When I was a kid, I loved going to the beach and waiting for the ice cream sandwich cart to come around. I haven’t seen one of those in years, but I’ll always associate the beach with Chipwich ice cream sandwiches.
This year, I decided to put this ice cream I made last week to good use. It was a very intense peanut butter ice cream, so what better than to pair it with thick chocolate cookies? And of course, I had to add some patriotic Memorial Day bling.
Some stages of life are easier than others, and lately, a lot of people close to me have lost their loved ones unexpectedly. As I watch them go through their grief in different ways, I’m reminded about how grateful we should be for every day with those we love.
I’ve written before about being grateful, because it’s hard. We get so caught up in everything, all the little details that comprise daily life. Little details aren’t that little, really. They add up to something that becomes an overall life viewpoint. If a lot of tiny things about my day went wrong, from a mushy apple to oversleeping by a few minutes, I might just decide to give up on the whole day and put it into the “this day sucked” category.
What I won’t necessarily notice are little arms hugging me, or having plenty of food and water, or the furrowed brows of my students as they work on an essay with all of their effort.
So here I am, reminding myself yet again to be grateful and to treasure all the good things.
Part of the reason why I love dessert so much is that it forces me to stop and look around. I have a rule not to eat dessert while playing on my phone or watching TV, so it’s a forced mindful exercise. I can eat my ice cream sandwich, savoring each bite, while I just sit and think about the gratitude of being in that moment. If you don’t eat this way, try it! It’s pretty rewarding.
To make these as worthy a moment as possible, I baked thick chocolate chip cookies and sandwiched my favorite homemade ice cream in the middle. The sprinkles add a pretty good crunch, too!
Whether your day is going well or badly, try and savor the good stuff. Nothing lasts forever, and we should appreciate the happiness of being grateful as much as we can!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Line two cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, stirring until smooth.
- In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add them to the mixer gradually until fully incorporated into cookie dough.
- Roll the dough into balls anywhere between 1-2 tablespoons (depending on how big you want your sandwiches to be) and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for an hour.
- When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350.
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes until nearly firm. You don't want them breaking apart once you add the ice cream.
- Cool completely.
- When you're ready to assemble, soften the ice cream you plan to use. Scoop the ice cream on top of the first cookie and smash it down slightly with the second, working gently. If desired, roll the sandwich in sprinkles. Freeze immediately.
- Repeat the process until you are finished. Store the ice cream sandwiches on a covered plate or pan in the freezer.