Hand me a good old fashioned ice cream sandwich and I won't complain. I grew up on the kind made of soft, rectangular chocolate wafers that always stick to your fingers, and it never did me wrong. I even kinda liked that freezer burn flavor they sometimes had.
But lately I've been questioning the very foundation of these childhood treats. Does ice cream even want to be sandwiched? Why is vanilla the inevitable flavor of choice? And what's with those weird, soft, rectangular cookies?
Natasha Case, co-founder ofCoolhaus, an L.A.-based ice-cream sandwich company with food trucks in L.A., New York, and Dallas, understands my need to move beyond the old-school sandwich. "Start by mixing a pinch of salt into store-bought ice cream to bring out the flavor of both the cookie and the ice cream," Case says. "Or spike the ice cream with a little alcohol." (Cointreau or amaretto are especially delicious here.) Finish it off by rolling the sides in something delicious. "Crushed hard cookie crumbs are always great and sprinkles are fun, colorful, and look cute," Case says.
Most important? Don't limit yourself to those smooshy cookies—the food editors in the Epicurious test kitchen certainly didn't.
Here are 7 seriously awesome combinations we came up with that break the mold (or the wrapper?):
The Dog'wich
Hot dog bun + coconut ice cream + mangos + salted peanuts
ThisThai-style ice cream combowill make you think of hot dog buns in a strange, but delicious way. The soft, mild bread combines perfectly with creamy coconut ice cream. Add diced mangoes and chopped roasted, salted peanuts and it's basically like you took a trip to Thailand, but not.
The Biscuit'wich
Biscuit + peach ice cream + peach jam
Upgrade classicshortcakeby swiping a split biscuit with a layer of peach jam before filling it with a big ol' scoop of ice cream. You may need a spoon, a fork, and a knife to eat it. You won't care.
The Brownie'wich
Brownies + mint chocolate chip ice cream
We bet thatbrownieshave always felt a little hostile towards cookies for having all the ice cream sandwich fun—now it's payback time.
The Donut'Wich
Cinnamon-sugar cake donut + coffee ice cream + chocolate covered espresso beans
We wouldn't blame you if you ate this sweet twist on the classic morning combination for breakfast. Hey, if theSicilians eat ice cream for breakfast, why can't you?
The Croissant'wich
Croissant + strawberry ice cream + strawberry jam
A flaky, buttery croissant on its own is all well and good. But when you think about it, those airy pockets are meant to be filled with ice cream. Slather a layer of strawberry jam on the split pastry before piling in the ice cream just for good measure.
The PB'wich
Peanut butter cookies + black raspberry ice cream + salted peanuts
A PB&J sandwich meets an ice cream sandwich and they live happily ever after. After smooshing thecookieswith ice cream, roll the sides in chopped roasted, salted peanuts to add just a little crunch in every bite.
The Waffle'wich
Waffles + butter pecan ice cream
Whether you use frozen waffles from the store or save a few afterwhipping up a batchover the weekend, you will want to spread them with caramel-scented butter pecan. Tuck some sliced strawberries inside and roll the sides in chopped pecans, too. Because you can.
