When Renee Quinn perused Facebook a few months ago, she discovered something intriguing, a contest to create an ice cream flavor for Broward 100, which commemorates the county’s centennial.
So she started writing down flavor combinations that would embody the spirit of Broward.
Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant, in Dania Beach, was in charge of concocting the submitted flavors into something feasible and six judges in total picked a winner. In the end, it was Quinn’s choice that won.
The final flavor, Caramel Mocha Coconut Crackle, was made with caramel, reminiscent of dulce de leche, to represent the Hispanic community; coconut, for a tropical flair, and chocolate crackle (like crunchy Magic Shell), as well as the richness of chocolate and mocha. Finally, it was topped with rainbow sprinkles to include the LGBT community.
“It was a collaboration of my idea with Jaxsons’ owner Linda Udell Zakheim and General Manager Jerry Smith’s expertise. They wisely added caramel to the mix to balance the coffee and chocolate (mocha) and toasted coconut for the right amount of texture,” said Quinn, who is a resident of Deerfield Beach.
“It took six weeks … each week eliminating, adding and tweaking until it came down to this flavor,” said Udell Zakheim, who took over when her father Monroe passed away. “Some ingredients made sense and some didn’t. Even though they were great ideas, they didn’t work together.”
Smith added, “It was a lot of fun. There were many that I want to try to make that didn’t fit the [Broward County] criteria – like French Toast and Maple Syrup and Glazed Donut.”
Gregg Weinberg was lucky to be one of the judges.
“It was arduous,” he teased, adding, “It was more fun than judging American Idol. Eat your heart out!”
Quinn’s prize for winning was a “Kitchen Sink,” which is enough ice cream for four … or many more. She invited friends to come out on July 9 to taste her flavor and dive into the sink-full of goodness.
Jaxson’s, which originally opened in 1956 and has become a landmark for the whole family, is located at 128 S. Federal Hwy., Dania Beach. http://jaxsonsicecream.com.