It’s been three years since Cornellians have been able to unravel the cool confectionary complexity of Cornelia’s Dark Secret or revel in the simple splendor of super premium vanilla.

The wait is finally over: Cornell Dairy ice cream returns for retail sale Jan. 21.

A few superfans have already snuck scoops from a limited supply at the Stocking Hall Dairy Bar. Some got to sample four flavors – vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and mint chocolate chip – during a special event Jan. 14. The Stocking Hall celebration was marked by presentations from leadership from the Department of Food Science, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and Cornell Dining – and a surprise visit from President David Skorton, who joked that he was just there for the ice cream.

CALS Senior Associate Dean Max Pfeffer gave thanks to the nine dairy plant staff members who got a well-deserved break from an afternoon of processing 4,000 gallons of milk from Cornell cows to attend the event.

“This dedicated team can always be relied upon to get the job done, no matter what the challenges, and all while being under the watchful eye of the public behind the glass walls and observation gallery of the new dairy plant,” Pfeffer said.

He also thanked Perry’s Ice Cream for keeping Cornell supplied with its own delicious product while the Cornell dairy plant was being rebuilt as part of the $105 million renovation to Stocking Hall, home of the Department of Food Science.

It took several months to build up enough supply to meet the expected demand of a campus hungry for old favorites such as Bavarian Raspberry Fudge or Nutty Buddy Franklin. Fifteen flavors are being served by the scoop or the pint at the Dairy Bar and an additional seven will be available soon.