Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches

I have been wanting an ice cream maker for, like, ever. Every summer as the heat starts to weigh down on me I walk into Williams Sonoma and stare at the ice cream machines, my mind bubbling with ideas of all the ice cream flavors, both unique and classic, that I would be able to make if I had one. This summer, I finally bought one and in my three proud weeks as an ice cream maker-owner, I have had no regrets. Although all the experiments have turned out pretty delicious (how could they not?), my favorite so far* is the mint.

* I have a feeling I am going to have a lot of favorites this summer, so bear with me.

Made with market fresh mint, this ice cream tastes like the actual herb and nothing like toothpaste or mouthwash or anything else that is artificially mint flavored. Seriously, this is the good stuff. On its own the ice cream is pretty close to perfect, but after reading an ice cream sandwich round up in Time Out New York, I decided to follow the trend and take things to the next level. Do you remember those world peace cookies I made at Christmas time? Well if you don't, let me remind you. They are buttery, chocolatey rounds of goodness, souped up with some extra chocolate chunks. Good on their own? Absolutely. Combined with mint ice cream? Heaven.

Yes, these are pretty heavenly but that doesn't mean there are no strings attached. If I am going to be honest these are essentially antithesis to bathing suit season. On the bright side, however, these are pretty time consuming to make so they really are a special treat.

Cherry Almond Bars

There are days when it feels like falling off the face of the earth would be fantastic, like when exams are bogging you down, or when you're cold and rain battered, or when you just don't feel like getting out of bed. Then there are times when it may seem like you've fallen off the face of the earth, but in reality you're in the better half of the earth and that blog that you so consistently keep up with becomes as distant a memory as the continent across the ocean. I am currently of the latter category and although I have missed posting here, overall my travels through France have distracted me enough to eliminate any guilt I may feel about my short-term lack of dedication. Although I plan to indulge you all with stories and photos of my culinary excursions here in France, in the meantime allow me to whet your appetite with something less exciting than a trip to France, but certainly more exciting than your average dessert.

I made these bars when I was in the midst of my final finals and munching on them was an ideal distraction from what felt like endless days of studying. When I first saw this recipe I was inspired by the focus on fruit and nuts with what seemed like just a touch of sweet butteriness from a shortbread crust. Also, I liked that it used jam rather than fresh fruit because as much as I wish it were prime time for market goods, summer fruits still need a bit more time and the jam ensured that these bars didn't lack any of the fruity flavor I love in dessert. That being said, if fruits were at their peak I would certainly make my own compote for these bars rather than using store-bought jam. Regardless of which way you make them the final result should shine with fresh, fruity flavor and satisfy your sweet craving without being coyingly sweet.

Although I loved the recipe, the final result was far different than I expected (in the best of ways). The shortbread base, made with confectioners sugar, had a much finer and sandier texture than I am used to. A good change from the ordinary, this allowed the flavors of the fruit and nuts to shine.

Brown Butter Brown Sugar Shorties*

*you may notice that the title today is just the name of the cookie, they warrant no further explanation. Read on...

Every week I face a challenge, the same challenge: to bake or not to bake? And I mean that in reference only to cakes, cookies, pies and the like. Now I love sweets, a lot, but I really and truly try not to eat them a lot. I have learned that the best way not to eat too many sweets is not to have them around and for most people that's pretty manageable. Instead I went ahead, started this little old blog and gave myself a reason to break that rule.

Yesterday, after turning in an econ paper and a frightful wrestle with my windswept umbrella (I lost), I knew it was time to bake. To make things a little more fun, I set some ground rules: I had to have the ingredients in my house, the recipe had to be simple, and it had to be delicious. I managed to follow all the rules, except for my cardinal rule of 'everything in moderation.' But, hey, I have no regrets. When the cast of characters includes nutty brown butter and brown sugar, regrets are impossible. And I don't want to show off or anything, but my way-too-old brown sugar clumped together in parts essentially leaving me with brown butter brown sugar chip cookies. Yeah, I know, right?

If you haven't run off to make these yet, let me tempt you more. I'll bet you already have all the ingredients you need sitting in your pantry, dying to be transformed into a brown butter brown sugar shorty.

Adventures/World Peace Cookies

It took me awhile to discover my adventurous spirit, but since I did I have been restlessly restless. All I want to do is move, explore, see new things, try new things and so on, I just can't get enough. I don't know at what point I transitioned from being a scared younger girl, all I know is that it has happened and I can't help but embrace it. On that note, today I am leaving for a two week trip to Hong Kong, it's as exciting as it is hard to believe. All the 'knowns' and unknowns only mean one thing, it is bound to be an adventure. Since I won't be home for Christmas this year, I wanted to leave a part of myself at home and in light of the season I thought cookies were the way to go.

I have seen Dorie Greenspan's world peace cookies on practically every blog I read, and even though I am not such a chocolate fan their name alone inspired me to make them. World peace, what more could we ask for for the holidays? If decadent food really were the solution to the world's problems, well I think these cookies would definitely merit their names.