Well, first up: let’s look at what it says on the tin. “Mascarpone Ice Cream with Fudge Swirls & Shortbread Pieces Topped with Chocolatey Ganache & Espresso Fudge Chunks.” That’s a lot of letters to cram onto a single ice cream pint lid. I’m reminded of what Lord Fanny once said: “Nothing exceeds like excess.” And this is the case with this latest Topped mayhem. Tiramisu is one of those desserts that is usually rather light, at least in my experience. If there is one drawback to this concoction, it’s that ganache is one of those dessert bits that is usually rather…non-light, at least in my experience. So if what you’re looking for is an authentic tiramisu experience, this might give you a chocolate punch between the eyes instead. (Most people I know like that sort of thing anyway.) But then again, if you were truly seeking an “authentic tiramisu experience,” you know, you’d just go eat some tiramisu.
What Ben & Jerry’s has done is create an ice cream that gives you multiple interpretations of the tiramisu concept in a single pint. It ask of you, “What is tiramisu, really?” When you manage to snag a spoonful with the various ingredients in the appropriate ratio, then yeah, it nails that tiramisu taste, especially with that shortbread coming through. Grab a bit too much fudge swirl, though, and it goes off the deep end. It’s a delicious deep end, mind you. And the prospect of not knowing exactly what you’re going to get with each spoonful…it certainly doesn’t make it boring.
The main difference between this and the other Topped flavors is that here’s one where I think it’s fine to leave the “topping” just on the top. A little bit of ganache goes a long away, and any more than is there, and it would absolutely overpower the rest of the flavors. In fact, I have never tried the non-Topped version of this, but I would probably find it superior. More is always more, but sometimes less is tastier. (At least under the name “Tiramisu.” Granted, you could name this flavor “Tiramisu Anarchy” and I think I would give it a 10 out of 10.)
