“It is always sad when someone leaves home, unless they are simply going around the corner and will return in a few minutes with ice-cream sandwiches.” ~ Lemony Snicket

Bring. It. On.

Quite frankly, I have no idea what came over me last week. You know that scene in Old School when Will Ferrell has a complete out-of-body experience during the debate, gives a kick-tush speech and then wakes up afterwards having no idea what just happened? Yeah, that was me.

I came home from work, ate dinner, read some cookbooks as usual, and the next thing I knew, I was rolling out dough to make individual chocolate cookies for home made ice cream sandwiches. Then I found myself whipping up a batch of vanilla bean ice cream, and putting together some of the most delicious creations this blog has ever seen. The Hubby walked into the apartment in the middle with the most puzzled look on his face. “What on earth is going on here?” he asked. It was that very question that woke me from my drunken cooking stupor. I literally had no idea what happened over the past few hours, but starting me in the face were a half dozen absolutely beautiful ice cream sandwiches. I suppose my guilty looking puppy face answered his question.

The beginnings of the sandwich cookie

Ever since starting this blog, I’ve been obsessed with creating home-made versions of things you can normally buy at a grocery store – say, S’mores Ice Cream Pie, Classic Hot Fudge or Pinkberry-esque Frozen Yogurt. What can seem like a daunting process at first, these tasks are always the most fun, because at the end, you have a far better home-made version of something that is only mediocre in the store! Plus, by making them at home, you know exactly what goes into them, and baking without preservatives, or added junk, well, it makes the end result that much sweeter! Seeing these ice cream sandwiches come to fruition was really satisfying, and I have to say, gone are the days of buying supermarket brand ice cream sandwiches. Move over Nestle, here we come!

Adding in the flour, little by little…

Before I leave you with this recipe, a few fun facts about ice cream sandwiches. The “modern” version of the ice cream sandwich was invented by Jerry Newberg in 1945 while selling ice cream at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. But, believe it or not, old photos from The New Jersey Shore in 1905 show ice cream sandwiches were popular at 1 cent a piece. I suppose people have always loved ice cream…

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Sandwiches

Cookies from Serendipity Sundaes; Ice Cream from 365scoops

Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Ingredients

(makes 10-12 large cookies)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter plus extra for greasing cookie sheet

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

Cookie cutter perfect

Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and butter the paper.

Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk to mix. Set aside.

Combine butter, sugar, egg and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. On a low speed, alternately beat in flour mixture and milk until well-blended.

Spread the dough evenly over the parchment paper or cookie sheet, about 1/4-inch thick. Be aware – this is harder than it seems. The dough is sticky, yet when you try and spread it on the greased parchment paper, it’s really slippery. My cookies ended up being thicker than 1/4 of an inch, which actually was quite great, because it was more like a thin brownie/thick cookie sandwich. No matter how you make them, they’ll be delicious.

Look at those soft and delicious cookies

Bake until just set, 10-12 minutes. (If yours are as thick as mine, you’ll need to bake them for approximately 15 minutes instead)

Cool for a couple of minutes, and using a round 3-inch cookie cutter or glass with a large mouth (I used a glass), cut out large cookies close together to make as many as possible.  Let the cookies cool completely. Wrap each one in saran wrap and place in the freezer to chill before making the ice cream sandwiches.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Ingredients

3 cups half-and-half

4 egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar

1 tbs vanilla bean paste

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Check out the beautiful vanilla bean

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Method

In a medium saucepan, heat two cups of half-and-half until small bubbles begin to form around the edges. Add the vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract and whisk thoroughly.  Set aside.

In the meantime, in a heat-proof bowl, whisk together the four egg yolks, slowly adding in the sugar until the mixture thickens and turns a pale yellow.

Temper the eggs by slowly pouring the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, stirring vigorously until well-incorporated.  Pour back into the medium sauce pan and heat until a candy thermometer reads 165 degrees F, or the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spatula. Remove from the heat.

A heaping spoonful of vanilla bean ice cream covers the chocolate sandwich cookie

Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, removing any small clumps that may have formed. Pour in the last cup of half-and-half, and set aside. Let the mixture cool completely before refrigerating for at least 2 hours or over night.

Once chilled, pour into the base of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions (approximately 20 minutes).

To Assemble…

A few minutes before the ice cream is done churning, remove the sandwich cookies from the freezer and unwrap. Place 6 cookies, face down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Keep the other 6 cookies unwrapped and near by.

As soon as the ice cream is done churning, scoop a heaping portion onto the sandwich cookie, and top with another cookie. Gently press down on the cookie so it affixes to the ice cream. Repeat until you’ve made all 6 ice cream sandwiches.

If you’re feeling particularly sassy (which I was!) feel free to decorate your ice cream sandwiches by adding additional treats. I rolled mine in mini peanut butter cups, which was truly delicious. You could also add healthbar, sprinkles, or your favorite candy. Don’t worry these are absolutely delicious sans candy. In fact, they’re a perfect throwback to the good, old-fashioned ice cream sandwiches of yesteryear.  Enjoy!

And there you have it folks!

The Verdict

I served these at dinner with friends, and despite being stuffed beyond belief from our main course, we all managed to finish our ice cream sandwiches. My parents were in town this weekend and I was given strict instructions from my father to save him an ice cream sandwich. When I gave it to him, his eyes lit up like a little kid, and upon devouring the first bite, all I heard was “Oh Wow!”. Suffice it to say he loved them. The vanilla ice cream is really creamy, and being that it’s a neutral flavor and not too rich, it’s the perfect compliment to the chocolate sandwich cookies. The cookies themselves are sinful as well, nice and soft, almost brownie-like. Together, they are the perfect marriage between chocolate and vanilla. Even better, they keep perfectly well in the freezer for over a week! Enjoy.

“Espresso is to Italy what Champagne is to France.” ~ Charles-Maurice De Talleyrand-Perigord, French Diplomat 18th century

Coffee Stracciatella. Mmm. Mmm. Good.

Coffee ice cream is my favorite. The other night I decided I needed coffee ice cream, as in, how could I possibly live without it. I took matters into my own hands and whipped up a fresh batch of coffee ice cream. It dawned on me that stracciatella would really make this ice cream off the charts. So, a few minutes before it was done, I melted semi-sweet chocolate and drizzled it into the ice cream. It was, for lack of a better word, insane.

A word about stracciatella. Originating from Italy, stracciatella is the quintessential Italian chocolate “chip” ice cream. It results from a technique in which one pours warm, melted chocolate into cold ice cream. Upon hitting the cold ice cream, the flow of chocolate immediately hardens into streaks, which get shredded (stracciato) into chips as the ice cream is stirred.

David Lebovitz. the guru of all ice cream gurus, notes that the trick to stracciatella is to pour it into your ice cream maker in a very thin stream during the last possible moment of churning. He’s right. I followed his lead, and these chocolate “chips” came out perfectly.

The coffee dispersing in the milk mixture

Back at 365scoops, just as the ice cream was churning The Hubby and his friend (who we shall call The Horse) came home after a sweaty game of basketball. To put it lightly, they smelled like holy hell. I wanted them to shower, stat. But no, not when fresh ice cream is churning! Perched over the machine like little puppies, the two of them proceeded to sweat and drool for 10 minutes until it was done. I transferred the ice cream into a container and placed it gently in front of them. A few minutes later I turned around and it was nearly gone. That’s right, almost completely polished off. I may be slightly guilty myself too… but the good news is that they loved it.

After eating the ice cream, the Husband told me that he had an” ice cream boner”. I was debating whether to put this on the blog. Afterall, ice cream is pretty much the most pure, unadulterated, child-like treat. And ruining this blog with profanities seemed unprofessional. Then I thought about it – and really his description is the best way to describe this treat. And so, my friends, it remains!

Tempering the eggs by slowly pouring in the hot coffee mixture and whisking it into the egg yolks and sugar.

Coffee Stracciatella Ice Cream

Ingredients

3 cups half-and-half

3 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

3 1/2 tbs instant decaf coffee

5 oz semi-sweet chocolate (not chocolate chips)

Method

What I love most about this ice cream is the simplicity of the recipe. One of the best things about home-made ice cream is that unlike conventional, store-bought, factory-processed ice cream, ours contains very few ingredients. This means less preservatives, and more nutrients. This means less sugar and fat and more quality tastes. In sum, home-made ice cream is so radically different from other ice cream that it shouldn’t even be compared. This flavor is a perfect example of how few ingredients can yield such a robust flavor.

I digress…

Glossy, creamy, beautiful semi-sweet chocolate

First, heat the half-in-half in a medium sauce pan until small bubbles form around the edges. Stir in the instant coffee and whisk until blended. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, whisk together the three egg yolks, slowly pouring in the sugar until the mixture is creamy, thick and pale yellow.

Temper the eggs by slowly pouring the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, stirring until the two mixtures are well combined. Pour back into the sauce pan and heat until the temperature reaches 165/170 degrees, or until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and let cool completely and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

The stracciatella right before The Hubby and The Horse got to it…

Once fully chilled, pour into the base of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions (approximately 20 minutes). While the mixture is churning melt the the 5 oz of semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave. Begin by heating for 30 seconds, mix, and repeat in 20 second increments until the chocolate is smooth and melted.

At the last possible minute (let’s say 2 minutes before the mixture is done churning) slowly pour in the melted semi sweet chocolate in a very thin drizzle. As soon as it hits the cold ice cream, the chocolate will harden and form little “chips”. When the ice cream is done churning transfer to a freezer safe container and let harden (or in our case, consume immediately) until you’re ready to serve it. And there you have it, coffee stracciatella ice cream! Enjoy

This is about how much remained after the two boys devoured the ice cream!

The Verdict: If The Hubby’s description above isn’t enough of a sell, this ice cream is supremely creamy and utterly delicious. If you’re feeling a little bit sassy, scoop a heaping spoonful on top of a cup of coffee, and there you have it, a coffee stracciatella affogato. Need I say more?

“I think everybody’s nuts.” ~ Johnny Depp

One pint of Pistachio Gelato coming right up!

I always say to people, if you think you’re family is normal, you’re nuts. And it’s so true!

When I was a little girl there used to be a nut factory called “The Superior Nut Company” located in some seedy neighborhood of Boston, and every time we’d drive by mother would say “that’s where I got you and your sisters.” Ha ha. Very funny. Turns out, I actually still giggle when I think of it. At least she considers us superior nuts, high-quality, Grade-A lunatics. Thanks mom!

So far, in my ice cream making life, I’ve only used peanuts in my ice cream. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of nuts (maybe because I am one?) and I find that they absolutely pollute desserts. But, when a customer requests a flavor, we jump for joy, and so that’s how Pistachio Gelato came to be.

I actually had a blast making this flavor (and apparently the customer had as much fun eating it as well, which always makes me feel good). The best part about pistachio ice cream is the rich, creamy, nutty flavor that each bite exudes. This, my friends, is the result of toasted pistachios that are then put through a food processor until they turn into “pistachio paste” and can be easily incorporated into the ice cream base. Stir in a little almond extract and some whole, roasted pistachios and you’ve got it made!

Whisking the egg yolks and sugar. Extra creamy!

Pistachio Gelato

Adapted from Ciao Bella and Jenny’s Splendid Ice Creams

Ingredients

3 cups half-and-half

4 egg yolks

2/3 cup of sugar

1/2 cup roasted**, unsalted pistachios – whole

1/2 cup roasted**, unsalted pistachios – pulverized into pistachio butter (recipe below)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp almond extract

Whole roasted pistachios before food processing

Method

**If you are able to buy pre-roasted pistachios, then no need to roast at home. But if you buy raw pistachios, you’ll need to roast them first, and here’s how:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast 10-15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the nuts are fragrant and lightly browned. Remove from the oven, transfer to a plate, and cool. Set aside and follow the rest of the instructions below.

Heat 2 cups of half-and-half in a medium saucepan until small bubbles begin to form around the edges. Remove from the heat.

The pistachios are starting to crumble

Whisk together the four egg yolks, slowly adding in the sugar until it thickens and turns pale yellow.

Temper the egg yolks by slowly pouring in the warm half-and-half until the two are well incorporated. Pour back onto the stove top and heat until 170 degree F or thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, pour in the extra cup of half-and-half and strain through a fine mesh strainer. Set aside.

It's starting to look a little more like paste

Now it’s time to make the pistachio paste. While this process takes about 10 minutes, it’s completely simple and rather satisfying too. Have you always wanted to buy “natural” peanut butter but not wanted to spend the extra cash? This pistachio butter recipe can be substituted for peanuts, almonds, really any nut. It’s delicious. Spread it on toast with a little apricot preserves and you’re good to go.

I digress…To make the pistachio paste/butter, pour 1/2 cup of pistachios into a food processor and pulse for approximately 5-7 minutes until the pistachios crumble into small chunks, a chunky paste, and then ultimately a very creamy and smooth paste, with a little bit of oil settling on the side. You’ll know it’s done when it’s one uniform color and can easily be spread onto bread. You might occasionally have to remove the top of the food processor, and with a spatula or knife, scrape the bottom and sides of the food processor bowl so as to incorporate any rogue chunks of pistachios. Continue pulverizing until smooth.

Only a few more minutes...

Next you’re going to pour half the gelato base into a blender with the pistachio butter, and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Add in the remaining gelato base along with the salt, and almond extract. Let cool completely before refrigerating for 2 hours or overnight.

Voila! Pistachio Butter at its finest!

Once fully chilled, pour the mixture into the base of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Approximately 5 minutes before the mixture is done churning, pour in the remaining half cup of pistachios. Transfer immediately to a freezer-safe container and let freeze for at least 2 hours or overnight before scooping.

Like any home-made ice cream, remember to let it sit out for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

The final product!

The Verdict: The Husband said “oh wow, that’s really pistachio-ey”. Duh. It’s pistachio gelato, so I ignored him. While not a fan of pistachio gelato myself, I was still able to recognize that the ice cream was quite good. The best feedback, however, comes from my loyal customer, for whom this ice cream was made as a surprise birthday treat. It turns out that he loved it. In fact, he allegedly ate the pint in 2 days, insisting on sampling some at 2:30am when he returned home from traveling. That, my friends, is a glowing review!

It was brought to my attention that a terrible ice cream tragedy is occurring in Brooklyn, NY.

Ice Cream Truck

Just as we New Yorkers welcome in the first few days of spring, and children are able to play outside for the first time in months, over- protective, selfish, and quite honestly, plain old mean parents are banning ice cream trucks.

That’s right. You read that correctly!

When I was a little girl, spring and summer were marked by the beautiful jingle coming from the local ice cream truck. In fact, when we were kids, if the ice cream truck would drive down our street we’d scream “Mom, come quick, the ice cream truck is here!” at which point we’d beg and plead for $1 for an ice cream. I’d usually order the strawberry shortcake. The Hubby says his personal favorite was the Chip Wich or Choco Taco. Both solid choices, if you ask me.

Fast forward to 2012 and the time-honored tradition of running after an ice cream truck is still a staple of every child’s spring and summer evening ritual.

Now that's the spirit

That is, until rude parents come into the mix. In Park Slope, parents are complaining that their children throw such wild temper tantrums when told “no” to getting an ice cream, that in order to reign in their “unruly” children, they think it’s best to simply ban ice cream trucks in Prospect Park.

You’ve got to be kidding me! Uch. A real shanda.

My favorite quote from the article comes from a nanny who wishes the worked-up moms and dads would just get a life. “They’re obnoxious,” she said. “There’s no harm in this.”

Have I mentioned how much I love her?

If you ask me, banning an ice cream truck, is like violating the First Amendment. Let kids be kids, and parents, stop being so darn bossy! Let your kid have an ice cream, trust me, it’s worth it!