Monday, February 15, 2010

Ice Cream Review #2 - Maggie Beer's Burnt Fig Jam, Honeycomb and Caramel Ice-Cream


Due to the weird popularity of the last ice-cream review, I've decided to continue to the Australian ice-creme theme! I actually tasted this ice-cream back on January 31st for (another equally good ice-cream eating excuse) International Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day! Did you miss it? Tough titties - I certainly didn't! But make sure you put it in your calendar for next year and keep an eye out for that special tub o' icy cream goodness.

I picked up this brand at the last minute from a city supermarket. Incidentally it's the same store I picked up the Digger's ice-cream, and despite them stocking barely any ice-cream apart from the generic Neopolitan mega-tubs, I found this little number hidden on the top shelf.

It's an interesting combination. I like fig jam. I like caramel. I like honeycomb. And, dammit, I sure do like Maggie Beer too. She featured on my favourite cooking show, which unfortunately has finished now, but it's nice to see you can still pick up a little bit of Maggie when you want it :)

I know, I know - how did it taste! I mean, 'burnt' jam? That can't be good? Well, you are sadly mistaken. This was delicious! The burnt taste was only noticeable as a subtle background note, which reminded me of the burnt sugar coating on the top of a creme brulee. I only noticed the fig in the first mouthful, which is a shame, but the rest was pleasingly creamy and sweet, without being sickly. I couldn't have eaten much of this in one sitting (especially not at breakfast) but in moderation, or as a side to a complimentary desert, this will go down very nicely. And this is an ice-cream that give and gives! The burnt sugar/toffee taste lingered long afterwards, mixing deliciously with the hot green tea I was drinking. Almost enough to make me buy another tub just to enhance the tea-drinking experience! I'm going to have to hunt down some more Maggie Beer products and see if they are equally interesting.