Love watching all the Regency scandals unfold on Bridgerton? Good news, dear readers: The streamer has just teamed up with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams to create the perfect pints for binging Season 4, and they’re well worth dipping your spoon into.
The highly anticipated fourth season of Bridgerton — which releases its first half on Jan. 29 and its second on Feb. 26 — follows Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) as he goes from eternal bachelor to hopeless romantic, thanks to his Cinderella-esque encounter with maid Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha). It’s a sweet love story that deserves an equally sweet snack, which is where Jeni’s comes in.
The ice cream company is releasing two flavors to honor the new episodes: Queen Charlotte Sponge Cake, which was released online and in shops on Jan. 15, and Earl Grey Crème Brûlée, which drops in stores on Feb. 12, and online on Feb. 19. Jeni’s was kind enough to send samples to Yahoo to try.
Queen Charlotte Sponge Cake, according to Jeni’s, is imagined as the favorite dessert of Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel on the show) and is described as almond buttercream ice cream layered with “swirls of raspberry-rose jam and golden honey cake,” all in a lavender shade.
Earl Grey Crème Brûlée, meanwhile, features fragrant Earl Grey tea “steeped into a silky custard base and finished with burnt-sugar candies that echo the crackle of a freshly torched crème brûlée.”
So, how did these flavors taste? One flavor might just replace my tried-and-true Jeni’s flavor (Gooey Butter Cake, of course) on occasion, while the other I’d save for a once-in-a-while moment.
Bridgerton ice creams: Dip or skip?
I tried both ice creams at the same time and was immediately taken with the sponge cake, which perfectly balanced all the flavors that Jeni’s described of the dessert. I loved how the ice cream didn’t skimp on the raspberry jam, but didn’t let it overwhelm its base flavor of almond buttercream. Thanks to the addition of golden honey cake, which was plentiful throughout the pint, it reminded me of a grown-up version of Gooey Butter Cake. It was definitely worth getting again.
In fact, my friend Brendan, who reviewed the pints as well, said that he would consider replacing his go-to with the Queen Charlotte Sponge Cake when available.
I’ll chalk up my lack of love for Earl Grey Crème Brûlée to a personal preference. While I love tea — and adore Jeni’s Genmaicha and Marshmallow flavor — I’m not a huge fan of Earl Grey, specifically, so I found the base of this ice cream less appealing than the almond buttercream base. One thing I did love, though: the sugary mix-ins, which had me digging through the pint for more of these tiny pieces of sugar. This addition was the ideal balance of crunchy and sweet without tasting too sugary or cloying.
Overall, these flavors are a little like the Bridgerton family: sweet, rich and surprising.
Dining and Cooking