Remington Sara - I scream sandwich!: inspired recipes for the ultimate frozen treat

To my mother, who launched me with a prenatal ice cream diet.

Published in 2013 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang

An imprint of ABRAMS

Copyright 2013 Jennie Schacht

Photographs copyright 2013 Sara Remington, except image on , courtesy of Shorpy.com

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for and may be obtained from the Library of Congress.

ISBN: 978-1-61769-036-5

Editor: Elinor Hutton
Food Stylist: Kim Kissling
Prop Stylist: Dani Fisher
Designer: Modern Good
Production Manager: Anet Sirna-Bruder

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CHAPTER ONE:
Sandwich Secrets

CHAPTER TWO:
Essential Equipment, Ingredients, and Building Block Recipes

CHAPTER THREE:
Classics

CHAPTER FOUR:
Farm Fresh

CHAPTER FIVE:
World View

CHAPTER SIX:
Scoop and Serve

CHAPTER SEVEN:
Holidays and Special Occasions

CHAPTER EIGHT:
Extra Credit: Swirls, Mix-ins, Roll-ems, and Coatings

INTRODUCTION

More reassuring than a cupcake. More enticing than a petite French macaron. More retro than a whoopie pie. Its that childhood favorite whose allure never fades, even into adulthoodthe ice cream sandwich, pure delight in portable packaging.

The ice cream sandwich is iconic. It says comfort and ecstasy in every bite. It is cold but makes you feel warm inside. An ice cream sandwich is the dessert you pulled from the vending machine after an invigorating childhood swim at the local pool, and the one you look for now at your local creamery. Served in its own neat little package, it provides the gooey-creamy-messy satisfaction of the best desserts as it melts.

I got my start making ice cream sandwiches years ago, when I offered to make a friends birthday dessert. His wife suggested fudge brownies topped with mint chocolate chip ice cream, his favorite. I had to go one better, so I combined the two in a mint chocolate chip brownie ice cream sandwich (since that day that they now make regular appearances at occasions ranging from casual movie nights to major holidays. Soon, I began improving on Jons favorite by making my own mint chip ice cream, using mint from my garden with a boost from peppermint oil.

After tinkering with ice cream flavors and holders, I became obsessed with discovering new combinations of texture and flavor, from cookies to bars, mix-ins and roll-ems, dairy and non-dairy ice creams, even venturing into cakes and breads after discovering brioche con gelatoice cream served in a brioche rollwhile traveling in Sicily.

With a favorite scoop sandwiched between two edible book-ends, the dessert lends itself to infinite variation. Now, just about any cookie, cake, or pie makes me wonder how it could be reimagined as a sandwich, and Ive worked out all sorts of sauces, toppings, and garnishes to mix, match, and embellish them. This book is meant to get you started on your exploration, with creative, satisfying combinations and plenty of tools and inspiration to spark your own creations.

The recipes offer the do-it-yourselfer the opportunity to make both the ice cream and cookies from scratch, and homemade is the ticket to the very best sandwiches. However, youll also find plenty of shortcuts for embellishing store-bought ice cream with simple mix-ins, using ready-bake or store-bought holders, or both. No matter your skill level, no matter how busy your schedule, there is plenty here for you. I mean, anyone can make a sandwich, right? It need be no more difficult than scooping ice cream and pressing it between cookies.

What I love about these sandwiches is that they are versatile enough to fit any occasion. I always keep a few sandwiches in the freezer to satisfy late-afternoon ice cream cravings, or for drop-in guests. As a thank-you to helpful neighbors and friends, I might stop by with a couple of sandwiches packed into waxed paper bags. We enjoy them on the sofa in front of the television, serve them at barbecues and around the picnic table, and deck them out for special occasions. They are fantastic for entertaining, as most of the sandwiches allow you to make the components and assemble the sandwiches ahead, whisking out your finished desserts at the appointed time. Cut into cute shapes with cookie cutters or molds, they are perfect for childrens birthday parties. For an adult party, try making (or purchasing) a variety of ice creams, cookies, and toppings, setting them out to let everyone come up with their own combinations. You could even have a contest for the most creative, outrageous, beautiful, or delicious sandwich.

A brief history of the ice cream sandwich

Legend has it the ice cream sandwich originated in 1899, in the pushcarts of lower Manhattans Bowery. A July 1900 article in the Washington Post describes them: The ice cream sandwich man, who sells quarter-inch layers of alleged ice cream between tiny slabs of water wafers, did a big business during the hot spell. His field of operation was within the district inhabited by the Russians, and his pushcart was elaborately decorated with signs in Hebrew characters. He made the sandwiches quickly in a tin mold, and was kept so busy that he could not make change, but insisted on receiving the actual price for each ice cream sandwich1 cent. Alleged ice cream? Water wafers? Ill take a scoop of homemade ice cream between two soft, chewy cookies, thank you very much.

Another article that year describes sandwiches made on a graham wafer (getting better, no?), selling for two or three cents, and attracting a jostling, sweltering crowd of patrons, representing all social conditions, from banker down to bootblack and newsboy. Apparently that price hike caused such a commotion the vendors were forced to drop the price back to a penny. By 1905, the carts were appearing outside of New York City, and a trend was born.

More elaborate variations soon sprouted up. In 1928, George Whitney began a San Francisco tradition when he sandwiched vanilla ice cream between two oatmeal cookies and dipped the whole thing in chocolate, creating the Its-It, sold exclusively at San Franciscos Playland at the Beach for more than forty years. The treat is now distributed throughout the Western states and has been called San Franciscos official food. (Youll find my version on .)