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Drum roll, please, for Blue Bell vanilla cones
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Published July 5, 2006
When the ice cream truck jingled down our Shreveport, La., street where I lived as a child, the driver always had frozen Drumsticks ready for my dad and me. Decades later, I still can't resist the summertime treat. Only now, I choose a dieter's brand of the ice cream cone treat. Taster's Choice panelists were more focused on quality than their waistlines for our test. We sampled seven types of the treat from grocery store freezers. The favorite received a perfect score of 100 points and has the distinction of being included in our Taster's Choice Hall of Fame. Blue Bell vanilla cones $3.11 for a box of four cones were delicious, according to our judges. The ice cream was creamy and tasted homemade. The top was covered in crunchy, toasted nuts. "The nutty, chocolate top forms a yummy igloo to house the wonderful ice cream," said one panelist. All five said they will be stocking their freezers with the Blue Bell treats. "The heavy duty chocolate lining takes these to a new nirvana," said another judge. Panelists also liked the crunchy, chocolate cookie filling at the bottom of the cone. Not far behind, with 94 out of 100 points, was the name-brand Drumstick by Nestle ($2.89 for a box of four). Our judges agreed with the manufacturer that these are "The Original Sundae Cone." "They are no-drip and just in time for summer cookouts," said one judge. "They are the world standard for drumsticks." Another panelist liked the crunchy texture of the cone, the rich chocolate swirls and the toasty nuts on top. Again, all five judges said they would buy these. Their third choice was the Great Value treat from Wal-Mart ($2.97 for a box of eight). Judges gave 90 points to the Great Value treats. They especially liked the cone bits that accompanied the nuts on top. "That adds a great cookie taste on the cone," said one panelist. "These are attractive and very chocolaty." One judge detected a caramel flavor in the cone. All five will pick up a box of these if they visit Wal-Mart. Also sampled were frozen drumsticks from Breyers Carb Option ($4.29 for four); Blue Bunny ($3.87 for six); Weight Watchers ($3.49 for four); and Albertsons ($3.79 for eight). RANKINGS No. 1: Blue Bell No. 2: Nestle No. 3: Wal-Mart Panelists were: Nan Jensen, registered dietitian with Pinellas County Cooperative Extension; Bob Devin Jones, artistic director of Studio@620 personal chef Julie Overton; Gary Kawalec, chef-owner of Tampa Bay Supper Club in Safety Harbor; and Jim Yockey, aesthetician at Indulgence Medical Day Spa in St. Petersburg. All Foods were tasted blind.
[Last modified July 5, 2006, 09:19:50]
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