Junk Food Nation, thanks to everyone who entered the first contest I had on my blog featuring Simple 7 Snacks!  I’ll announce the winner on Monday.

I’m off to Atlantic City today to cap off my birthday week celebration!  Woot woot, AC. Those who know me know I tend to have very large birthday parties, but this year I wanted to do something different and take the show on the road.  However, what started as about 40 people signed up to lose money with me at the Roulette tables at Caesars dwindled down to nine dudes looking to dude it up on the Boardwalk.  Sausage-fest week, here I come!

AC is not Vegas, of course – I’ve been to Vegas twice now, AC about nine times.  If Vegas is a hot fudge birthday sundae covered in sprinkles and the works with a sparkler stuck in it, AC is the stepped-on used tub lid of the empty carton that the vanilla ice cream came out of.  Still, the East Coast needs some place where 1) grumpy guys in Little Rascal Scooters, 2) old Asian ladies, and 3) douchebags wearing sunglasses indoors can lose their money, no?  I’m eager to join the ranks.  I’ll be live tweeting the trip all day today, so be sure to follow me on Twitter @junkfoodguy!

Today’s junk food: Häagen-Dazs Limited Edition Peppermint Bark Ice Cream!

The Money Shot

Ah, more holiday themed junk food!  My friend White noted to me yesterday that she didn’t realize how many companies had a holiday edition of their product until my blog.  Yes indeedy – the holidays are an easy flavor crutch for any junk food brand.  Häagen-Dazs Limited Edition Peppermint Bark Ice Cream is no exception.

Bark it up

Häagen-Dazs Limited Edition Peppermint Bark Ice Cream, found at my local Giant grocery store, has 1120 calories in the entire tub.  Are you kidding me???? H-D, what are you trying to do – make sugary rocket fuel??

I’m surprised – I don’t think I’ve reviewed Häagen-Dazs in my blog yet.  Founded in 1961, this company (per Wiki), makes ice cream, “in many different flavors and is a “super-premium” brand, meaning it is quite dense (very little air is mixed in during manufacture), uses no emulsifiers or stabilizers other than egg yolks, and has a high butterfat content.” MMMMMM butterfat.  That’s where the 1120 comes from.

Um...that sounds amazing

Häagen-Dazs Limited Edition Peppermint Bark Ice Cream is white chocolate ice cream with crumbled peppermint bark with peppermint candy pieces?? Um, nom nom.

I do like how the tub features a little lesson for the consumer, in explaining what the high notes and aftertaste will be. Should also have a note that says “Ingredients that will attach to your ass: all.”

Elegant design

Häagen-Dazs Limited Edition Peppermint Bark Ice Cream has a really cool packaging/tub/artwork/whatever.  Just a cool look to the whole thing; the purple and gold accents make the entire thing feel very regal.  I like.

Hidden treasures of flavor!

Perfect consistency

Because of the quality of ice cream, my spoon easily peeled back a nice layer of this treat.  You can see how the substance has (as described above) few, if any, air bubbles.  This is all frozen cream, baby.

Peppermint accents!

White and dark brown chunks

I put a spoonful of this Häagen-Dazs Limited Edition Peppermint Bark Ice Cream in my mouth, and almost couldn’t/didn’t want to swallow it was so good.  I just wanted that flavor to stay there.

First, the white chocolate ice cream was extremely creamy, and flavorful – just a hint of mint, not overpowering. Because of the high butterfat content of the ice cream, this was an instant melt-in-your-mouth experience. The Peppermint Bark pieces (picture above as the brown and white chunks) were big enough to chew, and had enough solidity to feel nice against the teeth while chewing yet soft enough to crumble with each chew (mixing well with the ice cream’s flavor).

Finally, the peppermint candy pieces were crisp and sweet and minty – and NOT overpowering.  So key – they were minty enough to give me, the eater, a peppermint bark taste, but not too strong such that this tasted like peppermint ice cream.  Nope, this definitely tasted and FELT like peppermint BARK ice cream.

All in all, a well constructed dessert and an amazing junk food addition!  Häagen-Dazs, you rock my world.

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That’s it – Wish me luck at the tables, JFN!

Any thoughts? Tell me in the comments below or hit me on Twitter @junkfoodguy or on my Facebook Page.

Sincerely, Junk Food Guy