utah you ask? Well, maybe a stretch but if I had to pick one drink that really embodies my home state, it’s a good cup of cocoa. It’s what we drink on chilly mornings when were camping (sometimes spiked but please don’t tell) and it’s what we turn to after a long day on the slopes when we’re tired and need a little something to perk us up and warm our belies. (Also sometimes spiked.) I didn’t want to be boring and do a plain hot chocolate so I jazzed it up. A touch of cayenne in the hot chocolate ice cream base gives it just the right amount of heat. Cinnamon dusted marshmallows and swirls of whipped cream, make this truly the ice cream version of a mug of steamy hot chocolate.

Unorthodox perhaps, but it doesn’t matter. One bite and you’ll be digging in for more! The sweet face behind Sweet Treats and More, Kristy, was also representing Utah and she made a knock out ice cream with honey-butter, raspberries and bits of freshly fried scones. It was delicious. I’m pretty sure I’m sampling her scones in the picture above. How can I deny a scone fresh from the fryer?

Truth be told, there wasn’t one ice cream creation that wasn’t delicious. Every single one was thought out and turned out amazing! If only Private Selection could pick every ice cream. It sure would make the voting process easier on you!

After we labeled our respective ice creams and put them in the fridge, we had at least 2 dozen quarts to sample. It’s a tough job but somebody has to do it! Good thing none of us is lactose intolerant!

We literally stood around the table, spoon(s) in hand and went to town. Passing the ice cream around, we spent just as much time oohing and awing as we did eating. I wish you could taste how wonderful all the ice creams turned out. Instead you’ll have to take my word for it!

And more importantly, I’d love for you to take the time and go vote for the ice cream that sounds the best to you! Of course I’d love it if you voted for mine but in all honesty, I’d like even more for you to vote for the one that you’d most like to see in your local grocer next year. There are no losers here and I’d be smitten to see any one of the ice creams win!

How can you vote, you ask? Well, it’s easy. Head over the Private Selection Facebook page, like them, and look for the little tab that says, STATE OF GREAT TASTE. Click on that and then vote up to once a day until September 17th. It’s that easy! Go check em out and let me know what you think! I had an absolute blast participating and thanks for reading!

All my travel and accommodations to Michigan were courtesy of Private Selection; However all thoughts, opinions and ideas are mine.