THE DISH: We all scream for ranch ice cream? Yes, we do

Mar. 24—Earlier this month, I reported on the latest flavors from Van Leeuwen, which is known for coming up with unique flavors.

Of the spring lineup of seven new flavors, offered exclusively at Walmart, the one that generated the most buzz was the Hidden Valley Ranch ice cream.

Said to live up to the classic dressing, it is made with the savory taste of buttermilk, flavorful herbs and "just a touch of sweetness."

This was a food challenge that could not be passed up. Luckily, the Van Leeuwen team at Walmart was kind enough to send a sample.

First off, you must like ranch. If you're iffy on the dressing, you will not like this ice cream. This was a hard lesson for my dad, with whom I shared the ice cream. He prefers blue cheese (or Thousand Island) over ranch on any salad and would rather stick to less-challenging flavors like the new blood orange and chocolate chip, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

My mom, another taste tester, had a better experience but, of course, she and I both enjoy Hidden Valley Ranch dressing made fresh from the mix with real buttermilk so we must be the target audience.

It really tastes like a slightly sweet take on the dressing. The buttermilk taste is evident even in the French-style ice cream, which has a more custardy consistency.

We also enjoyed the strawberry shortcake. Plans to try the remaining new flavors — limoncello cake, carrot cake, sweet maple cornbread and honey graham cracker — are in the works when our blood sugar levels out.

For brave ice cream lovers, Van Leeuwen recommends topping the ranch flavor with crushed pretzels or potato chips for the perfect crunch.

The ice cream, which sells for $4.98 a pint, is available now at Walmart stores through May 28 or while supplies last.

Sweet treat downtown

While we're on the subject of sweets, I need to recognize the stellar work of It's a Sweet Thing Bakery.

Attending Thursday's State of the Downtown breakfast, held by the Bakersfield Downtown Business Association, we were surprised to see an entire cake as the centerpiece of our table.

Every table had a centerpiece from a DBA member and The Californian was lucky enough to have its decor from the bakery that's located inside In Your Wildest Dreams Consignment & Antiques.

At the end of the event, we were informed whomever had a green dot under their chair could take the table's centerpiece. Although colleague John Donegan won, he was gracious enough to bring the cookie cake back to the newsroom.

Topped with decorated spring-themed sugar cookies, the cake was strawberry, made from scratch with homemade strawberry reduction, with a strawberry buttercream filling and frosted in homemade buttercream icing.

Much like the aforementioned ranch ice cream, this cake was definitely strawberry, evoking the fruit rather than what can be an artificial flavor in some baked goods.

I don't know if this is available in other forms, but this flavor can be recommended for any cake-suitable event.

It's a Sweet Thing Bakery is located at 2819 F St. Visit @itsasweethingbakery on Instagram or @itsasweethingbaker on Facebook for more information.

Plant-based innovations

In the nexus of plant-based foods and immensely enjoyable snacks, we find two new MorningStar Farms Chik'n Fries options offered with Pringles flavors.

This partnership with the popular chip brand comes in two Pringles styles: Pringles Original, which combines notes of chicken broth flavor (without the chicken) with the signature potato-crisp taste; and Pringles Scorchin' Cheddar Cheeze, described as "savory, salty, packed with the perfect balance of cheddar flavor and heat."

"Given our mission to bring more people into the plant-based protein space, partnering with Pringles seemed like the perfect next step in plant-based innovation for MorningStar Farms," Danielle Rappoport, Kellogg's marketing director for plant-based protein, said in a news release. "We're excited to build upon the success of our most recent product launches and bring Chik'n Fries into MorningStar Farms versatile plant-based lineup, tapping into Pringles fun and distinct flavor profile for a groundbreaking matchup.

"We'll continue to show our audience that you don't have to sacrifice taste to eat plant-based, whether you do full-time or occasionally."

"Pringles is known for its crisp crunch, iconic can and flavor combinations, and we are excited to give the fans a new way to experience the brand outside of snacking occasions," Mauricio Jenkins, U.S. marketing lead for Pringles, said in the release. "This partnership with MorningStar Farms brings the well-known and loved Pringles flavor into the plant-based space with chik'n fries, a fun and delicious mashup."

MorningStar Farms Chik'n Fries are the first of their kind in the U.S. plant-based market, made with 100 percent plant-based protein, containing 11 grams of protein and 41 percent less fat than the leading homestyle chicken fries.

The Pringles Original MorningStar Farms Chik'n Fries hit shelves this month, and Pringles Scorchin' Cheddar Cheeze will be in stores this fall.

Also in plant-based news, MorningStar Farms launched a new breakfast item. Its Breakfast Bites with Vegan Egg and Sausage are made with vegan eggs, mozzarella cheeze, spinach, onion, and meatless bacon that leaves a salty, smoky and savory flavor.

Released this month, the bites can be enjoyed at the table or can be packed up to go on a busy morning.

Along with this vegan sausage option, the new Breakfast Bites with Vegan Egg and Bacon will head to the frozen food section of grocery stores nationwide this fall.

Visit MorningStarFarms.com for more information or to find foods in a store near you.

Let's taco 'bout breakfast at Dunkin'

On Wednesday, Dunkin' launched a new breakfast option with breakfast tacos.

A warm flour tortilla is filled with scrambled eggs, melted sharp white cheddar cheese and fire-roasted corn, then finished with a drizzle of lime crema. The tacos, sold in a sold in a branded taco holder, can be ordered with or without a crispy crumbled bacon topping, selling for $2.59 and $2.99, respectively.

"Our culinary team has expertly crafted these breakfast tacos with the vibrancy of spring in mind, delivering a taste sensation that can be enjoyed any time of the day — not just for breakfast," Jill McVicar Nelson, Dunkin's chief marketing officer, said in news release. "These tacos are undoubtedly one of the tastiest savory items we've launched at Dunkin'. We're thrilled for guests to try them and discover their new favorite meal to fuel their day, whether they're looking for a delicious breakfast or a midafternoon snack."

Along with spring-ready ingredients of fire-roasted corn and crema, Dunkin' is also leaning into a seasonal theme with its limited-time mango pineapple refresher, which was also released on Wednesday.

It's game on at breakfast time

After Kellogg's Frosted Flakes mascot Tony the Tiger made his gaming debut last year, partnering with Twitch to become an interactive VTuber for a livestream, it opened the gaming door.

This time around, the partnership is Kellogg's Frosted Flakes Minecraft, a limited-edition cereal combining the classic sweetened corn flakes with green squares of "Creeper Bit" marshmallows, evoking Minecraft's famously pixelated-block look.

"There was such incredible fan reaction following our first partnership with Minecraft, we had to bring it back again — this time with Kellogg's Frosted Flakes," Laura Newman, senior director of brand marketing at Kellogg Co., said in a news release. "Many Kellogg's Frosted Flakes fans are gamers, and Tony made his streaming debut last summer, which is why we're so excited to introduce another flavorful gaming-inspired experience with this new Minecraft collaboration."

For cereal lovers who play the game, there's a bigger treat in store: Every box includes a code to redeem 350 Minecoins to use in the game.

Kellogg's Frosted Flakes Minecraft will be available for a limited time at retailers nationwide starting in April. Suggested retail price is $5.29 for an 8.4-ounce box and $6.49 for a 13.5-ounce box.

Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter at @realstefanidias.