Tag: Talenti

What is Talenti Gelato Layers Pumpkin Pie

A seasonal offering from the undisputed gelato king of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Talenti’s layered pumpkin pie offering goes: pumpkin gelato, pie pieces, brown sugar sauce, pumpkin gelato again, and more pie pieces.

How is it?

The first time I tried it, I wanted to call it “bland” or maybe “inoffensive.” You know, the Neil Diamond of frozen dairy-based confections. I didn’t like how I couldn’t easily get all three layers in one spoonful, or how the “brown sugar sauce” didn’t seem to have the cinnamon undercarriage brown sugar generally requires in a dessert setting. (Cinnamon is listed as an ingredient, for what it’s worth.) And while the pie pieces are, I don’t know, dough-like(?), overall, the texture is one-note and is missing a good crunch.

But then I had some the next day, and although nothing in the gelato had technically changed — the brown sugar sauce and the pie pieces were still limply uninspired — I found myself thinking everything was SO GOOD! SO GOOD! (That’s a Neil Diamond reference for those of you who aren’t a 65-year-old aunt.) Instead of being upset with the gelato’s gentle nature, I found myself appreciating the subtlety of the pumpkin flavor. As an unabashed pumpkophile, I generally want my pumpkin to be aggressive and unapologetic; if you are not a fan this approach, however, you might enjoy this gelato.

Anything else you need to know?

Will Ferrell doing Neil Diamond doing an episode of VH1’s Storytellers on SNL in 1998 is seriously one of the greatest Ferrell moments in his tenure on the show. Drop whatever you’re doing, open another tab (don’t leave TIB, obviously), Google it and then watch the video. Tell me it’s not amazing, I dare you.

Conclusion:

If you want an in-your-face, violent pumpkin gelato, this probably isn’t it. But if you’re in the market for a smooth, reasonable dose of gourdy goodness, this is a good bet. (Mostly because I don’t think there is a ton of pumpkin gelato out there to choose from.)

Purchased Price: $4.29
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 280 calories, 13 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 grams of fiber, 29 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Talenti Gelato Layers are one of the most eye-catching products in the ice cream aisle. In their clear, pint-sized plastic containers, we can see the components stacked on top each other as if we’re looking at a cross section of a dessert planet.

Two of the newest varieties are Banana Caramel Crunch and Lemon Berry Pie.

Banana Caramel Crunch’s layers include banana pudding gelato, pie crust pieces, dulce de leche, more banana pudding gelato, and more pie crust pieces. Lemon Berry Pie features lemon gelato, graham pieces, blueberry sauce, a second lemon gelato layer, and pie crust pieces.

There’s definitely banana flavor in the Banana Caramel Crunch, but as for caramel and crunch, it’s a bit lacking. The creamy base is excellent, and I’d be happy if Talenti offered it its own pint. It has a mild flavor and is not as sweet as a ripe banana.

When the gelato, dulce de leche, and pie crust are in one spoonful, it tastes like…bananas. To be more specific, the caramel seems to add something to the gelato’s flavor to make the two taste like something that reminds me of a banana that’s still a little green. As for the “crunch” part, the pie crust pieces are as soft and silent as the rest of the dessert. So feel free to eat this next to your sleeping loved one.

As I was eating the Lemon Berry Pie one, I kept thinking it tastes like a dessert other than pie — lemon cheesecake. Although, isn’t a cheesecake technically more a pie than a cake? Ugh. No time to sit and ponder about that because this review won’t write itself.

Anyhoo, it seems as if the tanginess from the blueberry sauce and the lemon gelato create a tang that’s similar to cheesecake. The graham cookies and pie crust don’t enhance the pint’s flavor, and they also don’t provide contrasting textures with the other ingredients.

Look, I ate both easily without any regard for weight gain or guilt because they’re tasty. But I felt the gelato’s flavor dominated both pints, and I wish the dulce de leche and blueberry sauce stood out more. I guess it also doesn’t help that there are two base layers in each pint and a thin amount of sauce. Also, I would’ve liked something that provided a crunch. But if you love banana or lemon, which aren’t too common in the ice cream aisle, it’s worth a purchase.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples from Talenti/Unilever. Doing so did not influence my review in any way.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Received from Talenti (sold wherever Talenti products are sold)
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Banana Caramel Crunch), 6 out of 10 (Lemon Berry Pie)
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) Banana Caramel Crunch – 280 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 32 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein. Lemon Berry Pie – 250 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 28 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

I’ve eaten a hibiscus flower before, but I can’t tell you what it tastes like. My hibiscus rosa-sinensis taste test happened in the 80s, when I was really young, naive, and could be dared to put almost anything in my mouth for the high price of one dollar.

While I can’t tell you what the flower is supposed to taste like, the internet can, and it says it has a tart cranberry-like flavor. So if Ocean Spray ever comes out with a cran-hibiscus drink, be skeptical of it.

Talenti’s Strawberry Hibiscus Dairy-Free Sorbetto features, according to its jar, “Sweet strawberries and real hibiscus flowers are blended for a perfectly sweet and tart dairy-free sorbetto with a hibiscus swirl.”

Strawberry is the second ingredient listed, behind water, but the sorbetto also contains hibiscus powder AND hibiscus flower. However, it smells and tastes like strawberry is the second ingredient listed.

When I put my nose over the top of the pint, the aroma that wafts out is similar to what comes out whenever I open the bag of Kirkland Signature Frozen Strawberries in my freezer to make smoothies. All I taste with every spoonful of the sorbetto is something similar to a tart strawberry jam, but much lighter. I don’t get that cranberry-like flavor the internet tell me I’m supposed to taste. Even when I taste just the dark colored hibiscus swirl, all I get is strawberry with a bit more tartness than the rest of the pint.

Since there’s no dairy, the texture isn’t creamy or dense, like gelato or ice cream. But it scoops easily, and the lack of dairy helps make it a light dessert that your belly won’t regret eating after a big meal. The pint also contains something that initially has a texture of seeds, but then melt away.

Although Talenti’s Strawberry Hibiscus Dairy-Free Sorbetto tastes a bit one-note to me, its fruity flavor was enjoyable enough that I don’t need a dollar to encourage me to put it in my mouth.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free sample of the product. Doing so did not influence my review in any way.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Received from Talenti
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 150 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 0 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 34 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

Summer is right around the corner, and the new Talenti Gelato Layers is the perfect sweet treat to celebrate after a brutal winter – goodbye polar vortex! – and a moody spring that has included snow.

This innovation is basically a sundae with the visual appeal of a parfait. Each pint has five layers consisting of signature gelato, toppings, and sauces. It’s all perfectly packaged in the usual transparent, recyclable plastic jar.

The line launched with seven different layer combinations, which made it incredibly hard to pick. So, I picked my favorite gelato bases and ended up with Mint Fudge Cookie (mint gelato, cookie crumbs, fudge sauce, mint gelato, chocolate cookies) and Salted Caramel Truffle (sea salt caramel gelato, chocolate cookies, dulce de leche, vanilla gelato, caramel truffle).

I started with the Mint Fudge Cookie with no rhyme or reason! Because I was worried it would be difficult to get through to all the layers, I began with a meek spoonful of the gelato. It’s surprising how fluffy and light it is; it almost didn’t seem gelato-like! In general, Talenti isn’t one of those hard-to-scoop frozen treats, but I didn’t expect it to be like butter. The flavor of the gelato itself was the Mediterranean Mint I knew and trusted.

It was just as easy to take my spoon and dig all the way down to get all the layers. Amazing! My only mistake was that I didn’t use a long spoon.

The mint was the perfect backdrop for all the layered goodness. What stood out to me was the delicious, rich fudge. I love me some good hot fudge, and this did not disappoint. I was also amazed that it wasn’t frozen solid. Magic. I enjoyed the added textural elements from the chocolate cookies and crumbs as well. Admittedly, they got a little soggy, but then it became almost like a chocolate cake texture which was I was not mad about.

When starting on the Salted Caramel Truffle, I grabbed a larger/longer spoon so I could get more of the good good. I did notice that there was a bit of freezer burn around the bottom-most layer, which was the caramel truffles.

This flavor was sweeter than the mint one, but it’s a caramel lover’s dream come true. It’s like caramel on caramel with the gelato and dulce de leche. I enjoy caramel, but the sweetness was a bit too much for me. Also, I only picked up on the “salted” part of the salted caramel from the truffles below. Although, like the mint version, I enjoyed the texture, particularly from the cubed-shaped chocolate truffles.

All in all, I’m kind of angry because this is SO good. The texture of everything is perfect, which I would think is incredibly difficult to mass produce and keep right on shelves and in freezers at home! But, Talenti has done it. It’s captured lightning in a bottle with the kind of deliciousness that gives me the excuse to eat the whole pint because I don’t want to ruin it by dumping it in a bowl.

Purchased Price: $5.29 each
Size: 1 Pint
Purchased at: Meijer
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Mint Fudge Cookie)
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Salted Caramel Truffle)
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) Salted Caramel Truffle 320 calories, 15 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 42 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 34 total grams of sugar, 26 grams added sugar, and 5 grams of protein. Mint Fudge Cookie – 310 calories, 15 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 gram of dietary fiber, 33 total grams of sugars, 28 grams added sugar, and 5 grams of protein.