Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams has a mission. It has several missions, it seems. There are the unannounced but evident ones, such as putting goat cheese in perfectly good ice cream. This summer it’s announced a new mission: to promote the use of ice cream cones with its new buttercrisp waffle cones.
The argument is this: the Jeni’s line of ice cream flavors are optimized by licking, not spooning. And while it’s possible to lick a scoop of ice cream served in a bowl, it’s not terribly attractive. For licking, cones are the way to go.
I’ll bite.
There’s a whole ode to the new cones here. The short story, and the outcome of taste trials, is this: it’s a good cone, crisp and buttery, which provides the right contrast for ice cream. It’s also more savory than sweet, and a scoop sits in it rather than on it. The cone’s flavor profile is a good partner for just about any sugary ice cream. Sweet-on-sweet wouldn’t really play, but savory-on-sweet makes both flavors shine.
And most importantly, it doesn’t seem to leak. Leaky cones that send sticky, melted ice cream down your elbow and shirt are the absolute worst, and the whole reason why people choose bowls in the first place (well, that and avoiding the prospect of an ice cream mustache). Leakiness doesn’t seem to be a feature of the new Jeni’s product.
Anyway, it’s hard to imagine a better combo than the seasonal Peach Buttermilk with the cones: fresh and full-flavored with a distinctly old-fashioned, mildly tangy accent. It’s a summer thing. That said, the pure sweetness of Gooey Buttercake might give it a run for its money. And Jeni’s has come out with a new dairy-free Dark Chocolate Truffle scoop, so the lactose intolerant can partake in the joys of ice cream cones too.
Jeni’s flavors change with season, so you’ll have to experiment a little with the pairings. You can find the new cones (and a lot of ice cream flavors) at its local shops and nationwide.
For more information, visit jenis.com.