Throwing personal health to the wind, I embarked on sampling of custard available through Southeastern WI to find out whose custard reigns supreme. Frozen custard is considered a gourmet ice cream. It must be at least 10% butterfat and contain atleast 1.4% by weight of egg yolk
Having no template on how to do this, I developed my own guidelines: I asked for a single Scoop of soft-serve custard in a regular (sugar) cone. As my appetitive allowed, I tried a scoop of vanilla, a scoop of chocolate, and a scoop of the “Flavor of the Day”. I will add to the list as I work my way back to some of these places.
I judged the custard on four elements:
1) Flavor –Frozen custard should have a rich, slightly cooked profile, which is what separates it from ice cream. I’m tying to get a taste of all vanillas as that tends to provide a benchmark. Chocolate has many flavor ranges, from a lighter Swiss chocolate to milk chocolate to bittersweet to decadent fudge-like flavors.
2) Texture – Almost as crucial as flavor. My interpretation of quality frozen custard is one with a heavy mouth feel, dense with egg protein. Some custards are also have a buttery richness, probably from a higher milk fat level. Its also important to have a soft-serve frozen custard that holds together well in hot temperatures and doesn’t melt all over your hands before you get down to the cone.
3) Mix-Ins – Quantity, quality, & sizing of additional ingredients plus how well they are distributed through the custard.
4) Cone – I encountered two basic types of sugar cones: Joycone & Eat-It-All. The Joycone is a bit thicker with a crunchier bite. Eat-It-All is more delicate & wafer-like. Most places also offered the Drumstick-esque waffle cone plus the dish for those who have to eat custard with a spoon.
Reviews of each custard stand plus my personal overall ratings can be found on the links below: