Journalism is important. And you know what? So is really great ice cream. As a young skillet I was Editor-in-Chief of my high school newspaper and then a staff writer at my junior college with intentions to major in the craft before swerving and landing on creative writing. Being a person that spent years of his life delving deep into the world of investigative reporting, and now spends way too many hours hunting for the most premium pints in the game, a collaboration between ABC’s 20/20 TV show and New York’s Ample Hills was made for a weird creamy word nerd like myself. To celebrate 50 years of 50/50 Ample Hills have given churn birth to The Scoop, which pairs a marshmallow ice cream with chunks of blue velvet cake.

It’s no surprise that the marshmallow ice cream is great. Thick and sticky with a decadent creaminess and slight fluffy bounce that does well to channel the campfire classic of its namesake. The base really reminds me of AH’s terrific sweet cream with a hint of sugary vanilla flavor that elevates it to the subtleties I associate with ‘mallows. It also reminds me of buttercream frosting, which in the context of a cake-based flavor makes a whole lotta sense.

The signature rich texture of the custard is perfect for emulating the gooey-ness of melted marshmallows, although there’s no smokiness or torched taste to go along with it. Surprisingly, it isn’t too sweet, and has a really great balance that doesn’t come off as over the top.

So, what in the hell is blue velvet cake? It’s exactly like red velvet but with a ton of blue coloring instead of red. A dense and moist cake that combines vanilla and cocoa powder for a soft chocolate flavor that comes through really well. In true Ample Hills form the cake pieces are huge, and what really took me by pleasant surprise is that they are frosted. While the pieces are predominantly soft and spongy, every so often I got a firm snap of hardened frosting that added an extra burst of sweetness and texture akin to white chocolate chips. If I had to guess, the Amployees in the kitchen made massive sheet cakes and iced them with cream cheese frosting, and the end result is pretty killer.

20/20 The Scoop is a really fun flavor that tastes like diving into a wonderful ice cream cake crammed into a pint, but it feels like it’s missing an element to be truly classic. It’s one swirl or caramelized nut away from being explosive, but I honestly can’t think of what that extra component would be. Maybe a candied pecan for a little fatty flare, or some additional pieces of a white chocolate ganache. Despite that minor setback, I really enjoyed eating this, and yes, that beautifully vibrant blue cake absolutely turned my poop green for an entire day. Thank you 20/20.

Rating: 8/10

Found at: www.amplehills.com