From pickle-flavored cotton candy to buffalo wing cupcakes, we’ll taste just about anything once. Next on our list: fried chicken ice cream. Well, it’s technically “Not Fried Chicken” Ice Cream, but more on that later. Here’s everything you need to know about the viral treat (which we’ll be gifting to every summer baby we know, BTW).
food
This Ice Cream Treat Looks Like Fried Chicken—And the Flavor Is Just as Mind-Blowing
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Despite its appearance, Not Fried Chicken Ice Cream is, well…not fried chicken. It’s actually waffle-flavored ice cream enveloped in a layer of caramelized white chocolate, which is then coated in crushed corn flakes. Sure, that sounds epic enough, but there’s an additional surprise inside each drumstick: a chocolate cookie “bone.” That means every bite is equal parts creamy, crunchy, sweet, salty and straight-up magical.
If you’re wondering if the viral goodie is worth the hype, take it from our social media strategist Ali Brown, who says it’s, in a word, incredible. “The flakey outside mixed with the ice cream makes for the perfect salty and sweet combo,” she says. “I would recommend letting it sit for a few minutes to soften before biting in. The mock bone was a stroke of genius, too! It was delicious, like a little cookie in the middle.”
The dessert drumsticks hail from Life Raft Treats in Charleston, South Carolina, an artisanal ice cream truck founded and operated by pastry chef Cynthia Wong, who’s a six-time James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist. Life Raft Treats uses local dairy, eggs and produce to make its sweets, which include tons of unique ice creams and bars. Think creative, seasonal flavors like mulberry cheesecake, rhubarb crumble, plum-macadamia brittle and tiramisu.
But Wong’s creativity is no doubt best displayed in her uncanny ice cream drumsticks. “At first glance, it looked so much like chicken that I thought it was incredible, like art,” says Brown. “It’s so cute that it comes in an actual bucket, too.”
You may think you need to be in Charleston to get your hands on a nine-piece bucket (!), but luckily, that’s not the case. Life Raft Treats ships ice cream all over the country every Tuesday and Thursday on dry ice via Goldbelly, so your frozen treat will arrive intact, no matter the weather. You can also add a lemon-strawberry vanilla ice cream cake or a 20-piece “chicken” bucket to your cart (once it’s back in stock, that is), if you feel so inclined.
It’s a bit on the pricey side, but Brown says it’s worth every penny. “My boyfriend loved it even more than me. So much so that he’s gotten out of bed after brushing his teeth to grab one.”
So, *not* fried chicken for dinner, anyone?
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