Review: Blizzard of the Month - Caramel Nut Roll

Yes, it's November, and that means a new Dairy Queen Blizzard of the month! October took care of Pumpkin Pie, so I was wondering what kind of potential holiday-themed concoction they would come up with to honor American thanksgiving? Well the answer is clearly....peanuts, caramel, and marshmallows? Not like pecan or...something? DQ claims this "took all my favorite desserts and combined them in a treat so delicious it makes the turkeys jealous." Which desserts exactly? And more importantly, who the hell is this anonymous Blizzard describer that seems to be speaking in first person to us? Seriously, does this even qualify as anything thanksgiving-y south of the border?

OK, OK, I guess it doesn't really need to relate to thanksgiving - and if it somehow does, it's way over my head. And don't get me wrong, I like all three primary ingredients in this mixture of "gooey caramel and marshmallow blended with peanuts." In fact, I generally enjoyed this blizzard. There were a LOT of peanuts in it, which is good because I am a big fan of peanuts + vanilla ice cream, but I could see it getting a bit overwhelming for some. In fact the peanut overload did make it a bit difficult to isolate the other flavours that were supposed to be present. I could taste the marshmallow, though as the flavour is somewhat similar to vanilla soft serve in the first place, it took a bit. As for the caramel...

You are looking at the only evidence of caramel I could find in this Blizzard. It just...wasn't really there. Which is a shame, because it would have added an extra dimension to a treat that was essentially just peanuts + vanilla. Note to DQ employees: equally proportioned mix-ins!

Recommend to a friend? Yes, if you like peanuts. This was a fairly satisfactory treat
Repurchase? Potentially. I would probably put Crispy Crunch ahead of this one though. :-/

Review: DQ Blizzard of the Month - Pumpkin Pie

When the calender rolled over to October 1st, B and I waited for Dairy Queen to advertise the new Blizzard of the Month.  We drove by several times, only to see that the poster still displayed September's flavor: Ooey Gooey Caramel Brownie.  Finally, we decided to take action.  I approached the counter to inquire, and discovered that Dairy Queen often waits to change displays until the first weekday of the month. This does not mean that the Blizzard of the Month is not available until the change in signage.  In honor of Canadian Thanksgiving, October's Blizzard Of The Month is Pumpkin Pie.

The DQ employees have graced us with a very photogenic Blizzard!

Having sampled President's Choice Pumpkin Pie ice cream a short time ago, it is difficult not to compare the two.  They are the same flavour, after all.  It is important to remember though, that Dairy Queen is a fast food establishment and uses their signature creamy soft serve as a base for their Blizzards.  They are in a completely different category than premium hard ice cream.

One of the "pie crust" pieces

Digging into our Blizzards, B and I discovered crunchy penny-sized pieces of what seemed to be a corn-based cereal.  Amongst the smooth light orange soft serve (flecked with brown spice bits and potential pumpkin puree) this created a satisfying texture.  We assume the crunchy cereal bits were marauding as pieces of pie crust, but in fairness felt that actual pie crust would  have become soft and unable to provide the satisfying crunch of the cereal bits.  The soft serve had a fairly complex pumpkin flavor, including nutmeg, more nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and maybe even mace. Also nutmeg. I concurred with B that the cereal bits could have been replaced with graham cookie pieces or some other spiced cookie to vault the Blizzard into the exceptional category.  But "love does not alter when it alteration finds".  The Pumpkin Pie Blizzard is what it is, and I found the bottom of mine before B did.

Recommend to a friend? Get one before the month is over!

Repurchase? J: Yaaa B: Certainly

Review - DQ Blizzard of the Month: Ooey Gooey Caramel Brownie

With September well underway and us having yet to review the Dairy Queen Blizzard of the Month, when B took a left leaving the university this afternoon I knew what was on the radar.  I ordered first, and as I stumbled with my request; "I'd like an Ooey Gooey Caramel Brownie Blizzard please, the little regular size one, I mean, a small one, that's the one I consider regular," B gave my ordering technique a grade of FAIL.  Sure enough, our regular table was unoccupied, and soon we were looking into two cups of "gooey Caramel, real fudge brownie pieces and choco chunks blended with creamy vanilla soft serve."  Let me break it down for you.

Awful iPod picture quality ahoy!

Dairy Queen's "creamy soft serve" (which I believe is probably a combination of iced milk and edible oil product), served as a vector for what on first inspection seemed to be only chocolate shards and brownie chunks.  I consulted the class list for the Blizzard of the Month again, and noted that perhaps someone was skipping.  Visibly, the caramel was not in attendance.  As I crunched into my first spoonful however, I was pleased to enjoy the texture of the breaking chocolate shards as well as the caramel-infused vanilla soft serve.  No one was skipping after all - the caramel was simply hiding amongst his peers.

I would be lying if I didn't mention that this was actually our second offense with this particular Blizzard, having sampled it earlier in the month before deciding to create our ice cream blog.  The first time, we recall being rather disappointed with the lack of caramel.  Today we were happy to discover satisfactory caramel levels.  Optimum caramel levels might be achieved through less blending of the Blizzard, but we understand that this would result in the creation of other flaws.  The brownie pieces were flavourful, chewy, and fudge-like, sometimes surrounded by a pocket of caramel.  I have the feeling that this constitutes the Ooey Gooey referred to in the Blizzard's name.  The chocolate shards, although they were probably on the synthetic end of the chocolate spectrum, were very satisfying in texture and taste: they gave the Blizzard a delightful crunch to compliment the sugary rich brownie pieces.  Perhaps a little sweet for some palates, Dairy Queen's Ooey Gooey Caramel Brownie delivers just what it offers.  We drove home in a sugary haze.

Recomend to a Friend? Aaaw Yeeah

Repurchase: J + B - already did