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The ice cream sandwich is one of the most
popular summer desserts at my house, especially after a supper
on the deck. It’s such an uncomplicated creation—a
pair of cookies slapped around just about any flavor of ice cream—that
even children as young as my three- and four-year old grandchildren,
Lizzie and Charlie, can help make their own treat. My favorite sweet freak, Charlie, is particularly
partial to ice cream sandwiches decorated with colored sprinkles.
He’s drawn to the colorful look and the fun of customizing
his dessert, of course. But he also sees the decorating as an
opportunity to snitch some candy dots when nobody’s looking. Ice cream sandwiches really do seem like
child’s play, and in fact, when they first turned up in
America—around a hundred ten years ago—they were apparently
aimed primarily at children. They likely evolved from the savory
entrée sandwich, which originated in Britain in the 1700s.
The name honors the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, who asked the cook
to ready something he could eat without having to leave the gaming
table. It’s said that he gambled for twenty four hours straight
and that his only meal consisted of bread tucked around roast
beef. Some experts suggest that the Earl got the idea for his
portable main dish from the stuffed pita breads he had seen in
Greece and Turkey. Considering how commonplace sandwiches
are on our menus today, it’s surprising that the first mentions
of Americans eating them don’t appear until the nineteenth
century. One early recipe, for a sandwich of ham or tongue and
optional mustard, was published in Eliza Leslie’s 1937 cookbook,
Directions for Cookery. Our repertoire expanded quickly
after that: In 1866, Mrs. Crowen’s American Lady’
Cookery Book suggested that appealing sandwiches could be
made of cheese, boiled eggs, jelly, and any cold, thinly sliced
meat. As for who made the big leap from savory
to sweet and devised a cookie and ice cream dessert sandwich,
nobody knows. (The closest to it that I’ve found in nineteenth
century cookbooks is a recipe for individual ice cream and cake
desserts in an 1888 edition of Buckeye Cookery and Practical
Housekeeping. See the sidebar.) In her well-researched book,
Chocolate, Strawberry, and Vanilla: A History of American
Ice Cream, Anne Cooper Funderburg
cites a 1902 New York Daily Tribune article mentioning
that street vendors had been selling ice cream sandwiches to New
York City children for several years. According to the article,
the treats first cost two or three cents, but youngsters complained
that they could only afford a penny, so the purveyors reduced
the sandwich size to oblige. Predictably, the early New York ice cream
sandwich was primarily a summer specialty. The Daily Tribune
story noted that during a “hot spell” one vendor with
an elaborately decorated cart did such a big business that “he
could not make change, but insisted on receiving the actual price
for each ice cream sandwich—1 cent." He fashioned the
treats by placing a thin, oblong wafer in a tin mold, adding ice
cream and a second wafer, and then closing the mold to press the
components together. The wafers were probably quite plain, and
almost certainly weren’t today’s preferred flavor,
chocolate (chocolate cookies were still rare in America then). Though the early ice cream sandwiches were
designed as street food, home cooks were encouraged to make them.
In 1903, Harper’s Bazaar observed that “Ice
cream sandwiches are new, but many are afraid to attempt them
as they seem difficult to manage; they are very simple, on the
contrary.” That statement is as true today as it was
then; making homemade ice cream sandwiches is (no pun intended!)
a breeze. Moreover, they taste much better than bought and can
be filled with whatever ice cream flavors you choose. I like to
experiment—fudge chunk, mint chip, coffee-ripple, and chocolate-cherry
ice cream have all been good with the chocolate cookies presented
below. Actually, I wouldn’t mind doing some more taste testing
right now! Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches Homemade ice cream sandwiches make a great
dessert for a casual warm weather meal. For convenience, they
can be made completely in advance and frozen. I pack and store
each one in its own little plastic bag. Another possibility is to make and freeze
the cookies ahead, then bring them out with an assortment of ice
creams so folks can create their own personal desserts right at
the table. I find that this works best outdoors at our picnic
or deck table, where nobody minds a little mess. The ice cream
choices are nearly endless—everything from plain old vanilla
to gourmet banana-fudge will have fans. Kids (and some grownups!)
also enjoy rolling their sandwiches in add-ons like colored sprinkles,
finely chopped nuts, toasted coconut and chopped chocolate chips
and other morsels. Just keep in mind that fine bits are best for
both rolling and eating. Although I think these chocolaty, chocolate
chip-studded cookies are great enhanced with a little coffee flavor,
if you don’t care at all for mocha, just omit the coffee
granules or espresso powder from the recipe. Do add the 3 tablespoons
of plain water. Also, be sure to use a quality cocoa powder with
a taste you like. Note that cocoa powder is unsweetened; it is
not the same as cocoa drink mix, a much milder, sweeter product
that will not work. Dutch process cocoa powder, which I prefer
in the recipe, is darker in color, but has a mellower flavor and
less acid than American-style cocoa. It is sometimes labeled “dutched”
or “European-style cocoa. Tip: The cookie recipe
calls for mini-morsels because the regular-size chocolate morsels
become too hard and difficult to eat when frozen. If you don’t
have mini-morsels, chop up regular-size morsels before adding
them to the dough. Cookies (printable
recipe) In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together
the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. In a mixer bowl with
the mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter, oil, granulated
and brown sugars, and coffee-water mixture until well blended
and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating
until very well blended. Beat in half the flour mixture until smoothly
incorporated. Stir in the remainder of the flour mixture and the
chocolate morsels until evenly incorporated. Cover and refrigerate
the dough for 25 to 30 minutes, or until firm enough to handle.
(Or if desired, chill dough overnight, then let it warm up slightly
before using.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line
several baking sheets with baking parchment (or spray then generously
with nonstick spray). Working on a sheet of wax paper, shape the
dough into two evenly-thick 12-inch long logs, then cut each log
in half. Cut each half into 10 equal slices. With lightly greased
hands, roll the slices between the palms to form balls. Space
the balls about 3 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets to allow
for spreading. Press down the tops until the cookies are 2 1/4
inches in diameter; if the dough has been refrigerated more than
1 hour, flatten cookies into 2 1/2-inch rounds. Let stand until completely cooled. Freeze
the cookies, airtight, to ready them for making sandwiches. (They
may be frozen, airtight, for up to 1 1/2 months.) To ready sandwiches: Pair up the cold cookies,
undersides visible. Spread about1/3 cup just slightly softened
ice cream on one cookie of each pair. Press the pair together
until the ice cream squeezes out to the edges. If desired, smooth
edges with a table knife. Roll the ice cream edges in chopped
nuts, colored sprinkles, chopped morsels, etc., if desired. Serve
immediately, or if preferred, slip each sandwich into a plastic
bag and freeze for later use. Makes 20 3-inch diameter sandwiches. |
Good Things Happen When She's in the Kitchen!
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The
Ice Cream Sandwich—A Sweet Leap from Entrée to Dessert
