I C E C R E A M S A N D W I C H E S : When my girlfriend Margot told me I should try this recipe, I saw the ingredients and thought, I don’t think so. I probably never would have made them if the recipe had come from someone else. But this is a smart girl, a wonderful cook, and a BFF. So I did it. They turned out SO good I call them . . .
F I R E W O R K S !!!
Because, in the best possible way, they explode your taste buds and shock your understanding of what cooking can be. Everyone loves them. Joe loves them! These are the ones you eat leaning against the kitchen counter, barefooted, in front of the fan. These are the ones you serve at a summer dinner party. You might even serve them as appetizers if you’re of the “dessert first” ilk. I love to surprise people with them. ♥
These are them, they look OK, don’t you think? That’s because they haven’t exploded yet. I know you’re a little suspicious, what is that pink stuff?
Here we go: the cooky part is important, they need to be the thin, wafer-type. I’ve found them in all kinds of flavors, these (in the photo) have tiny chocolate chips in them. It doesn’t really matter, but they shouldn’t be all chocolate; look for vanilla, coconut, or ginger. They come stacked on their sides in a long box. Buy two boxes, because some of these cookies are bound to be broken. I love the flower-shaped ones for summer. ♣
Next. Pineapple-Coconut ice cream. If you can find it, Haagan Dazs makes a delicious one. If not, then either Pineapple, OR coconut. If not, then vanilla. A pint if you are timid, a half gallon if you think this might turn out OK.
Next: freshly ground black pepper, large grind. Stay with me. I PROMISE these are so good!
And last, here’s the biggie, the one that will furrow your brow, you will need a jar of pickled ginger; the kind they give you with sushi, make sure that’s what you are getting, mine actually says “sushi ginger” on the jar.
On a flat plate, lay out the number of cookies you want, pretty side of the cooky down. Use a wide flat knife or spatula and cut through ice cream to form basic patties about the size of the cooky, maybe an inch thick. Carefully put the patty on the fragile cooky, flatten carefully, thumbs work well here, and spread a bit to the edges. Grind pepper
over the ice cream (Yes, I’m sorry, but this is how it’s done). Cover ice cream with good-sized piles of chopped pickled ginger (courage girlfriends); then put a small dot of ice cream on the top of the ginger pile, and stick on another cooky, flower-side up. You can eat one now, and keep the others in the freezer (after they’re frozen, you can wrap them individually in waxed paper to keep them). I don’t know how long they keep because the longest we’ve managed to keep them in the freezer without eating them was six hours. Up to six hours, I can vouch that they’re great. We’re going to bond over this, I just know it….it’s the ice cream sandwich version of a Skip-and-Go-Naked! Deceptively fabulous. BUT, in case you can’t see your way to pepper and pickled ginger with your ice cream, I have an alternative. I come bearing gifts . . .
These delicious Ice Cream Sandwiches are good for a crowd, because lots of them together inspire ooohs and aaahs. The colors are so perky! The cooky is the same thin Nabisco famous chocolate wafer cooky you make that old-fashioned (and delicious) ice box cake out of …. for the insides, choose every color of ice cream (and sherbet). Fill them as described above. You can roll some of the edges in nuts, shredded or toasted coconut, tiny candies, or chopped up Reese’s Pieces. Be as creative as you like. When frozen, the cooky softens and becomes cake like. Lovely for children. Lovely for you. ♥
Freeze some green grapes, have them with a glass of cold wine and an ice cream sandwich for dinner tonight . . . and remember . . .
L o v e L o v e L o v e L o v e L o v e L o v e L o v e
Good Morning Susan, I have to tell you that you made me laugh when at the exact moment my eye caught the suspicious pink stuff and I wondered “what is this?”, you wrote exactly that!!! You know us so well!! This sounds very good and I will give it a try. The colorful ones are so pretty too! Thanks 🙂
Oooooh – must try these! I’ve been making a recipe the past couple of summers of light vanilla bean ice cream sandwiched between cinnamon grahams, the edges rolled in mini chocolate chips, but yours sounds much more adventurous!
Have to add, I’m completely smitten with the song you posted in the earlier post – it’s just perfect for your photo tour of the island neighborhood. I’ve never been to Cape Cod or The Vineyard, but it’s definitely on my bucket list. 🙂
Happy Summer!
♥ Carolee
Carolee – your combination sounds wonderful also – another nice cool treat to try!
I love it! Everyone’s so adventurous!
It cooled off to a low 82 degrees in Ohio overnite, with highs today of 100 (heat index 106). THANK YOU for planning our dinner menu. Wine and Ice Cream Sandwiches will help our whining 🙂
One word – YUM! on a 100 degree day ~ I might brave the pepper and the ginger, but I will definitely make these for the weekend. We have a homemade ice cream shop here (right next to our favorite sushi place ♥), Norfolk Ice Cream, and they have pineapple coconut ice cream – thanks, Susan – have a great weekend, and stay cool! ♥♥♥ p.s. received my calendars yesterday – for me, for birthdays, for Christmas presents – they are beautiful!!!
I’ll take your word for this one,, have a great summer day!!
Yummy! I DID wonder what the pickled ginger was. Oh, I must try this! Thank you for sharing such a summery delight with all of us, Susan!
Oh my! Pickled ginger sounds yummy. (I must admit, I was afraid the “pink stuff” was salmon when I saw the picture!)
Me, too! The first thing I thought when I saw the photo was, “Lox??? On Ice cream???”.
That’s why everyone’s willing to try them I think, they’re just so relieved it’s not salmon — the pickled ginger starts to not look so bad! Honest, they are really wonderful!
I’m right there with ya girlfriends…I thought it was salmon too! When
I saw the pink I automatically said…Nope..not me..no way…no how! LOL!
Now that I know it’s ginger, I might just have to give it a try! Stay cool
everyone! F.O.S.B. 4-Ever ! ~ Doreen ~
I thought it was lox too. Hey, you never know….that might be pretty good too. Being culinarily (is that a word?) adventurous is fun.
I thought the pink stuff was salmon at first! Then I read ‘sushi ginger’ and thought, ‘Thats almost just as weird!’ Haha! Then again, I dip my bacon in maple syrup and like caramels with sea salt, so why not?
By the way, I really enjoyed your night walk in the previous post. Those houses all lit up reminded me so much of Halloween, and I got a hankering for October.
Lots of Love,
Dawn
mmmmm, bacon dipped in maple syrup. So good!
I second that!
Oooo I love bacon and syrup. Also, sausage patties with quince jelly….
Yum! These sound so delicious & look so darn cute. My granddaughters will love making & eating them! Thank you, from Maine!
ps…..do you ever come to Maine?
Joe and I go on road trips sometimes, take the van, cucumber sandwiches, and go the back roads, and have been to Maine many times. All the way up one time, through Moose country, to Quebec City. Love Portland, darling city. And all the craggy islands — Christmas Cove is wonderful … Wild blueberries at the side of the road, very very good! Haven’t been as often as I’d like!
Susan, we live in a little town right outside of Portland…..always have been in the same area. However, my favorite vacation was when we went to Martha’s Vineyard 20+ years ago! Fell in love with your island & hope to return soon! Again, I have all of your books & I LOVE your blog! You spread so much sunshine into our home!
Well, don’tchaknow I am going to the market for cookies and colorful ice creams today !!
Hi Susan,
Today is my Birthday and I think I’ll make some of these for my party tomorrow-
Just the thing 🙂 AND I happen to love pickled ginger…
Have a wonderful morning and thank you!
Jacqui
FOSB 4-ever
Well Happy Birthday Jacqui! Have a wonderful day! FOSB 4-ever (love that!) ♥
Dear Susan
These are diffidently whole made! Can I give a tip leave out your favorite cookies for a day or two unwrap let them become soft and they will!!! then you pile on the Ice cream the cookie will not break!!!
Oops! Home~Made- adj
Hmmmmm…I think I will take your word for these, too… Sorry, but I don’t think I’m that adventuresome…Ugh, I was afraid the pink stuff was salmon, too. Though if the cookies were home-made crackers with herbs, the white was whipped cream cheese, and the pink was salmon, just maybe I might try them…
Wouldn’t that version be tasty? Or whipped cream cheese with chopped chives and shaved ham? No calories, right? 🙂
Reading your posts is like opening the window and letting in fresh air, sunshine and (quite literally!) birdsong. Thanks for taking us along on your lovely nighttime walk through MV, and I loved peaking into your perfect little Peter Rabbit room (the wallpaper! the quilts! the billowing curtains!). All of your posts should be bound together into a book. Thank you for your special magic!
I LOVE ginger and pepper together! I’m drinking ginger tea (Yogi brand) this very moment. I steep it a looong time so that it is really peppery. Yummy with honey.
I’m going to give these a try with vanilla ice cream. Not fond of pineapple and can’t abide coconut anything! I have a feeling I will be the only one in my house eating them with the pepper and ginger, so I guess my “boys” will get boringly plain ice cream sandwiches (but I’ll dip them half way in melted chocolate).
Will any brand of thin cookies work for the ice-cream sandwiches? . . . And will you share the ice box cake recipe with us that you mentioned? Thank you!
Yes, as long as they’re thin wafer cookies, any brand will do. On the ice box cake, I’ve only ever used the Nabisco Original chocolate wafer cookies. All you do is whip up lots of cream…put it between the cookies in layers, making stacks of cookies and whipped cream… lay the stacks down next to each other, cover the whole thing in whipped cream, maybe keep a couple of cookies to crush to decorate the top with…and put the whole thing in the fridge for at least 3 hours. You want the cookies to be totally softened with the whipped cream before you eat it. This was the dessert every mom in the 1950’s had at her baby shower! It’s totally delicious, everyone always loves it!
Thank you! My sister and I were babies in the ’50s (giving our ages away – ha ha) . . . I wonder if my mom ever had this? Sounds good and easy!
We made these and added licorice antennae, eyes and decorations to make it a caterpiller – great dessert when cold on a hot summer night after a barbeque! then a swim in the pool with blue and red lights (mounted on garage) shining on the pool water – wondeful summer memories!
I’m sure the kids (and the adults) loved it! Sounds like nice memories. 🙂
Sounds tempting! What kind of cream?Whipping cream? Then put “cake” in the fridge or freezer? I know you said fridge, but I was kinda concerned that everything would get a little mushy…which is fine if that’s what’s meant to happen?? Guess maybe I’m being too analytical today, just don’t like to mess things up… Ice cream sandwiches look pretty! Thanks for an interesting suggestion to spice up our summer a little!
Yes, whipping cream; whip it until stiff peaks form. In the fridge, the whipped cream will sink into the chocolate cookies just enough to make them like cake, not mushy. The problem with this recipe is, it’s too easy! Makes people think there should be more, but there really isn’t, very easy, very delicious.
I love trying recipes that, when you read them, make you think… “What on earth are they thinking?!?!” I am convinced that, despite our country’s growing interest in multicultural cuisine, we are actually quite timid in our eating. Case in point… Jell-O salads. My wife and I came across a huge stack of old magazines at the local thrift store – McCall’s, Better Homes and Gardens, Ladies Home Journal – and the amazing gem-like “salads” are amazing (and perhaps inedible). My current favorite is the Cherry Beet Berry Salad… Strawberry, Raspberry and Cherry Jello, pineapple, walnuts and diced beets! A lovely dressing of mayonnaise and horseradish is also suggested. When you consider a recipe like that, these ice cream sandwiches look positively mundane! But, also delicious… I’m giving these a try!
Take care,
Jake
I think I’ve had it! But you give me little wobbly perfect squares of red jello and some whipped cream and I am a happy camper.
Now THAT I can agree with. Yum!
Ah… the Jell-O salad. A staple in the south- at least when I was growing up. Often made in a mold. The best is my mother’s Tomato Aspic made with V-8, lemon jello, and other seasonings. Served wilh a dollop of mayo. I promise it’s not only edible, but it’s really good (an acquired taste, maybe?).
Oh my dear Susan….who doesn’t just ‘love’ cookies & ice cream? Then putting them together has to be the ‘best’! I’m a little concerned about the Ginger & black pepper, however I do trust ‘you’! smile…
Blessings,
xoxo Gert
“It isn’t Lazy or Wasteful to Lie on the Grass Under a Leafy Tree and watch the Clouds go by on a Summer Day.”…Eating…”Fireworks”….Hello Sweet Sue…Thank You for this Wild New Ice~Cream Experience…Thank Your Friend Margot too…I Know I Must Try this New Yummy Delight! & Oh How I Adore Your Pic of all Those Scrumptious “Perky” other Ice~Cream Sandwiches….In Fact You Just Inspired Me to Make Up an Ice~Cream Sandwich…Peanut~Butter or Pumpkin Ice~Cream Twirled in those Beyond Yummy Reese’s Pieces…This would Be The Perfect Treat to enjoy Now & Taking us into “Trick~Or~Treat Time! Yummy in My Tummy! :-)…Also Herbster & I Freeze both Green & Red Grapes & pop them into our Mouths while sipping on a Pitcher of Summer Sangria! Frozen Grapes are like Mother Nature’s Sherbert! Pure Heaven! Sending L♥ve & Huge Hugzzzz for Your Weekend! xoxo Poof!♫♥
Hi to the Herbster Angie!
Hello Sweet Sue! We are “Live” in Your Wonderful Blog~World! Yay!…Herbster says…”Hello Sue”! & “Hi to Your Joe & Kitty toooooooooo” xoxo Poof!
P.S. I L♥ve L♥ve L♥ve Your Painting of The Little Girl in her Adorable Swim~Suit….so Cute!…also…Muahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I Have Kissed Boring Goodbye! ♥…..ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Thanks Sweet Sue!
Since we’re on the subject of krazy combos, I have one. This one I coped from my dad’s boating buddy who liked to serve them during happy hour. Butter Ritz crackers with creamy peanut butter then put a small dollup of horseradish (the kind mixed with beets) in the middle of each. Arrange on a silver tray. I make them every time I want to shake things up a bit with something different. They get funny looks at first but then the smiles begin after realize what a neat taste combo this is. Just don’t forget the cocktails….
Reminds me of cocktail hour in the movie “Auntie Mame”( Rosalind Russell) trying to shake things up a bit, she served ‘plain ole smoked rattlesnake’ and a cocktail that you set on fire– asking is everyone lit? Sometimes the odd ones taste the best- if not it makes for fun conversation!
Oh my goodness! When I saw the picture of the ice cream sandwiches I thought they had smoked salmon on them!!!!!! After I had a good giggle, I read the part of the recipe that says pickled ginger… at first better… but not much! I will have to take your word for it until I try them myself, and I will. Knowing how these great recipes go, some of the most fascinating combos turn out to be little taste gems! My best recipes come from going to an affair and eating something so fabulous that I would have never tasted if I knew what was in them!
I am so happy to find your blog! I have every one of your cookbooks and you and your recipes have had a huge role in some of the best days of my life… wedding showers, birthdays, graduations, Christmas (beef wellington every year!), holidays…. I could go on and on! I feel like I know you!
Thanks for pouring your life and influence into mine and others! Bless your sweet heart!
Yvonne @ StoneGable
Thank you Yvonne! So happy you’re here!
What a wild, wild recipe. It must be good if you did a blog on it, so I’ll give it a try and suprise my family. (Hopefully they will find it to be a pleasant surprise. LOL).
Mmmmm….pickled ginger sounds divine in any recipe! My favorite snack is a piece of crystalized ginger. It’s so peppery,sweet, and savory all at one time and I’m convinced it has healing, life extending properties. A real treat for your taste buds! I will definitely try this new recipe. Thank you Susan for the appealing photos and for giving us all a titilating topic for discussion. Happy summer, happy Friday!
Sure wish I had seen these before the Colorado kids came out to visit – you know the ones who excercise all the time so they can eat Mom’s good old NC Southern cooking. Every now and then I come up with something totally different and out of left field – like kale salad – or new age soup. They would have loved these sandwiches and would have tried them and then gone for a run. That’s okay – DWH and I don’t run and we would have probably had seconds. Judy C in NC loves this post and yesterday’s, and the one before.
Whew!
I thought it was smoked salmon…. HA! Pickled ginger sounded pretty mild after that so I think I’ll have to give these a whirl. I love a little spice in my life!
Maybe because I’m pregnant and normally all of these things separate I like, but these look like little heavenly treats and I’m dying to make (eat) them…
Divine!
Here I am, late to the party again, but happy that there are wonderful ice cream sandwiches still waiting for me.:-) Pickled ginger is something new for me to add to my list. Never thought of freshly ground black pepper, though. Thanks so much, Susan, for coming up with a way to make these HOT summer days more bearable. xoxo
Hi Susan, like everyone else I thought I was looking at lox! We’re in the middle of winter here in the southern hemisphere, but I think I’ll keep these in mind for summer, for now I’m sitting infront of a fire, keeping warm!
Hmmmm, I’ll have to remember that, and put a good old winter soup here sometimes! We’re only half the planet up here! The very HOT half.
Hello Susan…I am sew pleased you have a blog and everything about you and this just touches my heart…I have admired you for sew many years and have sew many reminders of your fabric collections, books, products, I feel like I have you in my home every day …
Hello Susan,
I want to let you know how much of an inspiration you are, and how much I’m enjoying your blog. But ginger in an ice cream? My brain is telling me no! I trust you though so I may just have to give it a try.
Love from England
Bertie xx
Hi Bertie! Will love to know if you try it!
I’m on my way to the Hong Kong market (local store) to buy Pickled Ginger – giving this recipe a try!
Re your Peter Rabbit room – I just remembered that I have some very old children’s stuffed rabbits – Flopsy and Mopsy. Bought them years ago at an antique sale. Must rescue them from their storage bag and display them. Also just re-watched “Miss Potter” (dvd)….if you haven’t seen it, I encourage you to rent or buy it. Delightful!
Dearest Susan,
What a friend you have been to me over the years!! I met my Best Best Girlfriend and bonded with her because she had 2 of your books, and that was 16 years ago! Now we have soOOoo many of your wonderful things! Your words and paintings are like ♪♫music to my soul. Thank You form the bottom of My Heart♥! It has been exciting watching you share more and more with us, first with the website, now with the blog! I just took another stroll down your street with Patti Page playing in the background….la la la la Old Cap Cod…How Divine! Those Ice Cream Sandwiches look so Yummy! I think I would LOVE them!! I had peppered mango sorbet once at a charity dinner and it was delicious!Oooh the Ice Box Cake reminds me of a yummy desert that was served on a desert table at a wedding I went to last month…In a large glass bowl small sandwich cookies (half chocolate half vanilla on the same cookie) were lining the dish and then there were layers of chocolate whipped cream and crushed cookies ending with the cream part on top, then to garnish drizzle with chocolate sauce one way and caramel sauce in the other…there may have been some toasted nuts on top…the bowl was almost empty when I got there and there was still plenty of stuff on the table! So I ended up getting a Little Happy Cake (that is what the caterer called them) and it was The Best!! It was a devils food cupcake with, chocolate butter cream frosting, swirled with peanut butter butter cream frosting, sprinkled on top with crushed chocolate covered toffee candy bar!
Susan, what is your favorite Little Cake?
Love and and a Snuggle to the adorable Miss Kitty ~Janie
I like orange cake, with pineapple filling, orange zest glaze and toasted coconut on top. I really shouldn’t be talking like this. Hard enough to read about your cake, then to do it myself! Hungry now! Thanks for the sweet words!
Oooooh Yuuuummmm! Now that sounds like a Wonderfully Happy Little Cake!! I will have to make some of those are they in any of your books? The flavors of Summer in one bite!
xoxo ~Janie
I, like everyone else, thought eew! salmon and ice cream? Then I read ginger! I load up on ginger and wasabi at the sushi bar! I just hope I can find the right kind in the store, the last time I tried to buy bottled ginger it was not the right kind. Can’t wait to try it though! Now I am craving lox and cream cheese bagels too! Loved the stroll around your neighborhood and down by the boat docks. Reminded me of when I lived in Newport Beach Ca, and walks around Lido Isle and seeing all the different size boats moored at the docks, and the Spruce Goose (the Duke’s boat)! I love your Peter Rabbit room! I read At Home with Beatrix Potter by Susan Denyer last year, and pulled out all my old little books, and looking on line for ones I don’t have! I need to find my son’s (now 33) stuffed Peter that was given to him along with the little book when he was born! Thanks Susan for all your sweet art and insights! Love ya FOSB!
Whoa! Was so glad once I read on and saw that it was ginger. I thought you were going to say it was sliced salmon and I was thinking you were out of your mind! 🙂 Glad to see you’re still sane! Love you, girl! Thanks for keeping summer fun for us all!
Susan, I went to the store, bought the exact ingredients and made the Fireworks ice cream sandwiches today. Just one word… F A B U L O U S !!! Now I have a question for you. How did you manage to wait six whole hours before eating the rest? I made just one at first, then went back and made several more…ate those. I froze three … let’s see, it’s been just a mere three hours … should I or shouldn’t I ??? :o)
I had to force myself. Was preparing to give good recipe/freezing info…but 6 hours was by far the best I could do.
Susan
We love your recipe for strawberry ice cream that is in your Summer Book however…my little one would like Chocolate ice cream for our summer camp out. Do you have a ice cream recipe for chocolate? Many Thanks
Hi Susan,
You spelled “Irma” instead of “Erma” on your blog – please correct!!