Ben & Jerry's Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream

I do not EVER want to be the guy who bashes Ben & Jerry's. I'm pretty sure that guy gets wiped out by the Golden Lightning Bolt of Doom, and I do not have a death wish. That being said, when I saw pumpkin cheesecake ice cream at the grocery store, my first thought was "ewwww." My second thought was, "I've gotta try that!"

I took the pint home, but I stared at it warily. Ben and Jerry are masterminds, sure, but pumpkin cheesecake ice cream? Really? It's ground-up gourd mixed into some sour cream and popped into the freezer. That can't possibly be good, especially when it's competing against wonders like Half Baked and Phish Food.

I opened the container and stared down at the off-white blob. There was no molten brownie swirl. No chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough. No marshmallow creme. What kind of sorry excuse was this for Ben & Jerry's ice cream? Unimpressed, I sniffed at it. No signs of pumpkin poison detected, I put a spoonful in my mouth and let it melt over my tongue.

That was about when my mind exploded.

The subtle pumpkin flavor washed over me first, like the lingering flavor of pumpkin pie after Thanksgiving dinner. The gentle spiciness warmed up the otherwise chilly treat and elevated it to levels worthy of the finest pastry kitchen. The tang of the cheesecake balanced out the sweetness of the cream, and the graham cracker crumbles offered an element of texture to the otherwise smooth dessert.

I might not be ready to hop aboard the pumpkin-spice-everything train, but I am confident in saying this ice cream is perfect. And I mean absolutely flawless. There is nothing about this ice cream I would change. Is it my favorite Ben & Jerry's creation? No, probably not. But I can't help but fall a little deeper in love with it after each spoonful of its impeccable flavor.

Have you tried pumpkin cheesecake ice cream? If you haven't, you should. It's amazing.