ICE CREAM SANDWICHES
Makes 4
Most supermarkets carry good brownies, a variety of bakery and packaged cookies, and enough flavors of premium ice cream to make you dizzy — everything you need to make delicious ice cream sandwiches at home. (Of course, you can make the cookies or even the ice cream, but you don’t need to.) This recipe is a basic model that you can change to suit your fancy. Creativity is strongly encouraged: Halved doughnuts, for example, make particularly decadent ice cream sandwiches. Grocery store brownies too thick or the wrong size? Spread them out with a rolling pin and trim with a cookie cutter.
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This method, which I learned from my friend Raquel Pelzel when we worked together at Cook’s Illustrated, calls for 3- to 4-inch cookies and pint containers of ice cream. To make the ice cream rounds, you saw through the still-frozen package with a serrated knife. Parents, please do the cutting for your kids.
Decorations I like include nuts, grated coconut, chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans, mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, and granola. A smear of Nutella on the cookie can be great, too.
8 3- or 4-inch brownies or cookies
¼ cup very finely chopped lightly toasted nuts, or other decoration or addition, optional
1 pint ice cream, frozen hard
Prepare cookies by trimming or rolling out, if needed; set the rounds aside. If using decorations such as the nuts, spread them in a wide, shallow dish.
With a serrated knife, carefully cut the ice cream, still in the container, crosswise into four ¾-inch-thick slices; peel away and discard cardboard. Place each ice cream slice on a cookie, top with another, and press gently. Roll the sandwiches in chopped nuts (or other decoration), if using.
Immediately wrap the sandwiches in plastic wrap and freeze until very hard, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days, and serve.
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Suggested Combinations
WITH BROWNIES OR CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
1) Prepare brownies by trimming or rolling out, if needed. Use chocolate or vanilla ice cream, and roll sandwiches in toasted chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, lightly toasted coconut, or sprinkles.
2) Use coffee ice cream, and roll sandwiches in chopped toasted almonds, mini chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans.
3) Use dulce de leche or salted caramel ice cream, and roll sandwiches in chopped smoked almonds or lightly toasted coconut.
4) Use vanilla raspberry swirl ice cream, and roll sandwiches in mini chocolate chips.
5) Use black raspberry ice cream.
6) Use banana ice cream, and roll sandwiches in chopped toasted almonds, pecans, cashews, or peanuts; mini chocolate chips; or lightly toasted coconut.
7) Use mint chip ice cream, and roll sandwiches in mini chocolate chips.
WITH OATMEAL COOKIES
1) Use chocolate or vanilla ice cream, and roll sandwiches in chopped toasted almonds, pecans, cashews, or peanuts; mini chocolate chips; lightly toasted coconut; or sprinkles.
2) Use butter pecan ice cream, and roll sandwiches in chopped toasted almonds or pecans.
3) Use coffee ice cream, and roll sandwiches in chopped toasted almonds, mini chocolate chips, chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans, or sprinkles.
WITH MOLASSES COOKIES
1) Use ginger ice cream.
2) Use dulce de leche ice cream.
3) Use vanilla ice cream, and roll sandwiches in granola or lightly toasted coconut.
4) Use coffee ice cream, and roll sandwiches in granola, chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans, or lightly toasted grated coconut.
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WITH PIZZELLE
Pizzelle are delicate, so you’ll probably break a couple while assembling the sandwiches. If you can, reassemble the pieces, but it’s a good idea to have a few extras on hand.
1) Use green tea ice cream, and roll sandwiches in lightly toasted, sweetened grated coconut.
2) Use pistachio ice cream, and roll sandwiches in chopped pistachios.
3) Use chocolate or vanilla ice cream, and roll sandwiches in chopped toasted almonds, pecans, cashews, or peanuts, or lightly toasted grated coconut.
4) Use coffee ice cream, and roll sandwiches in chopped toasted almonds or chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans.
5) Use dulce de leche or salted caramel ice cream, and roll sandwiches in chopped toasted almonds, pecans, or cashews.
6) Use vanilla raspberry swirl ice cream, and roll sandwiches in mini chocolate chips.
7) Use banana ice cream, and roll sandwiches in chopped toasted almonds or pecans or lightly toasted grated coconut.
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