The decorations are hung, Michael Bublé is back on the speakers, a giant menorah was lit on Old Main Lawn Tuesday night, and the Creamery, my culinary comrades, is stocking its freezers with two holiday flavors. 

Running low on meal points and needing to satisfy my hunger with one magical swipe, I shuffled to Redifer Dining Commons to get the scoop (sorry) on the frozen duo. 

I would’ve been overjoyed with any combination of the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup. Instead, I was greeted by Egg Nog and Peppermint Stick, which I believe is really just the liability-free version of candy cane. 

The tubs were nearly empty when I arrived. I wasn’t sure if there’d be more available, so I snagged two scoops of each flavor and tested them before I ate actual dinner. Please don’t tell my mom (She may or may not be the only one reading this post. If so, hi, mom, and please forget everything you just read). 

Peppermint Stick

Peppermint Stick is the most aesthetically pleasing ice cream I’ve ever seen. A scoop of this flavor looks like a giant snowball that has just rolled through Philadelphia’s Christmas Village. 

I’m almost certain that it’s just vanilla ice cream mixed with crushed candy canes peppermint sticks, even though its official flavor page claims that Peppermint Stick features peppermint ice cream. The first spoonful left a positive and festive impression. But the smoothness of the ice cream combined with that shattering feeling of biting into hard candy was a little weird. At times, it seemed that the ice cream completely overshadowed the mint of the candy.

Peppermint Stick will definitely match your ugly sweater, and mint lovers and the adventurous creamery patron will appreciate its novelty. 

Egg Nog

Egg Nog is the ice cream version of the filling of a cream-filled donut. Sure, it has fewer frills and less of a visual appeal than the blinding Peppermint Stick, but if you fall on the play-it-safe, vanilla-and-chocolate end of the ice cream spectrum, this is a safer bet. 

Egg Nog is a rich and heavy flavor that pairs well with State College’s cold climate. I immediately wanted to take a nap after I finished my bowl. I could see it pairing well with chocolate sauce, a sugar cookie, a drizzle of rum, or maybe even bananas. Reach for this comfort flavor during finals week. 

These holiday flavors are solid efforts from the Creamery to spread the yuletide spit. As far as duos go, this one falls somewhere between the Heat and Snow Miser and the Grinch and his dog/reindeer/overall very good boy Max.