Everyone has an eating personality. There are those who love lots of texture and gravitate toward foods like chips, nuts, crunchy veggies and the like. Then there are people like me who gravitate toward things that are smooth and creamy. I love hot cereals, soups (especially blended ones), puddings, and of course my favorite-- ice cream. And you know I’m all about the coffee, and it is no different when it comes to ice cream.

My criteria for ice creams are that they not only taste great, but also have the most natural ingredients possible. If the list of ingredients is a very long paragraph of difficult to pronounce multi-syllabic words, I will generally shy away. Another one of the more disturbing trends I have noticed of late is that the calorie counts are creeping up to alarmingly high numbers. I still enjoy my favorite treat, but my portion has gotten down to anywhere from ½ cup to a spoonful. I just take the time to savor it slowly. Let’s take a look.

Häagen-Dazs five™

Haagen-Dazs has come up with a new line called Häagen-Dazs five™ which includes only five natural ingredients. According to their website it says an, “All-natural ice cream crafted with only five ingredients for incredibly pure, balanced flavor... and surprisingly less fat!” It still has a pretty hefty calorie count in my book, so I wouldn’t consume a pint if I were you. A half-cup serving is 220 calories with 12 grams of fat. The coffee flavor includes skim milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks, and coffee.

https://haagendazs.com/products/five.aspx

Starbucks

Starbucks has also added ice cream to their product list. There are four flavors: Caramel Macchiato, Mocha Frappuccino, Java Chip Frappuccino, and of course, Coffee. A one half-cup serving of the Caramel Macchiato will set you back 240 calories with 13 grams of fat. You will have to check the label for ingredients as they weren’t readily available on their website. Starbucks also has a $1 coupon offer that you can sign up for.

https://www.starbucksicecream.com/#/our_ice_cream/caramel_macchiato/

Breyers

Breyers (not to be confused with Dreyers) also has a delicious coffee ice cream that cuts fat and calories down to size without compromising on taste. For just 130 calories and seven grams of fat in each ½ cup serving, you can have the joy of this summer staple without guilt. The ingredients in the coffee ice cream are milk, cream, sugar, whey, coffee and natural Tara gum.

https://www.breyers.com/default.aspx#/flavors/

Recipe Ideas:

No matter which ice cream you choose, you can try it with these delicious recipe ideas.

Ice Cream Float-Drop a scoop or two into your favorite tall glass. Slowly add soda (diet or regular), a straw, and a long spoon.

Ice Cream Sundae-Scoop the ice cream into a dish, add your favorite nuts along with some fruit and chocolate, or any other flavored syrup. Top with a cherry and enjoy.

If you would like to add whipped cream, here is my favorite homemade recipe:
Freshly Whipped Cream

1 cup of heavy cream
¼ cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Pour all ingredients into a glass bowl. Use a wire whisk or electric mixer to whip into consistency of whipped cream (enough to form soft peaks—Warning: Over mixing can turn your cream into butter). If you would like a double dose of coffee flavor, add 2 tablespoons of instant espresso powder to this recipe.

In case you were wondering where that little ditty came from that never fails to come up whenever ice cream is on the scene, you know the one--“I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream,”--it is from a song sung by Harry Reser’s Six Jumping Jacks in the late 1920’s. You can listen to it—if you must—at the link below. Me? I am going out for some ice cream. It is summer after all.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/recsradio/radio/B00005K9XG/ref=pd_krex_dp_001_022?ie=UTF8&track=022&disc=001