The best ice cream in the country

 BlueBell Ice Cream, one of the "tastes of Texas" available outside the country.   BlueBell started out being made at the little creamery in Brenham in 1907 - I've toured the facility a few times and they always end the tour with a free scoop.  Over time they grew and built production plants in other parts of the country to include Broken Arrow, OK and Sylacauga, AL and is now #2 ice cream manufacturer in the United States, while only being sold in 23 of the 50 United States.  They're proud of the fact the product continues to be sold in half-gallon containers.  While totally onboard with the sizing, the cost associated with picking up a half gallon can be upwards of ten bucks.  For mass produced frozen confections.  Forbes declared Blue Bell Ice Cream the best ice cream in the country in 2001 and I agree.

Being away from the food I grew up with, BlueBell is a taste of home and I usually have a half gallon container in the freezer.  Some of their new flavors are less than stellar - Dr Pepper Float comes to mind, as does Monster Cookie Dough.  Monster Cookie Dough is just gross to me.  As a kid we would eat the traditional homemade vanilla and my Dad was big on the Peaches and Homemade Vanilla.  They have a new one called Peachy Peach that I haven't had the chance to try.  And I'd like to try the Blackberry Cobbler flavor, too.  Anyway.  My favorite flavors are cookies and cream and chocolate chip cookie dough.  If left to my own devices, I could easily devour a half gallon container in a weekend.   The banana pudding one is good, too.  

Somewhere along the line they came up with a truly great flavor - cookie two step.  It's cookies & cream ice cream with chocolate chip cookie dough pieces mixed in.  The best - satisfies the craving of both flavors without having to pick one, I can have both!  And the best part is the flavors strangely compliment each other.  One is overpowered by the other...  Both distinct when mixed together.  That's rad!