Donna Egan - Ice Cream Sandwiches: 65 Recipes for Incredibly Cool Treats

Copyright 2012 by Donna Egan
Photography copyright 2012 by Ebury Press
Photograph

All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com

Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Originally published in Great Britain by Ebury Press, an imprint of Ebury Publishing, the Random House Group Ltd., London, in 2012

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the publisher

eBook ISBN: 978-1-60774-496-2
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-60774-495-5

Photography by William Reavell
Food styling by Denise Smart
Prop styling by Jessica Georgiades

v3.1

Cool, creamy vanilla ice cream surrounded by crunchy, buttery oatmeal cookies. Chewy chocolaty brownies encasing refreshing mintchocolate chip ice cream, indulgently dipped in slightly bitter chocolate. Ice cream sandwiches are among the sweetest memories of my childhood just as much a part of summers growing up in California as running through the garden sprinklers in our swimsuits.

Ice cream sandwiches are traditionally made by sandwiching ice cream between two baked cookies or wafers. Combining the crunchy, chewy cookies with creamy, cold ice cream somehow more than doubles the resulting pleasure.

No wonder ice cream sandwiches have been a favorite treat for children and adults alike in the United States for generations. They made their debut in New York City in the 1890s and quickly caught on across the country with one particular version being honored as the Official Food of San Francisco. They eventually found their way to places as diverse as Australia, Scotland, and Singapore, where they are usually made by slipping a scoop of ice cream between two layers of rainbow-colored bread!

I launched my Buttercup Cake Shop in London in 2006. As we expanded into a premier cupcake company with locations in Kent and London (including the 2012 Olympics site), we started to get quite a few inquiries about whether we also sold ice cream. This got me thinking: what goes better with cake than ice cream? We began offering cupcakes blended with vanilla ice cream and called it a cupshake, ice cream on top of cupcakes (cupcake sundaes), and my childhood favorite, ice cream sandwiches.

Ice cream sandwiches made their UK debut at Buttercup in spring 2011 and proved instantly popular. We bake the cookies fresh every day and assemble the sandwiches to order on the spot, so they are soft and ready to enjoy immediately. Although initially I envisioned them being mostly popular with children, it turns out I wasnt the only adult keen to indulge! I especially get a kick out of watching stylish men in their twenties and thirties tuck in unreservedly. Today, ice cream sandwiches have become hotter than ever! They are the latest comfort food to receive gourmet status at bakeries and gelato shops in New York City, where endless combinations of ice cream and cookie are available.

In this book you will discover easy, step-by-step instructions on how to prepare, assemble, and decorate delicious and novel sandwiches. , a marriage of chocolate, toasted coconut, and macadamia nut that will transport you to paradise!

Whatever the occasion, youll find that making ice cream sandwiches is straightforward. Its an activity that can be shared with children, and with some adult help, cutting and filling the sandwiches is not only easy but also boosts their confidence in the kitchen.

For ease of use, the recipes are divided into three sections: several chapters of sandwiches (with assembly and decoration ideas), the cookie recipes, and the main ice cream recipes. I have included recipes for ice cream you can make at home, including some that dont require an ice cream maker and still result in a creamy, smooth texture. The division of cookie and ice cream recipes also makes mixing and matching easier should you want to customize. Feel free to experiment with flavor combinations, add your own decorations, and adjust the portion sizes as you wish.

If you are short on time, there is always the option of using store-bought cookies and/or ice cream. You can easily make any of the cookies or ice creams a day ahead and do the assembly and decoration separately. Ice cream sandwiches can be stored in the freezer for several weeks, so theyre perfect for impromptu get-togethers with friends, last-minute playdates, or when you crave a guilty pleasure.

I hope you will have fun in the kitchen with the recipes that follow and wish you pleasurable satisfaction with the resulting creations. Happy sandwiching!

For all recipes requiring an ice cream maker, I use a simple 2-pint (1-liter) capacity model, where the bowl portion is popped into the freezer for at least several hours before adding ingredients and churning. With this type of machine, remember that the base must be fully refrozen between batches.

Specialty ice cream sandwich molds by Tovolo can be used for creating shapes and assembling, including making an imprint on the top of the sandwich. Wilton now sells a pour- or scoop-in sandwich mold that can be used for round brownie or cookie bases. Otherwise, standard cookie cutters may be used.

Baking times vary with different oven and pan types. For the brownies and bars, I use jelly-roll pans that measure about 15 by 10 by 1 inch (38 by 25 by 2.5 cm). For the cookie recipes, I use insulated cookie sheets. The recipes give conventional oven temperatures. However, I use a convection oven, which requires a lower oven temperature and often shorter cooking times. In many recipes, a range of cooking times is given to allow for potential adjustments.

Throughout the book, for convenience I have given two sets of measures, standard US measures and metric. The latter is found in brackets. Always stick to one system throughout a recipe; never mix the two. Cups refer to the standard measuring cup, and for flour I have used the dip-and-sweep method of filling the cup, giving a generous measure. Metric weight measures have been rounded for convenience.

Ive used extra-large eggs in nearly all cases, and the butter is unsalted. Creams vary by recipe. Using heavy cream will yield thicker, more decadent results than whipping cream, which produces an airier ice cream.