What to Know
- California Date Shake, a limited-edition flavor from McConnell's Fine Ice Creams
- The Santa Barbara-based company partnered with Joolies, a Coachella grower known for plump organic Medjool dates
- The flavor is available at McConnell's scoop shops through mid-October 2023
A date shake, that dreamy, ultra-thick, straw-testing favorite that is best enjoyed when the desert temperatures are toasty and you're feeling the need for a quick and creamy cool-down, has ice cream in it.
In fact, this fact should come as a surprise to exactly zero fans of the frosty favorite, given that the date shake does have the word "shake" in its name, which almost always indicates the presence of ice cream (though, yes, sometimes non-dairy ingredients can play a role).
But one of the quirky twists of the date shake story, which stretches back across the Coachella Valley and the shake-serving stands that began dotting the desert map decades ago, is this: While date ice cream is a real (and delicious) treat that most definitely exists, it is a far unlikelier thing to find date shake ice cream.
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That's changing, at least for a few flavorful weeks, at McConnell's Fine Ice Creams.
The Santa Barbara gem, which can trace its own history back to the late 1940s, has teamed up with Joolies, the Coachella grower famed for succulent Medjool dates.
The California Date Shake ice cream "... is made with sweet cream infused with organic Medjool dates from Joolies, a touch of sea salt, a sprinkle of cinnamon and swirls of Joolies delicious date syrup."
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"Feels like a trip to Palm Springs!" is the enticing vow.
And while every season in the Golden State is a prime season for eating dates, the gooey-centered gems really come into their snacky spotlight in the fall and winter, when Christmas cookies, dense fruitcakes, and other classic holiday fare rely upon their sublimely sticky and moist marvelousness.
But while summer is still here, as it is for a few more days, you can find date delight in a new ice cream flavor at your local McConnell's scoop shop.
