This month’s flavor line-up is really fun and funky, a celebration of the lengthening of days and the arrival of spring.
March Pick-up Week:
March 13th-18th at the Scoop Shop (429 E St), Tuesday-Sunday, 12-9pm
March 15th at the Test Kitchen (636 E. 15th Ave), Thursday, 4-6:30 pm
Will you be out of town? Send us an email, let us know when you will return and which spot you will pick up from, and we will set the ice cream aside for you! We keep Club ice cream at both locations for the week after pick-ups, but after that, it’s best to go to Test Kitchen Open Hours to pick yours up.
*** Island Vibes *** (contains nuts)
This flavor began as a collaboration between Voodoo Jams and us — Voodoo Jams is a young company with a sweet and sassy array of jams, all featuring local alcohol. For Island Vibes, we used a jam of theirs called Pau Hana (Hawaaiian for “Happy Hour”) -- it's a chunky combo of pineapple and coconut, as well as a strong dose of a coconut porter called Nut Cup from Odd Man Rush Brewing (out of Eagle River). Since the jam’s flavor is so bold and assertive, we decided to layer it into our sweet cream base, a perfect canvas.
For a second add-in, we wanted something with flavors that would complement the Pau Hana jam without competing with it. We decided on chunks of toasted Hummingbird Cake, baked in our Test Kitchen. Hummingbird Cake is made with a host of other “island” flavors like bananas, fresh pineapple, rum, allspice, and toasted coconut, with a smattering of toasted pecans. Supposedly, the cake originated in Jamaica (where it was known as Doctor Bird cake), but then became popular in the American South. Read more history here!
We baked big sheet trays, chopped it into smaller pieces, and then toasted it again in the oven for a bit more texture in the ice cream.
Art credits: Morgan Weimer
We love doing collaboration flavors like this because of all the creative juices that flow, and the chance to give each other feedback and do a bit of back-and-forth. When Noelle and Kim of Voodoo Jams first visited our Test Kitchen, they brought a few small jars of jams for us to taste. We discussed a few of the flavor pairing ideas we had for each one. We loved the unusual texture of the Pau Hana, and the undertone of the coconut porter in it, and we told them we were most interested in starting with this one. Noelle said she could imagine it with a baked goods crunch, perhaps with a coconut note?
On the second visit, we had baked up two different baked goods for the Voodoo crew to try -- one was a lighter, macaron-meets-macaroon style cookie. The other was the hummingbird cake, a bowl of plain cake, and one of the toasted version. We all tasted spoonfuls of sweet cream ice cream with the Pau Hana and the different baked goods options. We agreed that we liked the toasted cake more, and that we preferred the cake to the cookie. Voila!
Let this flavor transport you to the tropics!
*** Summer Flame ***
One of Wild Scoop’s longest employees, and the culinary whiz behind such cult classics as Fruity Pebbles, AK Honeycomb and Vampire Slayer (i.e. Roasted Garlic), Morgan Weimer helped conceive and carry out the Summer Flame flavor. Here is what she says:
The last day of winter is finally upon us! The Vernal Equinox is on the 20th of March, and that means that Spring time is just around the corner. As the seasons change and Alaskans trade in their ski poles for hiking poles, the ice cream makers at Wild Scoops start dreaming up summer flavors.
Last year was our first summer with a brick and mortar storefront, and boy was it busy. Working in both the Test Kitchen and the Scoop Shop, I've had the privilege to turn the flavor requests of customers into actual Wild Scoops ice creams! The most widely requested flavor of the summer (by far!) being Fireweed.
Well, this winter we have finally given the people what they want... and then some!
Summer Flame is our funky take on a classic Alaskan flavor. We have taken the bright floral notes of fireweed, added in some local Gabel Family Farm honey, and layered it into a pint with Szechwan pepper infused cream to create a zippy flavor that's sure to remind you of warmer weather.
This was also our first time doing a two-toned layered pint, and it was quite an adventure!
Art credits: Morgan Weimer
Here's more info about Szechuan Pepper from our Staff Botanist, Nicole Emanuel:
Despite its name, the group of plants we know as Szechuan pepper (the Zanthoxylum genus) is not related to either chili peppers or black peppercorns, but is rather the dried fruit of the Chinese prickly ash bush. What’s more, the experience of tasting these little berries is quite strange. Though Szechuan pepper is often thought of as spicy, it is not hot the way chili peppers or black pepper are; rather, it has floral, lemony tones that are accompanied by a slight numbing of the mouth (do you experience this phenomenon with our ice cream flavor?). That sensation is caused by a compound in the plant which triggers sensitivity to cold and touch. The tingly taste of Szechuan pepper is a key component of Chinese five-spice powder, and is also important in the cuisines of Tibet and Nepal, where it is one of the few spices that can withstand the harsh Himalayan climate.
Image: spicejungle.com
*Bonus Treat*
*** Avocado Pop ***
Yes, we know avocados aren’t local…but sometimes Alaskans just need a taste of the tropics. Believe it or not, we often get requests for avocado ice cream, and we decided on a small-batch run of this popsicle as a fun and green St. Patrick’s Day treat. The ingredients are super simple: avocado, water, sugar, salt, and a splash of lime juice (so, yes, it is actually dairy-free) — and the result is super creamy and refreshing. Enjoy! Want to see this more throughout the year? Let us know!
