OMG, I love ice cream.
My great-grandfather had an ice cream shop. He actually had a lot of shops over the years, but there’s something about the ice cream shop that has always stuck with me.
And since starting Ranger, I’ve always dreamed about getting some of our flavors into really great ice cream.
We’ve done it a few times over the years — always in very small batches. We’ve worked with different local partners, made some pretty amazing things, and served them at the shop from time to time. If you happened to be there at the right moment, you got to try them.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches were one of those experiments. And yes, apparently I’ve been thinking about chocolate chip cookies for a while too.
From the Ranger archives: one of our Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich experiments. I told you I love ice cream.
But these things were fleeting. A batch here. A batch there.
This time is different.
We’ve been working with the team at New Seasons Market, and they’ve taken one of my favorite Ranger flavors and turned it into an ice cream that’s headed to the freezer aisle at all of their locations.
Gianduja.
If you haven’t had ours, Ranger Gianduja is decidedly hazelnut-forward — more than 50% hazelnuts. We make it with local Oregon hazelnuts from our friends at Freddy Guys, blended with chocolate into something rich, nutty, creamy, and pretty hard to stop eating.
Now it’s ice cream.
And it is really good.
The New Seasons team took our Gianduja and worked it into a creamy ice cream, with our Gianduja running through it as an inclusion.
Personally, I think it gets even better with a drizzle of Ranger Gianduja over the top.
Crazy good.
Friday night, the New Seasons team will be joining us at the Portland Craft Chocolate Festival VIP kickoff to scoop it and give people the first taste.
And then comes the part I’m particularly excited about: soon, it won’t be one of those tiny batches you have to happen upon at Ranger. You’ll be able to walk into New Seasons and find it in the frozen aisle.
My great-grandfather had an ice cream shop. And all these years later, seeing a Ranger flavor show up in an ice cream freezer feels pretty special.
I can’t wait for folks to try it.
— George
Founder, Ranger Chocolate Co.