A last summery treat before I dive head first into Fall baking. # 415: Ice Cream Sandwiches with Toasted Almond and Amarena Cherry

We get 3 – 5 days of actual heat in the Bay Area per summer and they all decided to make an appearance in the past week. So naturally, I decided to make my life hard by working with ice cream and very little freezer space.

Nate braved the heatwave-induced lines at Fentons for a half gallon of toasted almond, truly the best flavor out there. I know that nostalgia adds some je ne sais quoi, but I have yet to find a better one! The only one that’s ever come close was a roasted banana ice cream with brownie chunks and bourbon caramel swirls. (So extra, but in the best way.) By comparison, the toasted almond is modest with its single flavor and crunchy almond bits giving just the right amount of texture contrast. If you aren’t reaching for a pint of ice cream right now, I’ve failed.

The jar of amarena cherries came with big dreams of classy cocktails that were dashed when I discovered how delicious they are eaten straight out of the jar. They’re like if a maraschino cherry went to college and came home with a beard and lots of philosophical quotes to casually drop at the dinner table. They make you feel sophisticated even as you eat half the jar on top of brownies.

The prima donna herself! Apparently the Fenton’s Creamery cow is named Myrtle – the more you know.

Letting an entire half gallon of ice cream almost melt feels against all the rules.

I might use a bigger pan next time for a thinner ice cream layer. Or just eat spoonfuls of it out of the dish until it’s the perfect height? Way easier.

Cookie time.

Ombré sugar.

Soft enough to bypass the electric mixer for a plain ol’ wooden spoon.

I tried to wing it but caved under the ruler’s judgey stare.

Hypothetically the holes help to keep the cookies from puffing up in the oven, but the design is also iconic.

Late night baking complete. The re-formed ice cream needs a full 8 hours of beauty rest in the freezer in order to play nice.

One of the rare times plastic wrap comes in clutch.

My baking assistant’s getting better at snatching things off my board as I lean in for pictures. This is about to get very interesting.

Voila! If you let them sit a whole extra day in the freezer the cookies should soften a bit. But if you’re impatient like me, you’ll have crunchy cookies, oozey ice cream and no regrets.

Tape was required; origami has never been my strong suit.

Happy munching!

Cookie recipe from Bon Appetit