Philly's Apple Pie ice cream at Stewart's
It's like a slice of apple pie a la mode.
So, Rosemary emails us this week:
OMG, have you tried the Philly Vanilla Apple [at Stewart's]?
It's apple chunks, cinnamon, caramel and Philly vanilla all wrapped into one and I gotta tell you - if only I wasn't married....
Well. After that, how could we not try it?
OK, so the official name of the flavor is "Philly's Apple Pie" -- it's basically Philly vanilla mixed with apple pie flavors. And it really does kind of taste like apple pie. Not texturally, of course (no crust) -- but the flavors are like getting a spoonful of the apple pie filling that's fallen out of a slice and mixed with the slightly melted scoop of vanilla ice cream that came with the pie.
There are little bits of apple in the ice cream -- they're nice enough, but there aren't enough of them to make a big difference. The key add-in is the cinnamon creme swirl. It's so smooth and warm-tasting. (But, you know, cold. Because it's ice cream.)
We thoroughly enjoyed our scoop of Philly's Apple Pie in a cup. It's not going to compete for our affections with Peanut Butter Pandemonium. And we're not sure we'd push Adirondack Bear Claw aside for it. But it's a nice change of pace.
Stewart's spokesman Tom Mailey says Philly's Apple Pie is available in all stores as cones, scoops and shakes (but not half gallons or pints). He says it's a seasonal flavor and Stewart's will be carrying it for the next month or two. After that? It depends on how well the flavor does. (Stewart's takes a hard line with its ice cream flavors -- it once whacked the company president's favorite flavor because it didn't sell well enough.)
Now if only they would bring back the carrot cake flavor...
Earlier on AOA:
+ Does Tom Mailey get free ice cream?
+ How big is a scoop of ice cream?
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Comments
I was curious. Philadelphia Vanilla traditionally means vanilla without eggs (ie custard base). Is this true with Philly vanilla? From the Stewarts site: "Named after Philly Dake, the inventor of our famous Make Your Own Sundae"
Still not sure.
... said MattW on Oct 7, 2010 at 12:06 PM | link
I am a four-season equal opportunist for ice cream. Thanks for the recommendation, AOA!
... said abby on Oct 7, 2010 at 1:35 PM | link
Maybe this will make up for the lack of Carrot Cake ice cream this year?
Naaaaaah....
... said tomato(e) on Oct 7, 2010 at 2:58 PM | link
Thanks for publishing and reviewing. Carrot Cake has always been a favorite of mine too, but I have to tell you Philly Apple is a tough contender!
... said Rosemary on Oct 7, 2010 at 3:14 PM | link
Hi, I am a partener at Stewarts. So hopefully I can help with some of these questions.. Yes, our Philly Vanilla is named after our very own Philly Dake. No, company employees do not get free ice cream... we pay for it at different discounted rates, it matters when purchased(working or not working at the time of purchase). We do have seasonal favorites all year long... they just change with the season :) And, last but not least.. our traditional single serve ice cream cone has a 5oz scoop of your favorite flavor... personally my favorite is our # 1 seller ~ Peanut Butter Pandamonium and I am with you on the Philly Apple Pie... it is absolutely yummmmy!!!!
... said Elaine on Oct 7, 2010 at 8:22 PM | link
Based on this post I tried this apple pie ice cream last night since I live a couple of blocks from a Stewarts. (Doesn't everyone?)
Didn't like it. It's overly sweet and gooey. I ate half and threw the rest down the sink. I should note that in general I don't like Stewarts ice cream--the texture, the artificial additives, the gooey flavors. Give me a pint of Haagen Dazs. To me ice cream is still primarily a dairy product and I'd like to detect the cream somewhere in it.
... said chrisck on Oct 8, 2010 at 10:23 AM | link
I may be wrong, but I could SWEAR that the flavor was once called Philadelphia Vanilla. I'm talking about when I was a kid, 25-30 years ago. Am I just making this up in my head, or does anyone else remember it too?
... said Kerosena on Oct 8, 2010 at 1:50 PM | link
Tried it last night. Loved it! It's now in the top 3 with Peanut Butter Cup and Mint Cookie Crumble
... said Jason on Oct 13, 2010 at 7:37 AM | link