By Eden Ramsay (@EdenRamsay)
Cornell Creme’s Manitoba-made ice cream is a local hit. (EDEN RAMSAY PHOTO)
(EDEN RAMSAY PHOTO)
With craft beer, handcrafted coffee, and a slew of other crafted products, a locally-made ice cream is the latest product to get the made by hand treatment.
Cornell Creme’s ice cream is made using milk and cream straight from a farm in Anola, Manitoba. The ice cream is then made by hand on-site in small batches, making the company the first dairy processor-producer in Manitoba. As an added bonus, the ice cream is also made from ethically treated cows. Cornell Creme’s cows are even fed food grown from their own farm so they know exactly what their animals are being fed.
The ice cream under the Cornell Creme label is made the old fashioned way. Ingredients are simply milk, cream, eggs, and sugar. Flavours are created using pure ingredients in a custard base. There are no preservatives or fillers.
Flavours include natural vanilla bean, velvety chocolate truffle, lemon meringue, raspberry white chocolate, and malty ale pale. According to their website, flavours that will be arriving in the near future are black sesame seed, strawberry and cream, and blueberry lavender dream.
Cornell Creme can be purchased from several fine retailers and restaurants across Winnipeg.
I went to Local Meats and Frozen Treats at 1604 St. Mary’s Road and decided to pick up a tub of the raspberry white chocolate, lemon meringue, and the Innis & Gunn beer-flavoured malty ale pale. The price for these is a little bit higher than most tubs of ice cream at around $10-$12 each. But you definitely get what you pay for as the ice cream is much creamier and with richer flavours than commercial brands.
I started my ice cream adventure with the raspberry white chocolate and was immediately surprised at the delectable creamy richness of the product. Flavours of fresh raspberry intermingle splendidly with luscious white chocolate notes.
I couldn’t imagine mixing beer and ice cream so I had no idea what the malty ale pale would taste like, but I had to try it. I admit it took me a bit of getting used to, but I think it would be an excellent thing to indulge in on a summer patio. This makes sense since I bought the last tub of this seasonal flavour which is not available in the winter. The rich flavours of Innis & Gunn beer pair surprisingly well with the creamy richness of the ice cream. Although it has a strong taste to it, you experience the base flavours of the beer, not the alcohol content, so it is not overpowering. If you like a good, strong beer, you will definitely enjoy this flavour.
I love all desserts with lemon in the title which may be why the lemon meringue was by far my favourite. It tasted like eating an amazingly fresh flavoured, rich, frozen lemon tart. The tartness of the freshly squeezed lemon flavours were perfectly balanced with the creamy sweetness of the ice cream. Honestly, if I were to eat any ice cream for the rest of my life I would probably pick this one.
Cornell Creme’s product is usually quick to sell out and it’s easy to see why. If you’re looking to treat yourself, pick up a tub of Cornell Creme. You may just find it’s some of the best ice cream around.
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Eden Ramsay is a Creative Communications student at Red River College. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) from the University of Manitoba and majored in graphic design. She loves culture, design in its many forms, and exploring the world around her.
