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Would You Hire This 13-Year Old to Cater Your Event?

YumSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:00:23 -0700

While most eighth graders whittled away this Summer at swim camp, one young man became the hottest rising caterer in the Hamptons.

Meet Greg Grossman, a 13-year-old chef prodigy from East Hampton, NY. Recently profiled in the New York Post, Grossman so far this Summer has "seared 75 pounds of scallops, cured 30 pounds of salmon, plated 200 micro-green salads and reduced at least 20 bottles of red wine" while catering for parties.

Despite the "killer" truffles and fish soufflés he made for a recent gallery opening, Grossman's not old enough to qualify for a catering license, so clients must employ him as a "personal chef." While his parents say he "practically teethed at Nobu, Cipriani and the Four Seasons Hotel in Palm Beach," they knew he was really something when he presented them with pan-seared sea scallops under a balsamic vinegar glaze with a wild-mushroom medley at the ripe old age of 10.

I don't know what to make of this preteen personal chef. On the one hand, I think it's an incredible feat; on the other hand, I think that true culinary mastery requires a bit of maturity. What say you? Would you hire him to cater your events?

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Rachael Ray Meet Rachael Ray

partysugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:15:54 -0700

What would you do if you had the exact same name as celebrity chef Rachael Ray? Well, cook of course! Last week the Oakland Tribune introduced the world to the other Rachael Ray, a 10-year-old Fremont resident, who enjoys spending her time in the kitchen:

Rachael was born years before the cooking show host hit the big time, she definitely wasn't named after Rachael Ray, and she's used to getting yak-back about her name. When she was 7, she had a Rachael Ray birthday party. Guests dressed as chefs and got little cookbooks filled with family recipes for things such as cheeseburger soup.

The newspaper asked the energetic youngster to test out recipes from the Food Network star's latest cookbook Rachael Ray Yum-O! The Family Cookbook. When celeb Rachael Ray heard about the story, she was absolutely charmed and sent the girl a complete set of her signature pots and pans.

I know that many of you find Rachael Ray annoying, but you have to admit this story is pretty cute!

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Chamomile Camel Teapot: Love It or Hate It?

YumSugar — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 04:05:30 -0700

A friend of mine recently moved into a new apartment. To help her celebrate, I decided to get her a cute teapot. While looking for one, I came across this chamomile camel teapot ($24). Part of me thinks it's adorable, but there's something about it that hasn't won me over. How about you? Are you in to this docile dromedary?

Chamomile Camel Teapot: Love It or Hate It?

Love It

Hate It

Undecided

They're on Your Soda Bottle, Making You Laugh

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:21:31 -0700

I'll admit it now, I really love the awful lolspeak and lolcats, and I'm surprised by how much it's taken off. At first it was just something that people who spend too much time on the internet understood, and now almost everyone has seen the cheezburger cat that started it all. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check out these lolcat examples.)

So why am I talking about lolcats? Well, the folks at Jones Soda — yes the ones responsible for dirt flavored soda — want to put pictures of them on their bottles. That's right, lolcats will be in your stores adorning your soda!

Right now there's a contest to find the best lolcat for the labels. You can vote on other submissions or submit one yourself. You have until Apr. 25 to do it, so get cracking! I think this is so fun, u noes wut i meanz?

Reader Recipe: Carrot Cake Easter Basket

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:01:31 -0700

It's a few days late for Easter, but I just had to share this cake. I was looking through TeamSugar and came across Bettyesque's Carrot Cake Easter Basket. I loved how she provided the recipe and gave us step-by-step directions on how to make the cake on our own. It's so simple, but looks absolutely divine. I wish I had one of these on my Easter table!

If you want to try and make it yourself — or if you just want to see her process — then get the recipe, just

The Washington Post's 2nd Annual Peep Show

YumSugar — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 05:48:12 -0700

This year the folks at the Washington Post put together their second annual Peeps Show. It's a contest they run in which they invite their readers to put together Peeps dioramas. This year they received over 800 entries, and narrowed that down to 31 semi-finalists and one winner. The winner is Laura Sillers, who whipped up a diorama called "The Tomb of King Peepankhamun." It includes Peeps hieroglyphics, a mummified Peep and more.

I've put a few of my favorites below, but be sure to check out all 32 winning entries.

4 Comments 39,290 Views

5 Comments 36,682 Views

3 Comments 33,981 Views

5 Comments 41,639 Views

3 Comments 29,321 Views

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Cupcake of the Week: Easter Nests

YumSugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:08:51 -0700

This week's cupcake of the week comes from Steph at the Frosted Garden. These adorable Easter Nests are delightfully festive and oh so cute. I hope she inspires you to make your own batch for Sunday!

Bluesuze Had a Little Lamb

YumSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:40:19 -0700

If one adorable cake wasn't enough for you today then here's another! I was hunting for cakes on TeamSugar when I came across this adorable Easter Lamb Cake by bluesuze. It's so wonderfully cute and precious. She says that her family makes an Easter Lamb Cake every year. To create her masterpiece she used the Wilton Lamb Cake Pan ($12.99) and I think hers looks even better than theirs!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

YumSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:29:51 -0700

It's the first day of spring, and my thoughts are turning towards fresh veggies and bright colors. Normally it's the appetizers and main courses that get the spring treatment, but this year, dessert can play along too. This Garden Patch Cakelet Pan ($34) is a garden-themed cake pan that features rows of carrots, cauliflower, radishes and peas. It would make the most adorable petit-fours and hey, maybe it'll get your little ones (or big ones) to finally eat their veggies.

Octopus Juicer and Squid Scrub Brush: Love Them or Hate Them?

YumSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:18:31 -0800

Among the many unique products Urban Outfitters has right now, I was glad to see that happy mundane pointed out both this Octopus Juicer ($14) and this Squid Scrub Brush ($8). I know that a lot of you like whimsical kitchen accessories, and so I wondered what you thought of these little guys? Would you want them in your kitchen?

Octopus Juicer and Squid Scrub Brush: Love Them or Hate Them?

Love Them Both

Love Only the Octopus

Love Only the Squid

Hate Them Both

Undecided

Reader Recipe: Chocolate and Chili Cupcakes With Peanut Butter Frosting

YumSugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:18:19 -0800

I was looking for a good dessert to share with you guys, when I came across these Chocolate and Chili Cupcakes With Peanut Butter Frosting by TeamSugar member celebrity_soup. I thought the combination was so intriguing and lovely. I love peanut butter and chocolate, I love chili and chocolate, and yet I've never thought to put the three together. Peanut butter, chili, and chocolate? Sign me up!

Soup says that they're even better than a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, and that they're really fudgy and dangerous. If that has you intrigued then check out her recipe and accompanying pics! To do so, just

Yummy Link: Cup Pies

YumSugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 03:08:31 -0800

If cupcakes are cute because they're individual cakes then the same must be said for cup pies! — Eggs on Sunday

Yummy Links: Springtime Cookies

YumSugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:25:51 -0800

C is for cookie and here are a bunch of adorable Spring cookie decorating ideas. Looks like I better go cookie-cutter shopping! — Kuidaore

Amy Sedaris's Rabbit Rescue

YumSugar — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 06:13:31 -0800

A friend of mine sent me this video of Amy Sedaris and her rabbits at their cupcake shop. And to be totally honest, it's one of the best things I've seen in a long time. The video is actually a commercial for the latest version of Microsoft Office, but the whole first half features them behind the scenes at their cupcake shop. Little fluffy bunnies making cupcakes on conveyer belt-like devices? Does it get any better than that? I don't know about you, but my dream cupcake shop would definitely be powered by an army of rabbits.

To check out the adorably kitschy cupcake shop video,

An Edible Floral Arrangement — Rose and Poppy Seed Cupcakes

YumSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 07:01:51 -0800

Although rose and poppy seed was not my favorite of the 2008 flavor pairings, I couldn't help but think it would make for a great cupcake. So I set out to find a delicious poppy seed cake, and a nice rose-infused frosting. The result was a subtle floral flavor, that really took me by surprise. I figured that the rose and poppy seed would complement one another, but I didn't expect them to be quite so delicious. If you're interested in trying it yourself, get the recipe, just

Chocolate Treats For Your Sweet

partysugar — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:13:57 -0800

While we've been featuring plenty of fabulous gift ideas for Valentine's Day, you may be wondering where on earth are the chocolate gifts? Well, wonder no more! Giving chocolate is a delicious display of affection and here are my favorite cocoa-covered gifts.

Make These Valentine's Day Treats for Your Sweetheart

YumSugar — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:10:52 -0800

If you still haven't figured out how to treat your loved ones this Valentine's Day, then check out some of our favorite recipes from the past. I personally love the heart-shaped ice cream sandwiches, but the champagne risotto is nice too. Check them all out, hit the "Start Slideshow" button below.

Cupcake of the Week: Your Own Bloody Valentine

YumSugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:31:37 -0800

If you think cutesy pink Valentine cupcakes are too sentimental and passé then wait until you check out these Bleeding Heart cupcakes. Instead of being cutesy hearts, they're almost gruesome, and the best part is that they actually bleed jam! I love how fun they are, and especially adore the use of marbles to create the indentations! To check out the recipe and create your own bloody valentine,

Cute Groundhog Cupcakes

YumSugar — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:55:31 -0800

We posted these adorable groundhog cupcakes last year, but I completely forgot about them until right now! While you wait to see if good ol' Phil sees his shadow — it happens tomorrow — why don't you whip up one of these cute Groundhog Day cupcakes?

Start with your favorite cupcake recipe, (or use Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes) stick a chocolate candy bar (my suggestion: a mini twix) upright in the baked and cooled cupcake. Spread your favorite frosting to hold the candy in place. To make the groundhog's eyes and tooth, cut a tiny piece of white jelly bean and glue into place with frosting. Dot with black decorators gel or melted chocolate. Cut a triangle noise from a watermelon-shaped sour candy and use mini brown M&Ms for adorable itsy-bitsy edible ears and cheeks. Sprinkle chocolate cookie crumb "dirt" around the groundhog.

Enjoy and have a Happy Groundhog's Day!

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Yummy Link: Adorable Felt Food

YumSugar — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:27:11 -0800

Sometimes the best food doesn't even have to be edible. Be sure to check out these adorable plush eats from Go Buggy. I personally love these little gyoza! — Etsy

Cutie Pie Kitchen Accessories

partysugar — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:47:31 -0800

I'm not afraid to admit that I like to add a few cute accents to my kitchen. Adorable accessories with pretty colors or whimsical prints make the kitchen feel more cozy and girlie. You don't have to go cutie pie crazy — a little goes a long way —so choose one or two attractive essentials. You've filled the Yum Market on TeamSugar with tons of excellent and endearing options. I personally love this cute little cow creamer that LadyLola27 bookmarked! It's a darling accessory that is fab for every day and fun for entertaining days. To make your kitchen more cute, scroll to the right below.

For more info on how to bookmark, check out geeksugar's guide.

Cupcake of the Week: La Provence's Giant Cupcake

YumSugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:28:31 -0800

If you've ever dreamed of eating cupcakes the size of your face, then you are in luck. The folks at The Knife tipped us off to the jumbo cupcakes at Beverly Hills-based La Provence Patisserie & Cafe. The huge cupcakes — that's a regular-sized plastic fork in the photo — come in red velvet, chocolate chocolate cream cheese, and chocolate cream cheese. I can't wait to try one!

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Cute Food Alert! Homemade Marshmallows

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:12:48 -0800

Derek and Lauren — the uber-cute couple behind The Curiosity Shoppe — created an amazing DIY post for design*sponge. In it they ditch homemade candies and teach you how to make melt-in-your-mouth marshmallows. Be sure to watch their absolutely adorable, step-by-step video. Check it out just,

Our Favorite Ice Cream Sandwiches

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:31:39 -0800

This Summer, PartySugar and I took turns making ice cream sandwiches each week. We made fourteen different variations, but for our Best of 2007 coverage, we decided to pick our top five. Here they are, starting at the top left corner:

And this Heart-Shaped Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwich wasn't one of ours, but it was so popular, I had to share it with you all again!

Cupcake of the Week: Eggnog Cupcakes

YumSugar — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:30:19 -0800

This week's cupcake comes from our pal Nicole over at Baking Bites. Her vegan eggnog cupcakes look absolutely delicious and fool even the most whole-hearted carnivore. They're beautifully moist and tender. Did I mention that they're also spiked with rum? Definitely give these delights a try, and if you do, be sure to let us know what you think.

Cute Food Alert! Starbucks Penguin Cookies

YumSugar — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 01:18:39 -0800

A few days ago I headed to Starbucks for some of their red cup action and noticed that they also had a wide array of holiday goodies. Usually there are frosted snowmen and cranberry bliss bars and a bunch of things in between. However, this year their new adorable feature is an iced penguin cookie. The cookie is a sugar cookie base with a mountain of icing on it including a little iced scarf tied around its neck. I think they're just adorable, however, their price is close to $2, so it's a little splurge for a few minutes of cute eats.

Have you guys seen these in your Starbucks? If so, have you tried them? What'd you think?

Cupcake of the Week: Turkey Dinner

YumSugar — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:03:33 -0800

This week's cupcake is actually from 2005, but when I saw it I immediately had to share it with you guys. This turkey dinner cupcake by It's Your Day Cakes is one of the most precious things I've ever seen. I can only imagine the amount of time all that detailing took.

Cupcake of the Week: Gobble Gobble

YumSugar — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 10:48:10 -0800

This week we're spotlighting these amazing cupcakes from flickr member Baking Fairy. Her turkey cupcakes are absolutely amazing! I love the ingenuity of a little cupcake stacked on top in order to create the head. I hope she's inspired you because a batch like these would be a sure hit at any Thanksgiving potluck or celebration!

Cupcake of the Week: Pumpkin Chiffon Mousse With Gingersnaps

YumSugar — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:27:11 -0700

This week's cupcake come from TeamSugar member smfaulkner. She's worked Pumpkin Chiffon Mousse into a cupcake with a gingersnap crust and bourbon whipped cream. Not only are they adorable, but I bet they're downright delectable too!

Cupcake of the Week: Ghastly Halloween!

YumSugar — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:43:18 -0700

This week we're actually spotlighting several cupcakes from flickr member Yummy Piece of Cake. Her Halloween cupcakes are so cute and well decorated. I know I'd have a hard time deciding which one to pick!

Cupcake of the Week: Pink Hazelnut Cupcakes with Coconut

YumSugar — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:28:33 -0700

This week's cupcake comes from our pal at Never Bashful with Butter. This time she's created a beautiful hazelnut cupcake that's pink all the way through. While it has nothing to do with Breast Cancer Awareness, I thought the lovely pink color to be quite fitting. How could you not love these cupcakes? They're so adorable, and I bet they're tasty too!

Cupcake of the Week: My Edible Neighbor Totoro

YumSugar — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 12:28:33 -0700

This week's cupcake comes from A Cat In the Kitchen. Her adorable Totoro topped cupcakes are wonderfully cute and made me squeal out loud. The cupcakes are actually maple, pecan and apple — perfect for the fall — and are topped with a sugar fondant/paste and decorated with a food pen. I love all the detail in them. They're really almost too cute to eat! Well, almost...

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,

Cupcake of the Week: Farewell To Summer

YumSugar — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:29:33 -0700

I usually end up creating at least one cupcake yummy link each week, so I thought I'd go ahead and make it official. From now on, I'll pick a weekly cupcake for your viewing enjoyment. To start things off, I've found these lovely "Love Shack" cupcakes from the Destin, Florida bakery Cupcake Beach. Rachel from Cupcakes Take The Cake profiled this pic and I thought it was totally fitting since summer ends this Saturday. Doesn't it look like they're just soaking up those last few rays?

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.

The Look: Alice + Olivia in Wonderland

YumSugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 07:00:00 -0700

This week my girl FabSugar found herself at the Alice + Olivia Alice in Wonderland themed show. While the clothing is absolutely gorgeous — lots of bold patterns and frilly sleeves — and the hair wonderfully mod, I was really excited to discover that she was on Yum patrol and snapped lots of photos of the nosh and drinks.

An ornate yellow table and matching yellow chairs stood in the center of the room. On the table black, white and yellow dinnerware echoed the black, white and yellow backdrops and furniture in the store — including a suspended upside-down piano.

The table was filled with delightful goodies, such as "Eat Me" labeled cupcakes from Crumbs, black M&Ms, mini pb & j sandwiches and fluffernutter sandwiches too. The perfect finishing touch was definitely the container of Lucid Absinthe — talk about setting the mood! I only wish I could have been there!

What do you guys think? Does this decor fit the mood or what?

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! —,

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,

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! —

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,

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