Take 5: Wedding Bliss

Photo: September Company

Didn't get invited to a wedding this summer? No worries. Here are five places to get your wedding cake fix.

Snowballs in New Orleans

No, it doesn’t snow in New Orleans but shaved ice here means something fine and delicious. And snowballs aren’t just ice and flavored sugar, although it’s fine if that’s all you want. Snowballs in New Orleans also come stuffed with decadent things like ice cream and condensed milk or topped with fruit, marshmallows or whipped cream. Our favorite is wedding cake, so every bite makes us think of cool ballrooms with great music instead of sweltering summer heat.

Dutch Maid Bakery

Dutch Maid Bakery

The oldest bakery in Tennessee exists in the small town of Tracy City, founded in 1902 by Dutch Swiss immigrants Louise and John Baggenstoss and continued by Cindy Day. Dutch Maid Bakery still churns out delicious baked goods but some of the items begun by the Baggenstoss, such as fruitcakes, weren’t selling as well for Day. She started experimenting with moonshine cake, moist cakes in various flavors with a subtle touch of alcohol. We purchased the wedding cake flavor and brought it home to family, which devoured it in seconds. Talk about yum yum good!

Indulge

Indulge's Cake Shake

In Lafayette, Louisiana, they take a cake and make a shake. Indulge's “Cake Shake” comes in many flavors, including red velvet, chocolate, oreo brownie and strawberry shortcake but we prefer — you guessed it — the Wedding Cake Shake! The premise is fairly simple, it’s a milkshake with a piece of cake blended inside. And if you still want a slice of wedding cake, Indulge sells that too.

Smallcakes

Take that wedding cake down to size at Smallcakes, a “cupcakery” in Marietta, Georgia. This bakery serves up almond cupcake with almond buttercream icing that’s topped with edible pearls. It’s the perfect wedding cake fix if you’re watching your weight. Sure, it’s still loaded with calories but it’s only a cupcake, right?

Blue Bell

Finally, there’s Blue Bell “Bride’s Cake,” a delicious combination of almond-flavored ice cream with cake pieces and Amaretto-flavored cream cheese icing. It’s like having your cake and ice cream too! It’s a rotational flavor and we’ve heard rumors it’s only available in Louisiana, so check their website or your local market to be sure. 

Blue Bell is a true Southern creamery. Located in Brenham, Texas, the company began in 1907 and started exporting its creamy goodness outside the state in the 1980s. Today, the ice cream is sold in 22 states. If you’re ever in Brenham, take the Blue Bell tour.

P.S. In need of great wedding photos, we recommend September Company. They did my son's wedding and every photo was amazing!!

Weird, Wacky and Wild South is written by food and travel writer Chere Dastugue Coen who will crash any wedding for a slice of wedding cake.

Please bring our Blue Bell back!

I love Blue Bell ice cream, and I will take every chance to brag about how I visited the Blue Bell Creameries and got to taste ice cream fresh off the line before it was hard freezed for delivery. Not to mention that if you take the creamery tour in Brenham, Texas, you get free samples in the ice cream parlor at tour’s end.

Talk about heaven.

When the recalls started in April, when some of the Blue Bell ice cream was found containing listeria strains and pulled from the shelves, I had just purchased two gallons from Walgreens, which was having a sale (keep this in mind for future purchases for they do this regularly). I checked the numbers on the bottoms of my ice cream and found that they were not part of the recall. Naturally, I ate every last bite.

My mother did too.

There are few things in life more scary than being out of Blue Bell.

Unfortunately, the company closed down its production temporarily and the stock was pulled from shelves all over the South. It was a sad day for ice cream lovers.

I’ve been hearing rumblings that Blue Bell is back in business. Just to show you how much Southerners love their Blue Bell, Dan E. Roberts posted a photo to Facebook of three Blue Bell trucks on the highway and that photo, as of Monday afternoon, was shared 54,049 times and I actually saw the numbers move as I wrote this.
          And then...the bad news. Blue Bell posted this to Facebook:
You may have noticed a few photos or videos of our trucks on the roads recently. Unfortunately they are not out delivering ice cream…yet. These trucks are making their way back to markets that remain open and will be used once we begin distributing ice cream to stores again. As a fan of our Facebook page you will be one of the first to know when we do announce our return to stores. Thanks for your support!
          I'm heartbroken and I'm not alone. Worse, could the lack of Blue Bell ice cream also be the reason for the deluge that hit Texas? One has to wonder.

But while we are on the subject, Blue Bell is located in one of the most scenic and historic regions of Texas. Known as Brenham/Washington County, the region is located halfway between Houston and Austin on Hwy. 290 and is the site of the “Birthplace of Texas.” The historic town of Brenham and surrounding countryside includes more than 30 bed and breakfasts, nine hotels, four wineries, antiques shops, botanical gardens, live theater, summer festivals, museums and so much more. Even if you can’t tour the Blue Bell Creameries, there are so many great reasons to visit.

Hopefully, Blue Bell will be up and running soon and you’ll be able to taste that delicious ice cream as well. For more information on Brenham/Washington County, visit www.visitbrenhamtexas.com/.