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Homemade stacks up

Whether simple or complex, homemade ice cream sandwiches tower above the standard paper-wrapped treat. And they're perfect for a Fourth of July party.

In one of my earliest culinary endeavors, at about 4 or 5 years old, I attempted to make an ice cream sandwich and was nabbed sticky-handed by my mother.

I was standing at the counter on a kitchen chair, the same chair I had used to boost me to the freezer to get the ice cream. I can still picture the scene, the way the patterned Formica countertops blended with the blond wood cabinets. The shiny metal chair and squeaky Naugahyde upholstery. The ice cream scoop had a yellow plastic handle; I know because it's still in my mother's kitchen 40-plus years later.

She always bought Neapolitan, of which we ate the chocolate first and vanilla next, leaving the strawberry for the loser who got to the cardboard half-gallon last. That was usually my father, who admonished us to scoop the ice cream horizontally, rather than vertically. His lecture was sprinkled with "sentence enhancers," as SpongeBob SquarePants calls them. Readers of comics would recognize these spicy words as #@%&@% and $&#*@!

Regardless, I was mining for chocolate, plopping scoops on one of two pieces of sandwich bread on the counter. Just as the third mound hit the bread and I was pressing the other slice on top, Mom walked in.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked. (I've neglected to mention that some of the ice cream had missed the bread and was on the floor.)

"I'm making an ice cream sandwich."

It made sense at the time.

Since then, I've learned more about the homemade ice cream sandwich, a delightful summertime treat and a tasty dessert to offer at a Fourth of July party. They can be as simple as your favorite ice cream smooshed between two store-bought cookies or as clever as Pistachio Sandwiches with walnut brownies. (See recipe with this story.)

Or you could just buy a box of ice cream sandwiches and watch your guests pick off the paper.

The inventor of the ice cream sandwich is a mystery, but it's likely that the frozen confection appeared on the American culinary scene about 1900, the same time as the banana split and ice cream float. The ice cream cone was introduced to the masses a few years later at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

Even without a storied past, the ice cream sandwich has earned its spot in history. National Ice Cream Sandwich Day is Aug. 2, the day after National Raspberry Cream Pie Day and the day before National Watermelon Day. What a sweet way to start the calendar's hottest month, as long as you don't think too much about who comes up with these goofy recognition days.

The ice cream sandwich has certainly evolved since its early days of vanilla between soft chocolate wafers. It can be found now in the round as often as rectangle and studded with chocolate chips or chunks. A low-fat version by Silhouette is called Skinny Cow and is a staple among Weight Watchers (just two points).

Gale Gand, dessert diva and host of the Food Network's Sweet Dreams, makes Phyllo Fettuccine Ice Cream Sandwiches that seem about as upscale, and complicated, as you can go with this simple treat. And in Charity Ferreira's new Ice Cream Treats (Chronicle Books, $16.95), lovers of ice cream sandwiches will fall deeper when they see the photo of Pistachio Sandwiches.

To make your own sandwiches, soften the ice cream first. The trick is to get it soft enough to scoop easily but not so soft that it's dripping. Ferreira suggests microwaving the carton on full power for up to 40 seconds, stopping every 10 seconds to stir or break up the ice cream so that it softens evenly. Another method is to let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Nonpremium ice cream will soften more quickly than premium because it has more air, Ferreira writes. Sorbet, with its high sugar content, melts even faster.

After the sandwiches are made, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and freeze.

Vanilla and chocolate ice cream will go with almost any type of cookie or brownie, but take your time on the ice cream aisle and find some interesting varieties that would be equally yummy. Low-fat, nonfat, sugar-free and dairy-free are alternatives to regular ice cream; frozen yogurt will work well also.

Consider cookie cutters if you're making your own "sandwich bread" from rolled dough. Bells, stars, hearts, pumpkins, flowers and flags would be good candidates. Cookies can also be iced and decorated.

If you doubt your ability to make perfectly even ice cream sandwiches, you can check out plastic ice cream makers at www.kitchenkapers.com and www.thehomemarketplace.com They cost $10 to $14, and I'll bet they will end up in your cabinet with those other why-did-I-buy-this gadgets.

If you're the opposite of the orderly cook and plan to plunge in to ice cream sandwich making without recipe or cylinder to make them tidy, here are 10 ideas that don't require baking or a gadget:

* M&M 'Wich. Store-bought candy-laced cookies with mint ice cream.

* Cold S'mores. Rocky Road ice cream between layers of graham crackers.

* Ginger Snappers. Sugar-sprinkled ginger snaps and peach ice cream.

* Tropical Treats. Sugar cookies with mango ice cream (Haagen-Dazs makes one); roll the edges in shredded coconut.

* Hippie Dips. Oatmeal cookies (sans raisins) with Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia.

* Nut Buddies. Chocolate chip with walnuts and maple vanilla walnut ice cream.

* Decadent Decker. Macadamia chocolate chunk cookie with white chocolate raspberry from Godiva.

* Super Brownies. Split iced brownies with cookies-and-cream ice cream.

* Mocha Munchers. Chocolate cookies with coffee ice cream.

* Vanilla Minis. Vanilla Wafers with praline pecan.

* Blueberry Beauties. Sliced frozen pound cake, such as Sara Lee, with blueberry ice cream. Press chopped toasted almonds on the sides.

Or, you can put Neapolitan between two slices of wheat bread and be clear on the concept, if not on the taste.

- Janet K. Keeler can be reached at 727 893-8586 or krieta@sptimes.com

Walnut brownies:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in 1/2-inch pieces

5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

3 eggs

11/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup walnut pieces

2 pints premium or 11/2 quarts nonpremium pistachio ice cream

To make walnut brownies: Butter a 12- by 15-inch jelly roll pan. Line bottom of pan with a parchment paper rectangle cut to fit; butter parchment. Lightly dust pan with flour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring about 2 inches water to a boil in a saucepan or the bottom of a double boiler; remove from heat. Combine butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl or in the top of double boiler. Set bowl over hot water and let stand, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth, about 15 minutes.

In another bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla together. Stir chocolate into egg mixture until blended. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in flour mixture until blended.

Spread batter evenly in pan and sprinkle with walnuts. Bake until edges feel firm and a skewer inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Run a knife along inside edge of pan to release brownie. Place a piece of aluminum foil on a flat surface. Invert pan over foil to release brownie. Trim about 1/4-inch from the edges, and then cut brownie in half lengthwise down the center to make two rectangles, each about 12 by 7 inches.

Soften ice cream. Gently spread the ice cream evenly over one of the brownie halves. Place the other brownie half, walnut-side up, on ice cream; gently compress to flatten the sandwich and bring the ice cream out to the edges.

Wrap the foil securely around the brownie and freeze until firm, at least 8 hours or up to 2 days. Remove brownie from freezer and remove foil. Using a sharp knife, cut into 12 rectangles. Serve sandwiches immediately, or wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze up to two days. Makes 12 sandwiches.

Nutritional information per serving: calories 556, fat 35g (18g saturated), protein 9g, carbohydrates 56g, fiber 3g, sodium 143mg.

Source: "Ice Cream Treats" by Charity Ferreira (Chronicle Books, 2004; $16.95).

Oatmeal cookies:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed dark

brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup regular rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped

Chocolate glaze:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 pints premium coffee-toffee

ice cream, such as Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch

To make cookies: In a bowl, with a mixer on medium-high speed (use paddle attachment if using standing mixer), beat butter and brown sugar together until well-blended. Beat in egg and vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. In a small bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking soda and salt; stir or beat into butter mixture. Stir in almonds. Cover and refrigerate dough until thoroughly chilled, at least several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With lightly floured hands, roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 to 3 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are spread out and well-browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely before removing from sheets.

To make glaze: Bring about 2 inches water to a boil in a saucepan or the bottom of a double boiler; remove from heat. Combine chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl or in the top of double boiler. Set bowl over hot water and let stand, stirring occasionally with a flexible spatula, until melted and smooth, about 15 minutes.

Place cookies in a single layer on baking sheets. Using a knife, spread chocolate glaze on tops of cookies. Chill until set, about 15 minutes, or let stand at room temperature until completely set, about 11/2 hours.

To assemble, soften ice cream slightly. Place a large scoop of ice cream (about 1/3 cup) on flat (bottom) side of 1 cookie; top with another cookie, bottom-side down. Press gently to compress the ice cream and bring it out to the edges of the cookies. Repeat to fill remaining cookies with ice cream. Serve the sandwiches immediately, or wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze for up to one week. Makes 12 sandwiches.

Nutritional information per serving: calories 475, fat 28g (14g saturated), protein 7g, carbohydrates 56g, fiber 3g, sodium 205mg.

Source: "Ice Cream Treats" by Charity Ferreira (Chronicle Books, 2004; $16.95).