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Summer of Sandwiches: Summer's Over

YumSugar — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 12:01:33 -0700

I can't believe that summer is just about over. Seems like we were just eating ice cream sandwiches yesterday... oh wait, we were! But in all seriousness, the end of the summer also means the end of our summer of sandwiches - after all, we have to make room for new fall features! However, just in case you missed any of them, here's a full recap.

Minty Fresh: Fresh Mint Ice Cream with Ice Cream Cone Cookies
Classic Choco-Vanilla: Chocolate Cookies with Vanilla Ice Cream
The Americone Dream: Americone Dream Ice Cream with Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Peachy Keen: Peach Ice Cream with Ginger Cookies
Salty Sweet: Vanilla Caramel Ice Cream with Saltine Crackers

Graham Caramel: Dulce De Leche Ice Cream with Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers
Cravers: Crave Treat Cookies with Coffee Ice Cream
Puff Ups: Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream with Puff Pastry
Bisco Inferno: Chocolate Citrus Biscotti with Orange Ice Cream
Minis It's Its: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream with Bite-sized Oatmeal Cookies

Berry Heaven: Vanilla Berry Ice Cream with Fudgy Brownies
PB Choco: Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Ice Cream
Old School Nilla: Strawberry and Banana Ice Cream with Nilla Wafers
Coo-Coo for Coconut: Coconut Macaroons with Creme Brulee Ice Cream

Summer Of Sandwiches: Coconut Macaroon & Creme Brulee

partysugar — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 13:13:33 -0700

Sadly, the end of summer is this weekend. With its finish comes the conclusion of our 14 week series on ice cream sandwiches. For my last batch of sandwiches, I focused on the perfect pairing of cookie and ice cream flavors. I was a little disappointed in the overpowering peanut butter taste of my last ice cream sandwiches, so I found myself spending quite some time debating in the grocery store. First I picked out the chewy perfectly sized coconut macaroons. Next, after much time staring into the freezers, I decided on the custardy creme brulee ice cream.

Eureka! The pairing was sheer sweetness! To see how I made this super easy and delicious dessert, read more

Coconut Macaroon & Creme Brulee Ice Cream Sandwiches
Created by PartySugar

8 small coconut macaroons
1/2-1 cup Creme Brulee ice cream (suggested: Ben & Jerry's)

Place cookies in pairs on a plate or cookie sheet top side down.
Top one cookie with a heaping tablespoon of ice cream. Place its pair on top of the ice cream and press down gently.
Quickly put the sandwiches in the freezer to prevent melting. Freeze for an hour or until firm. Enjoy!

Makes 8 sandwiches.

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Summer of Sandwiches: Strawberry & Banana Ice Cream and Nilla Wafers

YumSugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 12:01:31 -0700

When I was a kid, one of my favorite desserts was banana pudding with Nilla Wafers. My mom used to make it often, and my siblings and I would chow down on it like there was no tomorrow. I haven't had it in years, but recently someone mentioned Nilla Wafers to me, and they've been on my brain ever since.

So naturally, when it came time to make this week's ice cream sandwiches, Nilla wafers were my first choice. Originally I wanted to make my own banana ice cream, however my ice cream maker wasn't ready. So I picked up a pint of the next best thing - Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey - and headed over to my sister's house.

While there I decided that her strawberry ice cream looked great too, and that a slice of banana would be a nice touch - cut yours thinner than mine so the sandwiches stay bite-sized. The Nilla Wafers were smaller than I remembered them, so I ended up using a melon baller to scoop the ice cream out. I then created a little assembly line - wafer, ice cream dollop, banana, ice cream scoop, wafer - in order to make a bunch to enjoy at once. I then stuck them in the freezer and counted down until dessert time. They made perfect appetizer sized sandwiches, and would make great desserts for a party.

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Summer Of Sandwiches: Peanut Butter Cookie & Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches

partysugar — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 08:53:18 -0700

I recently realized that I had never made homemade chocolate ice cream. So naturally, I decided chocolate ice cream would be involved in the next round of ice cream sandwiches. What complements chocolate more perfectly than peanut butter? I made pairs of crisped peanut butter cookies and smashed the gooey, gorgeous ice cream in between. The end result? A delicious and satisfying dessert that will please both chocolate and peanut butter lovers alike. You could easily make these sandwiches with store bought cookies and ice cream, but to check out how I made them 100% from scratch - if I had a cow I would have milked it! -, read more

Peanut Butter Cookie & Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches
From Joy Of Baking & Martha Stewart

For the cookies:
3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (105 grams) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (185 grams) peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
2 cups (280 grams) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the ice cream:
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
8 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces melted bittersweet chocolate
3 ounces melted milk chocolate

Make the cookies: line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 2 - 3 minutes). Beat in the peanut butter. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the peanut butter mixture and beat until incorporated.
Cover and chill the dough for about an hour. Then, on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Using a lightly floured 3 inch (7.5 cm) cookie cutter, cut out the cookies. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, placing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Then, using the end of a toothpick, score the tops of the cookies, making a crisscross pattern. Place the baking sheet, with the cookies, in the refrigerator to firm up for about 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.
Bake the cookies for about 12 to 14 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a little granulated sugar. Cool on a wire rack.
Make the ice cream: put cream and milk into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat the mixture until hot (do not let simmer), about 2 minutes. Remove mixture from heat; cover, and let stand 30 minutes.
Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Put yolks, sugar, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until yolk mixture has tripled in volume and can hold a ribbon on surface for 2 seconds, about 3 minutes.
Reduce speed to medium. Ladle 1 cup cream mixture in a slow stream into yolk mixture to temper it. Add another cup cream mixture; beat to combine. Transfer mixture to saucepan; cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon and an instant-read thermometer registers 180 degrees; 5 to 7 minutes. Stir bittersweet and milk chocolates into custard.
Pour custard through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl set in ice-water bath. Let cool completely, stirring often.
Freeze custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve immediately, or freeze in an airtight plastic container until ready to serve.
To make the sandwiches, place two cookies of the same size side by side top side down on a serving platter. Use a 2 inch circular cookie cutter to cut the ice cream. Place on top of one peanut butter cookie and top with the pair to make a sandwich. Press down to close. Freeze to eat later or enjoy now!

Makes about 12 sandwiches.

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Summer of Sandwiches: Vanilla Berry Brownies

YumSugar — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:03:28 -0700

It was my turn to make ice cream sandwiches this week - I know, tough task! - and I was staring at some leftover rich, fudgy brownies when it hit me. Duh! Why not cut the brownies in half and fill them with ice cream?!?

Once I had a plan, it was time to determine the flavor. I really wanted mint-chip, but we had vanilla in the house, and more than one open container of ice cream at a time is really bad news in our house... However, I wasn't totally thrilled with plain vanilla, so I took some fresh blueberries and raspberries and mixed them in.

To learn how to do it yourself, as well as more pictures of brownie-ice cream goodness, read more

First you need to take the ice cream out of the freezer and let it thaw for a while. Next you'll gently fold in the berries. You want to make sure to be gentle so that you don't mash the berries. Once they're mixed in, put the mixture in an air tight container and stick it back in the freezer until it firms up. Or, alternatively - if you have the space in your freezer - spread the ice cream on a flat baking sheet. This will make it easier to cut into ice cream sandwich sized pieces.

When the ice cream is firm, cut into squares the same size as brownies, cut the brownies in half horizontally and stick the ice cream in between! You can serve immediately, or put back into freezer (in a container or wrapped in foil) until ready to serve.

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Summer Of Sandwiches: Mini It's It

partysugar — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 07:03:13 -0700

Last Saturday night I met up with a few of my Spanish friends who happened to be traveling through San Francisco. Earlier that day I found myself enjoying a glass of wine at the Ferry Building when I suddenly realized I should host an impromptu dinner for them! Dessert, of course, would be in the form of ice cream sandwiches. Not just any ice cream sandwich, the It's It - a San Francisco tradition since 1928 - is vanilla ice cream smashed between two oatmeal cookies, and then dipped in chocolate. Everything is so much cuter in mini form, so I made mine bite-sized. I prefer It's Its with mint chocolate chip ice cream rather than boring old vanilla, so that's what I used as well. To see how I did it - it's really simple, you can do it too! - read more

Mini It's Its

1 pint mint chocolate chip ice cream (or any other flavor of ice cream)
50 mini oatmeal cookies (I got mine at Bristol Farms)
1 bottle Hershey's magic shell chocolate syrup

Set the cookies out, tops down, in pairs on a cookie sheet.
Working quickly place a one teaspoon scoop of ice cream on top of one cookie. Top with another cookie to form a sandwich.
Place in cookie sheet with the sandwiches on it in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
Squirt one squirt of chocolate magic shell on top of each sandwich. Return to the freezer for another 30 minutes to an hour for the chocolate to harden.
Take from the freezer, pop in the mouth and enjoy!

Makes 25 mini sandwiches.

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Summer of Sandwiches: Chocolate Citrus Biscotti with Orange Ice Cream

YumSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 08:01:31 -0700

While I was chomping down on the biscotti I made the other day, I realized that it would be an even better treat if there was ice cream involved. The biscotti had an citrus hint to it, so I figured why not up the ante a bit and add an orange flavored ice cream. I found a recipe for a simple (no cooking involved, just mix, chill and freeze) recipe for orange ice cream, and the results were fantastic. It was almost like adding a creamsicle between two crispy crunchy cookies! The cornmeal in the biscotti really paired nicely and this ice cream recipe is one I'll definitely be making again. To get the recipe, and see more photos of drool-worthy ice cream sandwiches, read more

You can either make the biscotti and ice cream yourself, or pick up two pieces of your fave biscotti and a pint of a complementary ice cream. Also if I make this recipe again, I am definitely going to cut the biscotti into thinner, easy to eat pieces before their second bake.

Orange Ice Cream
From Joy of Baking

1 1/2 cups (360 ml) heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup (120 ml) half-and-half
2 cups (480 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar (or to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange zest (optional)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl or measuring cup combine all the ingredients.
Cover and place in the refrigerator until it is completely cold (several hours or overnight).
Transfer the mixture to the container of your ice cream machine and process according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Once made, transfer the ice cream to a chilled container and store in the freezer. If the ice cream becomes too hard place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving so it can soften.

Makes about 3 cups.

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Summer Of Sandwiches: Puff Pastry & Cherry Chocolate Sandwiches

partysugar — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 10:53:13 -0700

After obsessing about what to make for my next ice cream sandwich - seriously I discussed it nonstop with my poor friend Deiter for over 20 minutes - I finally decided on puff pastry "cookies" and cherry ice cream with chocolate shavings. Because the ice cream mixture is whisked, the most difficult part of this recipe is pitting the cherries - unless you have a cherry pitter of course! If you don't own an ice cream maker simply purchase Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia. These babies are big and you may need a fork to eat them. To kick it up a notch drizzle warm chocolate over the top. Take a look at how I made these ice cream sandwiches - Dieter thinks "it's a winner" - just read more

For an easier to eat sandwich, go ahead and cut the puff pastry in half horizontally and place ice cream in between. It won't be as puffy, but this way you'll have enough pastry to make twice as many sandwiches!

Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream & Almond Puff Pastry Sandwiches
Modified from Batch Family Mountain and Epicurious

For the ice cream:
1 1/2 cups sliced Bing, Lapin or Sweetheart cherries
1 pint whipping cream
1 pint half and half
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup shaved dark chocolate (or to taste)
For the puff pastry:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup sliced almonds (I was lazy and processed mine in a food processor)
1 large egg white

Whisk whipping cream, half and half, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add cherries and stir. Chill mixture for 30 minutes in freezer.

Meanwhile make the puff pastry: preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut pastry into thirds lengthwise along folds, then cut each strip crosswise into 4 pieces. Arrange squares on prepared sheet, spacing apart.

Put sugar, almonds and egg white in a small bowl; stir to coat. Spread almond mixture atop squares, dividing evenly.

Bake pastry squares until tops are golden around edges, 18 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

Make the ice cream: pour into ice cream maker canister. Run machine until mixture reaches milkshake consistency. Add chocolate and mix until they're incorporated. Continue running machine until ice cream reaches desired consistency.

Using a serrated knife, cut each piece horizontally in half. Spread 1/3 cup ice cream over each pastry bottom, then press on top to adhere.
Freeze until ice cream is hard, about 1 hour.

Serves 12.

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Summer of Sandwiches: Crave Treats and Coffee Ice Cream

YumSugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:28:31 -0700

A few weeks ago Grace of Crave Treats sent us a care package containing three packs of adorable, miniature cookies. Naturally we had to taste them all, and although they were lovely (even if the mint was a bit overpowering in the brownie mint), we immediately knew that they would be the perfect vehicle for ice cream. So the next day we purchased a pint of Häagen-Daz coffee ice cream and set about making mini-ice cream sandwiches.

Of the three cookie flavors - brownie mint, pb chip and mocha chip - our favorite was the mocha chip. The way the flavors blended with the ice cream caused a taste explosion in my mouth. To make your own mini-ice cream delights, you can order a dozen mini-cookies and have them shipped to your front door. A dozen will cost you $9 or you can get a combo pack for $24. Personally I want to try her PB+Jellyness cookies, I think they would be smashing with creme fraiche ice cream. What do you think? What flavors would you choose and what ice cream would you use?

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Happy Ice Cream Sandwich Day!

partysugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 01:11:31 -0700

Yum and I have been celebrating summer by making our delicious variations of ice cream sandwiches, but today, August 2, is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day! It is believed that the ice cream sandwich was invented in the Lower East Side of New York City in 1900. According to an article in the Washington Post, the ice cream sandwich man, whose street cart was "elaborately decorated with signs in Hebrew characters," made sandwiches quickly with a tin mold. His little stand was so popular, he had no time to make change and insisted on getting the exact price of the sandwiches. The original cost was 1 cent and the cookie was a tiny slab of water wafer. After this, ice cream sandwiches became more mainstream and in 1926 the first patent was given to an ice cream sandwich making machine. So go out and celebrate!

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