Celebrating National Ice Cream Sandwich Day...With a Giveaway of the I Scream Sandwich! Cookbook

It's August, which means that is celebrating its third anniversary all this month...and I'm planning all sorts of fun things to commemorate this milestone!! I'm starting the fun off with a fabulous cookbook giveaway to celebrate National Ice Cream Sandwich Day today. Jennie Schacht's I Scream Sandwich! is a new cookbook that contains fantastic variations on the ice cream sandwich theme. Some of the recipes that immediately caught my eye include the Key Lime Pie (key lime ice cream and sugar cookies), Blueberry Muffin (blueberry sorbet on blueberry muffin top cookies), and Hawaiian Holiday (pina colada sorbet on macadamia cookies)! Each recipe provides a recipe for an ice cream, sorbet or frozen yogurt filling...and the corresponding "holder." This includes cookies, brownies...and a few unexpected surprises. The book is neatly organized into themed chapters that include Classics, World View, and Holidays and Special Occasions. The recipes are creative and FUN, and the photographs are positively mouth-watering. 

I especially love that Ms. Schacht provides a Take It Easy option for all of the recipes. These tips tell you how to use store-bought cookies and/or ice cream options to save time, but still stay true to the recipe's flavor profile...because sometimes you've got to have an ice cream sandwich NOW! I'm going to be sharing my experience making the Key Lime Pie sandwiches later this month, just in time for your Labor Day celebrations. But, I wanted to whet your appetite just a bit and celebrate National Ice Cream Sandwich Day today. If you love PB&J, you're going to flip for the PB&J Sandwich, which features peanut butter ice cream on toasted brioche...with a homemade quick berry "jam." This isn't the ice cream sandwich you grew up with...it's better!

PB&J SANDWICH: Peanut Butter Ice Cream on Toast with Berry “Jam”

from I SREAM SANDWICH!

Makes (up to) 12 sandwiches

Per Author Jennie Schacht: 

This is my go-to sandwich when I am jonesing for one and there are none stashed away in the freezer. Sometimes I hope not to find a sandwich there, just so I can make this one, which delights with warm toast, cool ice cream, and the reassuring flavors of childhood. With ice cream awaiting in your freezer, a sandwich need never be more than a toaster away. I make these up one at a time when the mood strikes. If you’re hosting a child’s sleep-over party or have family in town for the holidays, make all twelve at once for an easy and memorable breakfast or midnight snack. Peanut butter is personal: Choose creamy for a smooth ice cream or chunky for more texture. In either case, look for a natural-style peanut butter made from only peanuts (salt optional), with no sweeteners or gums. I prefer a mild honey such as clover or orange blossom for this ice cream.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream | gluten free

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (84 grams) mild-flavored honey
• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch or cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2/3 cup (160 grams) natural peanut butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Whisk 1/2 cup of the milk with the sugar, honey, tapioca, and salt in a medium saucepan until no lumps remain. Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk.

2. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until it begins to steam and slightly bubble at the edges. Adjust to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of a cream sauce, 2 to 3 minutes longer; do not fully boil.

      

3. Off the heat, add the peanut butter, give it a minute or two to soften, then stir until smooth and well blended. Stir in the cream and vanilla.

4. Transfer the mixture to a metal bowl set over a larger bowl of ice and water. Stir occasionally until the mixture is cool, taking care not to slosh water into the bowl. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 2 hours. Transfer the bowl to the freezer for the last half hour before spinning it.

            

5. Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. When it is ready, transfer the ice cream to a chilled container, cover, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Toast and Berry “Jam”

• 1 to 12 slices good-quality sandwich bread, such as challah, bakery white or honey whole wheat
• Unsalted butter, for spreading on the toast (optional)
• 1 to 12 tablespoons Berry Ribbon (below) OR berry jam OR fruit spread

SANDWICH!

For each sandwich, toast 1 slice of bread until it is medium dark. Trim the crusts and butter the bread if you wish. Cut the slice in half, either crosswise or diagonally, as you would a sandwich. Spread 1 tablespoon of jam on one toast half. Scoop and spread 1/4 cup slightly softened ice cream across the other half. Sandwich the two together and enjoy while the toast is warm.

Option 1, TAKE IT EASY: For each sandwich, mix 2 teaspoons of peanut butter with 1 teaspoon of honey and swirl into a scoop of softened vanilla ice cream. Use your favorite jam, jelly or fruit spread in place of the Berry Ribbon.

Option 2, DRESS IT UP: For extra peanut punch, press the sides of the sandwiches in Honey-Roasted Peanut Brittle (see book for recipe).

BERRY RIBBON TWO WAYS | gluten free, dairy free

Sweetening berries, then evaporating and thickening some of their liquid, produces a colorful ribbon that remains soft when frozen. Blueberries won’t need to be strained, as their seeds are not as prominent.

Makes about 2/3 cup, depending on the type of berries

• 2 cups (about 300 g) raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or other berries
• 6 tablespoons (75 g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1. Stir the berries with the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until they soften and become very juicy, about 5 minutes.

            

2. Puree the mixture with an immersion blender in the pot (beware of splatters—they stain!), or transfer to a blender or food processor and puree.

            

3. Pass the berries through a standard- or fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, stirring and pressing until only the seeds remain; discard the seeds. Return the syrup to the saucepan and simmer until syrupy and reduced to about 2/3 cup, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container until cold.

-------------------------------------------------

So...who wants to win a copy of this amazing cookbook so you can whip up a batch of creative ice cream sandwiches in your own kitchen! To enter, simply leave me a comment below. Tell me you idea for the perfect creative ice cream sandwich combo, and make sure to leave your e-mail. I'll accept entries until 1159 pm on Monday 8/5. I'll notify the winner via e-mail the following day. Good luck!

Disclosure: The publisher provided me with a review copy of this cookbook to facilitate this feature. All opinions expressed are my own, and all photographs are provided by Sara Remington.