Magnolia's holiday flavors are here!

The Magnolia ice cream plant-cum-soda-fountain along Aurora Boulevard was a favorite haunt of the family. I remember as kids we'd celebrate quite a few birthdays and other events there. Who wouldn't love the soda fountain, a dream come true for kids where you could have a wide choice of sundaes, splits and parfaits, among others.

The ice cream plant was a favorite field trip destination for schools too. I vividly remember my batch going to the ice cream plant for a tour. We were fascinated by the thought that we were inside Ice Cream Kingdom. Entering the warehouse-sized freezer where the finished ice cream products were sold was quite an experience as we donned heavy woolen coats. Watching ice cream artists put the finishing touches on an ice cream cake was a treat as well. And of course, a field trip was not complete without that one last touch - free Magnolia Delights from a cart greeted you as you finished the tour.

When the ice cream recipe and its plant were sold to Nestle, I remember wondering WHY. After all, Magnolia was the #1 ice cream then. Well, whatever their reason then was, what's important now is that they're back and ready to provide the same, loved Magnolia ice cream to the public.

The new ice cream plant is located in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. And while the old flavors are slowly coming back, Magnolia has introduced three (3) new holiday flavors that will be available till February 2011 in supermarkets and groceries, Monterey outlets nationwide and selected Petron Treats and Shops.

At a recent blogger event, we were introduced to all 3 flavors.

CARAMEL CHEESECAKE - Cheesecake bits with streaks of caramel ripple in a caramel ice cream base

Caramel Cheesecake

APPLE STRUDEL - Apple cinnamon bits with crushed chocolate pretzels swirled with a combination of green and red apple ripple and enhanced with creamy vanilla flavor

Apple Strudel

VANILLA PRALINE - Cashew praline with streaks of caramel ripple in a vanilla ice cream base

Vanilla Praline

These holiday flavors come in 1.5L in-mould labeling with tub wrap. The labels are not stuck onto the cover as with other brands. For these flavors, all around the tub are the creative works of Filipino artists.

The kids' and my personal favorites are actually the Vanilla Praline and Caramel Cheesecake, though I was told that some company employees who tried the Apple Strudel liked it. I think the European flavor of Apple Strudel is initially foreign to the Pinoy tongue but eventually, people acquire a taste for it.