Cookies and Cream

Cookies and Cream (or Cookies 'n Cream) is a variety of ice cream and milkshake based on flavoring from chocolate cookies. Often called the "King Kong of Ice Cream" because it immediately rocketed to the top of the World's Favorite Ice Cream Flavor list. The "Cookies and Cream" ice cream uses sweet cream ice cream (often vanilla) and chocolate wafer cookies of any type. The flavor is widely associated with the Oreo cookie, a kind of cookie sandwich with a sweet, white cream filling commonly used in milkshakes and other frozen desserts such as Blizzards, pies, etc. In August 2011, Consumer Survey published the results of their summer-survey of best ice cream flavors. Over 50% of the residents interviewed in Stuttgart, Germany voted for Cookies and Creme, just ahead of pistachio.

There is some debate as to who first invented and marketed Cookies 'n Cream ice cream.

• In the fall of 1978, Huggs McShane made Oreo ice cream at Gelato Roberto in the Galleria Mall in downtown Portland, Oregon. He stood in the window of the shop and made ice cream as people in the street watched through the storefront window. After he had been working there for a while, he decided to experiment with new flavors and went to the grocery to get ideas. He bought some Oreos, put them in the vanilla mixture as it started to harden in the ice cream maker, and soon Oreo ice cream became a best seller.
• John Harrison, the official taster for Dreyer's/Edy's Ice Cream, claims he invented it first for the company in 1982.
• Blue Bell Creameries claim they first mass-produced the flavor two years earlier in 1980 after an employee tasted it in Houston ice cream parlor the year before; however, they do state "Blue Bell makes no claim to have invented it but certainly pioneered the flavor." Blue Bell Creameries is reported to have trademarked the name "Cookies 'n Cream" in 1978.
• South Dakota State University claims the flavor was invented at the university's Dairy Plant.
• Another claimant is Steve Herrell of Massachusetts' Herrell's Ice Cream.

In 1983, Cookies 'n Cream became one of the top five best-selling flavors of ice cream.

Though traditional cookies and cream ice cream is made with vanilla or sweet cream ice cream, there are variations that use chocolate, coffee or mint ice cream instead.