Recipes

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The Ice Cream Sandwich

You can’t top the cool vanilla and chocolate harmony of an ice cream sandwich — but you can turn it into a cocktail.

This liquid take on the summertime staple blends chocolate flavored vodka with dark rum for a stiff-but-sweet backbone, while frothy egg whites and vanilla extract lend the drink a creaminess akin to melted ice cream. 

Take one sip of this cocktail and you’ll recall ice cream sandwiches on a hot summer day, dribbling their sticky vanilla sweetness down your hand.

FLAVOR PROFILE: Sweet

STRENGTH: 3 of 5

DIFFICULTY: Intermediate

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 oz Dark Rum
• 1 oz Chocolate Vodka
• 0.5 oz creme de cacao
• 0.25 oz kahlua
• 0.75 oz Egg Whites
• 1 dash Vanilla Extract

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One

Add all ingredients to a shaker tin and dry shake for at least one minute to emulsify the egg whites.

Step Two

Crack open the shaker tin and add cubed ice. Shake for one minute more.

Step Three

Using a Hawthorne strainer, strain the cocktail into a coupe glass.

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Classic Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich

This very simple ice cream sandwich is exactly like the ones you remember from childhood. It tastes just like the ones purchased from the ice cream truck with a soft, sticky, chewy cookie around soft, plain vanilla ice cream.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• vegetable oil cooking spray

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

• ⅓ cup sifted Dutch-process cocoa powder

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• ¼ cup white sugar

• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• ⅓ cup whole milk, at room temperature

• 6 scoops vanilla ice cream

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner (such as Silpat). Spray liner with cooking spray and rub it in to be sure it's completely covered.

2. Whisk 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa together in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Sift mixture if it seems at all clumpy or chunky.

3. Mix butter, both sugars, and vanilla in another bowl with a spatula until you have a smooth paste. Add flour mixture along with milk and stir until batter is smooth and stiff. Clean off the spatula with a cookie scoop and drop 12 scoops batter onto the prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake in the center of the preheated oven until the tops of the cookies no longer look wet and shiny, 9 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and tap and shake the pan on the counter 5 times to settle and compress the cookies. Let cookies cool to room temperature on the pan, about 15 minutes.

5. Transfer baking sheet into the freezer until cookies are firm, about 15 minutes.

6. Remove from the freezer and remove cookies from the pan by lifting the silicone liner carefully under each one. Poke 10 or 12 holes in the surface of each cookie with the sharp edge of a chopstick. Return to the freezer until ready to assemble.

7. When ready to assemble, remove from the freezer. Turn one cookie upside down, place 1 scoop ice cream on top, and sandwich with a second cookie. Serve immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for 3 hours before serving. Repeat to make remaining ice cream sandwiches.

Chef's Notes:

Use a basic, cheap, grocery-store vanilla ice cream which has a lot of air whipped into it.

You can eat these right away, but if you freeze them for a few hours, the cookies absorb moisture from the ice cream and get even softer.

Nutrition Facts

             calories205

total fat 9g

saturated fat 6g

cholesterol 26mg

sodium 158mg

total carbohydrate 30g

dietary fiber 2g

total sugars 18g

protein 3g

vitamin c 0mg

calcium 56mg

iron 1mg

potassium 155mg

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Watermelon Vodka Cocktail

This fresh vodka watermelon cocktail is the perfect summer drink. Made with just a few simple ingredients like fresh watermelon and lime juice and ready in 5 minutes!

Prep: 5 minutes 

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh watermelon OR 1 cup watermelon juice
• 3 ounces vodka about 1/3-1/2 cup
• 1 tbsp lime juice about 1/2 lime
• 1 tbsp honey or agave

Instructions

• Add the cubed watermelon to a blender and blend until smooth.
• Strain through a fine mesh strainer 2-3 times or until completely pulp free and smooth. Alternatively, run through a nut milk bag.
• Add the watermelon juice (you should be left with 1 cup) to a cocktail shaker with the vodka, lime juice and sweetener if using. Shake with ice.
• Pour over ice and enjoy! Make it fizzy by topping with a splash of club soda.

Notes

You can use any sweetener you like or omit entirely since the watermelon adds natural sweetness on its own.If you happen to have fresh mint lying around, it makes the perfect addition to this drink!

Serving: 1glass / Calories: 146kcal / Carbohydrates: 12g / Protein: 1g / Fat: 1g / Fiber: 1g / Sugar: 10g

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Sicilian Watermelon Pudding

(Gelo di Melone)

Sicilian watermelon pudding is an easy dessert with a silky texture and fresh, fruity flavor. It's the perfect, just-sweet-enough ending for hearty, heavy meals.

Prep Time: 15 minutes 

Cook Time: 8minutes 

Cooling Time: 3hours 

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 cups coarsely chopped, seeded watermelon (rind discarded)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped, or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 2 tsp strained freshly squeezed lemon juice

To serve

• Whipped cream (optional)
• Unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped or ground

 

Instructions:

• Puree the watermelon in a stand mixer until smooth (you can also use a hand mixer to do this in batches). Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a measuring cup, discarding remaining solids. You should have just about 3 cups (750 ml) watermelon juice.
• Ladle 2 tbsp (30 ml) watermelon juice into a small bowl and stir in the cornstarch, until smooth.
• Pour the remaining watermelon juice into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla seeds, and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Stir the cornstarch mixture again, then whisk into the watermelon juice. Simmer, whisking occasionally, for 3 minutes, then whisk in the lemon juice.
• Pour the pudding through a clean strainer and into a measuring cup, then transfer to small glass jars, glasses, or ramekins. Cover and chill until set, at least 3 hours.
• SERVING: Just before serving, garnish the watermelon puddings with whipped cream and pistachios.
• STORAGE: The Sicilian watermelon puddings will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days.

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CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE SHOTS

 

• PREP TIME: 5 minutes

 

• TOTAL TIME: 5 minutes

 

• YIELD: 2 

These fun, boozy dessert shots are perfect for your next party! Make a couple of shots or a whole pitcher!

 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 ounces Amaretto

3 ounces Bailey’s Irish Cream

1 1/2 ounces Chocolate Vodka

4 chocolate chip cookies, crushed for garnish

Corn syrup for rimming the glasses

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pour a thin layer of corn syrup on a shallow plate. Add the cookie crumbs to another shallow plate.
2. Dip a shot glass into the corn syrup and then the cookie crumbs to coat the rim, then repeat with the other glass.
3. Add the Amaretto, Irish Cream and chocolate vodka to a shaker filled with ice.
4. Shake well and strain into two shot glasses.

RECIPE NOTES:

This recipe can be easily multiplied for parties, or can be served in a low-ball glass as an after dinner drink.

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Halfway Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
1½ cups brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature, separated
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a jelly roll or half sheet pan.
2. Sift dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a standing mixer, cream the butter with the granulated sugar and ½ cup of the brown sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add the egg yolks one at a time and the vanilla extract and incorporate into the batter.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients. The resulting batter will be stiffer than a typical cookie dough.
6. Press the dough onto the greased jelly roll pan. (If the dough is sticky, you can spray your finger with a little bit of nonstick cooking spray or dust them with flour.)
7. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the dough in the pan and press into the dough slightly.
8. If possible, place pan in the freezer while you make the meringue.
9. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff.
10. Gradually, one tablespoon at a time, add the remaining cup of brown sugar to the egg whites and beat until the meringue is glossy and holds soft peaks. (It won't be as stiff as a meringue made with superfine sugar and that is okay.)
11. Spread the resulting meringue over the top of dough and chocolate chips.
12. Bake for approximately 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.
13. Cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Makes 2 dozen bars