I'm enjoying my last few days in Minnesota. My parents and sister have been spoiling me by helping out with Riley so I can spend some time on my own. What a gift. I feel like I'll be returning to Denver feeling refreshed and ready to get back to the day-to-day business of being a stay-at-home mom, blogger and wife. It may have taken nearly 3 weeks, but vacation mode finally set in and allowed me to relax.
During my first week in Minnesota, my mom and I went to Stillwater. We enjoyed lunch outside on a sunny rooftop patio, walked around and browsed shops, and treated ourselves to a delicious ice cream sandwich. (Ice cream sandwiches conjure memories of elementary school softball games on hot August nights and anticipation of summer's end and a new school year.) The café that made the ice cream sandwiches had a DIY approach, so you could pick any ice cream and any cookie combination. We went with cream cheese ice cream sandwiched between snickerdoodle cookies. After the first bite, I knew I had to recreate the creamy, slightly tangy ice cream.
I followed through on my vow to recreate the ice cream (and of course added my own twist to it) during Riley's nap time the other day. And in the spirit of full disclosure, I used store-bought cookies rather than making my own. I'm on vacation, people!
My cream cheese ice cream is luxurious, with a slight tang similar to cheesecake and some warmth from a little cinnamon. The cookies were good, but next time I would make my own so I could have more control over the thickness and overall size. These, as you can see in the photo above, were very large and didn't showcase the ice cream the way I wanted. The good news? We have more ice cream. And 3 more days of vacation. So I can experiment with other combinations.
Homemade (mostly) ice cream sandwiches are the perfect way to celebrate these last sweet days of summer. What ice cream/cookie combination would you like to try?
Cream Cheese Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 11 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat the heavy cream and whole milk until steam begins to rise and small bubbles form around the edges (approximately 175 degrees F). Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add it to the saucepan and stir until dissolved. Take a small amount (about 1/2 cup) of the hot liquid and whisk it into the eggs. Add the egg mixture to the pan, lower the heat and stir constantly for a minute or two.
- Over low heat, cook the milk and egg mixture until it reaches about 160 degrees F. It should coat the back of a spoon. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and chill it in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours (you can speed up the process by first placing it in the freezer for about 30 minutes then moving it to the fridge).
- Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Place two cookies upside down on a work surface. Place one scoop of slightly softened ice cream in the center of one cookie. Top with the second cookie and press carefully until you have an easy to handle sandwich. Smooth the edges with an offset spatula or butter knife if you wish. Return to the freezer for half an hour before serving.