Capering And Cookery: The Ice-cream Sandwich

Is there anything more...American than an ice-cream sandwich fresh from the freezer? I mean, they were invented in America. Icecream has America written all over it. Sure we weren't the first with the idea, but when one thinks of ice cream (and particularly ice-cream cones or ice-cream sandwiches) it conjures up an image of a state fair or an amusement park or of Norman Rockwellian kids sitting on a pier burning sparklers and eating their summer dessert.

Or maybe it's just my head. :P

I have long been....well... smitten with the cooking blog Smitten Kitchen. I mean, when you find a woman who shares your obsession with making random things you usually buy (i.e. gold-fish, pop-tarts, etc.) you know you've found a kindred spirit. Not to mention she is hilarious. So when I got a super intense desire to make homemade ice-cream sandwiches and saw that smitten-kitchen had a recipe, I absolutely knew I had to try it. I mean, this gal has got the same taste as me. Everything she speaks of from graham crackers to pop-tarts sound like it popped out of my mouth. Some people are sworn PW's (The Pioneer Woman)...I'm a Smitty all the way. :D

But back to the ice-cream sandwiches.

I'm a dedicated ice-cream sandwich fan. I mean honestly--is there anything better than those delicious all-too-small bars of sticky chocolate cookie and squishy vanilla icecream? Nope. Didn't think so. We've done the whole cookie ice-cream-sandwich thing, but it's just not the same. Enter Deb's fabuloso Classic Icecream Sandwich recipe. I saw it and knew we had to make these for our Wednesday dessert night. But inspiration coincided with coastal baking day and by the time we were able to make them I was dead-tired. It would have become an ill-fated idea if not for Sarah who turned her hand to the making of these beauties. I contented myself with the oddly satisfying job of poking those classic holes in the tops of all the cookies with a thermometer. :) *happy smile*

via smittenkitchen.com

So here's the scoop. I've given you the basic directions and if they aren't clear enough for you, just follow the link to Deb's highly enlightening post to get the whole shebang--pictures and all.

Sarah--True Grit there. ;)

Classic, Homemade Ice-cream Sandwiches

                       (makes 12 sandwiches)

via smittenkitchen.com

• 2 2/3 c. all purpose flour

• 1 c. cocoa powder

• 1 1/4 cups butter, softened (2 1/2 sticks)

• 1 c. sugar

• 3/4 tsp. salt

• 2 large egg yolks

• 1 tbs. vanilla extract

• (plus 1/2 gallon icecream of your choice. :)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift the flour and cocoa together (I am generally too lazy to sift things but cocoa is really lumpy so don’t skip this) and set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and salt together until light and fluffy. Add the yolks and vanilla and mix until combined, then scrape down sides and mix briefly again. Add the flour mixture a little at a time then mix until combined.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide into two equal pieces. If the dough is too soft to handle, wrap and chill it until firm enough to roll out (I recommend 30 minutes only; any longer and it becomes crumbly to roll out). Roll each batch into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle, about 10 by 8 inches. Cut into a total of 24 2-by-4-inch rectangles. Transfer to prepared sheets.
3. Bake the cookies for 16 to 18 minutes, or until they stay firm when tapped in the center.
4. DON'T OVERCOOK! Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough, rerolling scraps as needed.
5. Meanwhile, line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment paper, allowing it to overhang on two sides (it will act as a sling for the ice cream). Spread the softened ice cream into the pan, smooth the top and freeze until firm, about one hour or so.
6. Run a knife along the exposed sides of the pan to loosen the ice cream. Holding onto the parchment paper, lift ice cream out of the pan and onto the work surface. Using one of the cookies as a template, cut ice cream into 12 2-by-4-inch bars.  Flip each piece of ice cream onto a cookie, peel off the paper, and finish sandwiching the rectangle of ice cream with a second cookie. (you can use kitchen shears in this step :)
7. Wrap each ice cream sandwich in plastic wrap. Yes, this is super important. Your sandwiches will slip and slide and look horrid if you don't wrap immediately! :)
8. Freeze until just before serving and then unwrap for a splendid summer treat!