Delish Ice Cream Throwndown: Trace vs. Penn

I love ice cream and I love Celebrity Apprentice. Tonight I'll be watching the season finale to see which celebrity will win $250,000 for their charity of choice - country singer Trace Adkins or magician Penn Jillette. Either charity is a well deserved recipient of the donation; Trace is playing for American Red Cross and Penn is playing for Opportunity Village. Ice cream will be the deciding factor in who is crowned Celebrity Apprentice by Donald Trump.

Each finalist had to create an ice cream flavor for Delish, carried in Walgreens stores nationwide. The finalists and their team of celebrity helpers also had to make a short promotional video, and throw a star studded fundraiser.

Since Walgreens is carrying the 2 Delish flavors created by Penn and Trace, I knew I had to give them both a try. It's nice to be able to have a tangible of piece of the show instead of just seeing it on tv. I decided a "throwdown" post would be the perfect way to try each of the flavors.

The competitors:
Trace Adkin's Maple Macadamia Mash Up vs. Penn Jillette's Vanilla & Chocolate Magic Swirtle

The challenge:
Whose Delish ice cream flavor is better?

Cost:
2 for $5 at my local Walgreens with a Rewards membership - $4.00 per pint without Rewards membership

Flavor:
Trace - Creamy maple ice cream with roasted macadamia nuts.
Penn -  Rich vanilla ice cream with a sea salt chocolate swirl and fudge caramel candy pieces.

Smell:
Trace's Maple Macadamia wins without contest when it comes to smell. The smell is very similar to Butter Pecan ice cream. I personally love the smell of Butter Pecan so it was an easy decision. The Swirtle didn't have much of a smell at all.

Taste:
Trace - I am not a big fan of maple so I really didn't expect to like Trace's flavor. It was smooth and had a very distinct taste that stays with you. The macadamia nuts were large and well dispersed.
Penn - I was really disappointed that the chocolate swirl wasn't a fluid swirl in my pint. I was thinking it would be like the flowing caramel in Ben and Jerry's Phish Food, but instead it was like a solid swirl. Maybe mine was frozen too soon but it was a bummer. I got a little bit of the sea salt flavor but not overbearing. The Swirtles were super cute, and just the right size. They weren't too hard like some candy pieces tend to get in ice cream.

Overall:
Trace's Mash Up wins my Throwdown challenge. Not only is the flavor more original, but it is very unique. It's a light pick-me-up flavor that makes you want to eat the whole pint in 1 sitting. The Maple Macadamia ice cream would make a fantastic milkshake! Maybe I'll make one tonight while watching the finale.

Who are you rooting for tonight - Trace or Penn? If you've tried the ice cream let me know which one you like better!