Phin & Phebe's Handmade Ice Cream | New York

These days, the ice cream aisle is packed with choices in every color and flavor imaginable.

We thought we were well acquainted with the variety, then we tasted Phin & Phebes.

The project began as a weekend ice cream-making habit for two friends, Jess Eddy and Crista Freeman, in Brooklyn. They then took their talents from their kitchen to the public, selling at markets throughout Brooklyn before enrolling in ice cream university at Penn State to perfect their already sought-after product.

Phin & Phebes's hand-lettered pints ($6 to $9) are available in Whole Foods starting this month and in a number of other NYC markets (click here for the full list of retailers). The ice cream has a deliciously silky texture thanks to Quality Dairy Farms milk from Jefferson County and comes in flavors such as Banana Whama, an icy-cold version of superior banana pudding studded with vanilla wafers, which is simplicity done right.

We also recommend the Vietnamese Iced Coffee, a creamy blend of chicory and regular coffee flavors heavily spiced with cardamom. In fact, it's so good we've considered swapping a bowl for our morning cup of joe, winter be damned. Or go for extra caffeine and build an affogato (click here to see the recipe).