Maybe this isn't really THE great summertime debate but it is one that I have found myself fully invested in during the past few months. The difference between the two mediums of traditional cold desserts is starkly obvious. This could be the reason for the intense disparity between both sides of the aisle. The question remains, which dessert rules over the other, and for what reason? The best way to settle this—if only for a short while before it blows up again—would be to make a short list of the pros and cons of each dessert. I suppose after reading this you will have to decide for yourself which one you prefer. I'm sorry for the difficult decision coming your way.
First up: ice cream. There's a lot to get into here. For starters, there are about a million different flavors of ice cream all the way from cookie dough to pistachio. To some of you, this may be a pro. However, to us indecisive folk, it is a complete and utter con. There are too many to choose from and how could anyone possibly try every flavor, and pick a favorite no less? Also, if you are a picky eater, ice cream is definitely not for you. Not to mention the multitude of textures that ice cream can have, be it soft serve, chocolate chunks, sprinkles, scoops, the list is endless (maybe not endless but there are a lot of types.) For ice cream, there is one definite pro: that it is absolutely delicious. But at what cost?
The next contender is popsicles. Already pulling ahead of ice cream, there aren't any big choices one has to make when picking up a popsicle. They are also insanely efficient. With ice cream, one would have to pick either a bowl or a cone and risk either ice cream soup or a sticky hand when it inevitably melts. Of course, popsicles melt as well, but not as fast a rate as a triple scoop cone would. A definite con for popsicles would be the difficulty of consumption. Ice cream, though brain-freeze inducing, is relatively simple to eat. Popsicles, however, can easily slip off the wooden handle at the final bites. To make up for this, popsicles often have a joke printed on the handle, something that ice cream could never measure up to. However, when eating a popsicle, one runs the ultimate risk that there may be no joke at all.
As I have thoroughly detailed above, ice cream and popsicles, though with some irrevocable cons, are the best cold desserts that one could have on a summer evening. There is one thing to note however, that could win the argument for popsicles altogether. Dove ice cream bars. It's ice cream on a stick. I don't know about you but I find that insanely suspicious. You don't see Popsicle: The Original Brand melting down its popsicles into bowl mush.
Whatever you choose, be wary of brain-freezes!
