For Fans of Pecans, a Flavor Just for You

If you follow our Facebook page, you probably saw our post on Monday about our Pecan Stampede flavor. Not only does it have super premium, buttery pecan ice cream, but it also has real roasted pecans mixed in!

Why did we choose to devote a whole flavor to the wonderful pecan? Pecans aren’t just delicious - they’re also pretty unique among the nut family. Below, we’ve rounded up some fun facts about pecans! Lots of work goes into pecan production, before we can even get to making the ice cream:

• Most antioxidants of all nuts – Antioxidants remove cell damaging materials known as free radicals from the body. The nut with the highest amount of antioxidants per amount is the pecan. In moderation, the pecan has been known to reduce cholesterol and bad fat from the body by as much as 32%. This is pretty impressive for such a small bit of deliciousness. 

• Pecan trees are known to grow in the Sunbelt (southern and southwestern states) where they receive plenty of sunshine and water. However, the pecan tree is much more resilient than previously believed and can thrive in much colder climates. As long as there is a stable water source, the pecan tree has been known to grow as far north as New York and possible Michigan. 

• Pecans are one of the largest fruit-bearing trees. One irrigated, managed acre of pecan trees will produce about 1,000 pounds of pecans. 

• America’s President, food connoisseur and gardener, Thomas Jefferson, was very taken by the flavor of pecans and had trees imported from Louisiana for his Monticello orchards. 

• Pecans are native tree nuts to the United States and North America. Before European settlers arrived, Native Americans widely consumed and traded pecans.

So if you’re a fan of the pecan, go find a pint of 48 oz. container of Pecan Stampede today!

Tales of Ice Cream Truck Lore

Think of those hot summer days in your childhood hometown. It’s about 4:30 pm, school’s out, you close your eyes, and you hear what? That’s what we thought: the familiar jingle of an ice cream truck. (Cue the obligatory pleading with Mom for a couple of dollars for your favorite treat.)

Ice cream trucks are a part of childhood in America, and while you might have your own stories that revolve around ice cream, so do ice cream trucks.

The Stir put together a fun list of outrageous ice cream truck stories from the news. Among these zany tales:

No more ice cream truck tunes: Can you believe the Long Beach, California city council wants to ban ice cream truck music? How are you supposed to know it's around if you're indoors, where the air conditioning is, without that music?

Isn’t the music half the fun?! Talk about a buzzkill! 

Ice cream wars: Another golden oldie from last year -- remember when two rival ice cream trucks fought it out on the street? Well, their drivers fought it out, but the trucks suffered all the damage. You guys, you're supposed to deliver joy, not strife.

Well, we do suppose everyone has pride in what they do...this one’s a little more well-intentioned:

Ice cream bait-and-switch: One prankster outfitted an ice cream truck with healthy food. Actually, that would have made me happy because I prefer cucumbers to soft-serve, but I'm a weirdo. Ooh, I bet the mom who wants to ban ice cream carts would have loved the truck, too. But most people tricked by the veggie truck were understandably pissed.

Do you have a childhood ice cream truck story you’d like to share? Post it on our Facebook page! And don’t forget to check out our online ice cream finder, to find the pint, 48 ounce, or hand-dipped treat closest to you!

Ice Cream-Filled Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches

We've been on a bit of a sandwich kick here at Cold Cow lately. One sandwich that ice cream lovers tend to really enjoy are those classic chocolate creme-filled cookies. They already go great with milk and lots of people like to freeze them, too! I think you know where we're going with this: if it doesn't have ice cream in it, put it in!

InspiredTaste.net has a nice recipe for homemade chocolate cookie ice cream sandwiches. For this recipe, all you'll need are some cookies, and, you guessed it: some Cold Cow Ice Cream! (We highly recommend our Moo & Cookies flavor for this cookie-crazy recipe!):

If you’re planning on enjoying immediately, use warm cookies — you won’t regret it. If you’re making them for later, use completely cooled cookies. 

Then, scoop your favorite ice cream flavor (we went with mint-chocolate chip) and smoosh it between two cookies. 

You could just throw the scoop in the middle of two cookies and press together. Or, do what we do and gently flatten the scoop before adding to the cookies. Both will work, but the smoosh first then sandwich method protects the cookies from bending too much.

And don't forget proper storage, if you plan on saving them for later:

Go ahead and munch on the sandwich right away or wrap in plastic or parchment and freeze for later. (Make sure you wrap them well, otherwise the ice cream picks up extra flavor from the freezer -yuck).

Here's what the final product should look like:

When you're done with these, don't forget to head over to your local Cold Cow retailer to restock on your favorite flavor!

Sprinkle Me This: How Many Kinds Can You Name?

One of the great things about ice cream is that there are a million ways to top it off. Some like chocolate syrup or butterscotch, others like cookie crumbles or cereal pieces. Some like all of it. And, of course, lots of people like sprinkles.

In your ice cream travels, you've probably come across many different kinds of sprinkles. But what are they called? And what are the best ways to use them? The baking blog LoveFromTheOven had a great roundup of all the different kinds of sprinkles.

Perhaps the most popular kinds of sprinkles are "jimmies," also common on cupcakes and cookies. They're the little sugary, oblong ones. And we love when they pool at the bottom of a nice cup of Cold Cow!

You've also probably noticed some the small, round, multicolored sprinkles that have a little bit of a "snap" when you bite into them: these are called "nonpareils" - the name is derived from the French phrase "without equal." Maybe back when they were invented in the 18th century, they were truly "without equal." Today, there are other options that satisfy just as well.

Sometimes you just need your sprinkles to "say" something. Here, "quins" take the stage. Quins are festive little shaped sprinkles with a light, powdery finish when you bite into them. They're one of our favorites!

 To read LoveFromTheOven's complete guide to sprinkles, click here. And remember, don't eat those sprinkles alone. Serve them atop a nice, big scoop of Cold Cow Premium Ice Cream.