Can someone turn off the hot? Or at least turn it down? Something. Please. It’s brutal. I’m cranky and sweating too much. I need ice cream.

I’ve expressed my love for  ice cream before. But just in case I wasn’t clear, I think this email from a few years ago sums it up pretty well…embarrassingly well:

Dear Krissy,

Congratulations on your winning entry in the Dibs® Quest for a Cooler Workplace™.  We were delighted to hear the creative ways that you and your co-workers have found to foster a positive attitude and enjoyable work environment. We hope that your ice cream freezer, filled with a variety of Dibs bite sized ice cream snacks, will add a special flavor of its own to your workplace. Following the initial delivery of your freezer stocked with Dibs, there will be two subsequent deliveries to restock the freezer. We will notify you in advance of refills and the final pick-up.

Thanks again for participating in our Quest for a Cooler Workplace.  Enjoy!

I know. I’m a mega nerd. I entered an ice cream contest and won. Not only did this divulge that my internet surfing included major ice cream corporation websites but it also publicized that I actually took the time to write a blurb about my “cool” workplace. A winning blurb. Nerd.

I was still new at the time and as dorky as I felt, I quickly became the most popular employee. Like taking pictures with executives popular.
Stand next to the freezer. Smile. On the count of three say “Ice Cream!”
Is this seriously happening?

Well, I no longer browse other companies’ websites about ice cream. I write one. And I no longer buy ice cream confections. I make them. But I’ll still share. And I’ll certainly still smile next to a freezer full of these .

 

This recipe is really a two for one deal. The brownies are simply amazing. I made them a while ago and froze them in hopes of keeping them around for a significant amount of time. Ha! Joke’s on me. They’re even better frozen. Cold. Chewy. Fudgey. Amazing. It’s completely ridiculous to add ice cream between two of them. So I did.

The ice cream is everything you dream of on a hot summer day. Soft, silky and refreshing. The recipe is quite simple and versatile. I pureed raspberries, but you can use any fruit you’d like. Add in chocolate chips or caramel. That’s the beauty of making your own. Make it how you like it.

You can absolutely make the brownies alone. And without question, ice cream never needs to be paired. But trust me when I say, together they’re a winning combo. No contest.

 

Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches (makes 5 sandwiches and a whole lot of extra ice cream)

For the brownies: (recipe from Healthy Green Kitchen)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter (I used salted)
3 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup almond flour/meal
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Prepare a 13×9 inch baking pan with parchment (See note 1 below).
2. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter and chocolate. It helps to chop both into smaller pieces. When fully melted, remove from heat.
3. Stir in the sugars. Add the eggs one at a time, whipping (with a whisk) after each addition. Stir in the almond flour and vanilla.
4. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for about 25 minutes until a knife inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean. Remove and let cool.
5. Once completely cool, put in the freezer and let harden for at least two hours.
6. When ready to cut, pull the edges of the parchment out of the pan, removing the brownies. Set on a flat surface and using biscuit cutters or the top of a glass, cut circles in the brownies. Put the brownie rounds back in the freezer until the ice cream is ready for assembling.

For the Ice Cream (adapted from “How to Cook Everything”):

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half and half
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
12 oz raspberries (I used frozen because that’s what I had)
Mini chocolate chips (optional for edges of sandwiches)

Directions:

1. Defrost the raspberries. Puree in a food processor until smooth. Using a spatula, push the puree through a mesh sieve to remove the seeds.
2. Combine all other ingredients in a bowl and stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in the raspberry puree.
3. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions.
4. Transfer into container and allow to harden in the freezer for at least 2 hours.

Assembly:

1. Scoop a single scoop of ice cream onto one of the brownie rounds.
2. Top with a second brownie round and press gently. The ice cream will spread out.
3. Roll edges in mini chocolate chips if desired. Store in freezer.

Notes:

1. The first time I made these, I used a 9×9 pan. It made thicker, delicious brownies but too thick for ice cream sandwiches. This time I used a 13×9 and you can see the thickness in the photos. I liked these a lot. You could probably go even thinner on a cookie sheet if you wanted to try that. If you do, let me know how it goes. Adjust your baking time as necessary.
2. You can make these as big or as small as you’d like. I used a medium-sized biscuit cutter and made a few with the mini cutter since it fit along the edges of the brownie. You’ll have brownie scraps. I love brownie scraps.
3. These brownies are from an awesome site called Healthy Green Kitchen. They are gluten-free and are quite possibly the best brownies I’ve ever had. That’s a strong statement. I stand by it.
4. If you’re going to take pictures of your ice cream sandwiches, you should do it inside. Or on a day without a heat index of 103. My neighbors think I’m nuts.

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