"ben and jerrys" news and stories

As a native Vermonter and notorious chocolate freak, I found my mouth literally watering when I read Brad Thomas Parsons's post on seriouseats.com about one of Ben & Jerry's newest flavors: Flourless Chocolate Cake. (Admit it, your mouth just started watering, right?)

A well-made flourless chocolate cake, after all, is chocolate in one of its most powerful forms -- rich, thick, dark, and generally fabulous. I was also buoyed by the flavor's description as Ben & Jerry's "chocolatiest chocolate flavor yet." Well, damn. That's got to be some serious chocolate. I was just about to make a run to our local grocery when I realized the small catch: This flavor is a special limited edition, and you can only buy it at Walmart.

The 'Hubby Hubby.' Photo: Ben & Jerry's

Same-sex marriage is legal in Vermont as of today and to celebrate, Ben & Jerry's has renamed its Chubby Hubby ice cream flavor "Hubby Hubby" for the month.

In April, the Green State became the fourth in the nation to allow gays and lesbians to marry.

"From the very beginning of our 30 year history, we have supported equal rights for all people," Walt Freese, Ben & Jerry's CEO, said in a statement. "The legalization of marriage for gay and lesbian couples in Vermont is certainly a step in the right direction and something worth celebrating with peace, love and plenty of ice cream."

A Facebook group wants library-themed ice cream. Photo by ~Jetta Girl~/Flickr

Ben & Jerry's seems to be tops among many ice-cream eaters, but the feeling is particularly strong among the library-going set.

How else to explain the thousands strong Facebook lobby "People for a library-themed Ben & Jerry's flavor!"?

As we noted a couple of weeks ago, Ben and Jerry's recently sought to harness the idealistic fervor of Barack Obama's supporters by renaming their butter pecan ice cream "Yes, Pecan!" To the company's credit, it has agreed to donate all of the profits from the sale of this flavor to Common Cause, a voting advocacy group. While I am not a huge fan of Unilever, the current owners of Ben and Jerry's, and have numerous problems with the additives that started creeping into the ice cream after it sold out in 2000, I have to admit that this seems to be a well-intentioned (if transparently exploitative) move.

My cousin, Cathryn Michon, aka The Grrl Genius, is a great deal less cynical than me. Moreover, she has a definite skill when it comes to adding sweet ingredients to each other; consequently, I advise prefacing this recipe with a nice big shot of insulin. Enjoy!


Smoking Hot Fudge Barack Obama "Yes, Pecan!" Inaugural Sundae

Two Scoops of Ben and Jerry's "Yes, Pecan" ice cream (or any brand of butter pecan ice cream)
1/4 cup candied pecans
1/2 cup Godiva hot fudge (or brand of your choice)
1/2 cup whipped cream
1 George Washington honorary Maraschino cherry
1/4 ounce dark rum
Hawaiian orchid (for garnish)

Warm hot fudge according to package directions and pour over the ice cream. Place the pecans decoratively on the sides of the sundae and lay the decorative orchid at the base of the serving dish. Spoon on a generous serving of the whipped cream, creating a trough in the whipped cream that resembles the cone of a live Hawaiian volcano. Set the cherry in the trough and fill with dark rum. Set the rum on fire with either a long match or a butane lighter to symbolize our smoking hot new President and the sweet hope that will sustain us in all the days to come.

Serves one happy world citizen!

Leading up to the Presidential election in November, one of the most familiar slogans of Barack Obama's campaign was the powerfully succinct phrase, "Yes, We Can." It served as a rallying point for his supporters and now gourmet ice cream producer Ben & Jerry's is adopting the message to honor the new President by renaming their butter pecan flavor, "Yes Pecan" for the month of January.

Ben & Jerry's has partnered with the voting advocacy organization, Common Cause, for this temporary renaming and all proceeds from the sale of "Yes Pecan" will go to fund their efforts.

So get yourself to a scoop shop and get a cone of "Yes Pecan" before the month is out!

[via Newsday]

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