Sweet & Spicy Chocolate Chip Vanilla and Toffee Ice Cream Cookie

It’s been a long month since been on here. A very long month. All for great reason. I’m just returning from a marvelous and seriously breathtaking two-week trip through the Danube River, starting in Passau, Germany and ending in Budapest. Needless to say, I was too busy soaking it all in and pretending I didn’t have a city high mound of work to do. It was work after all. But the kind of work that doesn’t translate at the moment. And with poor wifi service, I have every excuse for not tending to blogging. That’s when quick bites on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook work well.

Two weeks at home is not enough time to put a dent into work. But there’s always time to sneak in a delicious treat for when the stresses of the now double-city-high-pile are staring right at you. There’s something incredibly mystifying about the happy effect desserts have on us. At least on me. I’m an emotional eater. When I’m stressed, I eat. When I’m happy, I eat. When I need to lose weight, I eat. But the sweets are my nemesis. As much as I try to replace sweets with more amenable snacks, I just can’t justify it.

And when oldies but goodies reintroduce themselves in your life, there’s simply no way of ignoring their purpose of bringing smiles.

These aren’t cute. Let’s just be honest. I was making a batch of cookies in the middle of packing — you guessed it! I’m traveling out of the country again today — and was distracted. The ice cream wasn’t completely frozen and I was in a hurry. But, I was determined to make a few scratch ice cream cookies for my mother and me (she’s recently told me she loves them). And I was equally excited to share something with you.

Not just anything, but something to tickle your sweet tooth.

These chocolate chip ice cream cookies are crazy good! Not your basic or every day ice cream cookie with vanilla ice cream. These are serious. They are divine. They are furiously perfect for adults.

I was feeling really creative and spicy, a seldom mood unless I’m cooking for a client, and went for the hyper ‘wow’ factor. The cookies are slightly saturated with chili, giving them a surprising kick. And because predictable isn’t a default action in my world, chocolate chips weren’t going to be enough. The pantry is a great place for bringing out la créativité. I had toffee bits begging to be used. No better situation than baking to incorporate them.

I used a tried and true vanilla ice cream recipe, swirled a with a bit of toffee sauce (more on that later) and threw in some mini chocolate chip. That coupled with the mildly spicy cookies made for a wildly perfect emotion setter. The stress suddenly started tempering. For the final touch, a whimsical roll in toffee bites.

They were sublime. Gingerly tasty and soothing for soon-coming, musty, hot, sizzling days.

This is the kind of treat you want poolside.

Reinventing the wheel isn’t always a matter of complete deviation, rather a bit of fun thinking and time. These all American ice cream cookies aren’t difficult. They’re simple fun for anyone to enjoy making. Even the kids can get involved in. They just take a bit of time. But that first bite of soft, chewy, and smooth will have you scheduling another baking tryst!

I premised this post acknowledging these weren’t cute. They’re rusty and disheveled. Yup. Excuse me for the constant rush I’ve been in lately. Chasing these dreams allows for little idle time.

But after I get this much-needed tan in Mexico, I’ll happily make another batch and hope to have you hooked, if not already! In the meantime, make these. Seduce your significant other with them. Enjoy together. Repeat.

Happy Friday! Make it a great day.

Eat well, love unapologetically, pray with true intention, and take care of yourself.

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Enjoy

SWEET & SPICY CHOCOLATE CHIP VANILLA & TOFFEE ICE CREAM COOKIES 

FOR VANILLA TOFFEE ICE CREAM

Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cups whole milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 1/2 cup toffee caramel (you can purchase this)
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ¼ tsp. salt

Method:

Over medium-high heat, warm milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan, stirring to combine. When the milk just begins to bubble around the edges, remove from heat.  Stirring constantly with a whisk, pour some of the hot milk into beaten eggs to temper. Pour egg mixture back into the saucepan. Over low heat, stirring constantly, heat until a custard thickens (and will coat the back of a metal spoon with a thin film) approximately 7 to 10 minutes.

Add vanilla. Let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in the heavy cream and toffee caramel, cover, and place mixture back in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Stir, then add to the ice cream maker, freeze the custard accordingly to the ice cream maker’s manufacturer’s instructions.

 FOR CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups semisweet dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup toffee bits
• 1 cup butter, sofetened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. good quality vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. hot water

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F. In mixing bowl, combine and mix together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Add and stir in vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, cayenne pepper,  chocolate chips, (toffee chips optional). Drop large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans. Bake for about 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven or until center is cooked.

ASSEMBLING COOKIES

Spread cookies bottom side up on baking sheet into two rows.  Scoop enough ice-cream to top exactly half the amount of cookies. Using back of teaspoon, evenly spread, covering entire cookie. Alternatively, you can cut out exact round using cookie cutter or fill your desired amount in small styrofoam cup. Top with a second cookie. Gently press together.  Smooth out edges with back of spoon. On separate baking sheet, spread toffee bits. Roll side of each ice cream cookie on toffee bits until fully covered. Wrap each cookie indvidually in wax paper. Freeze for 30 minutes before serving.

Yields approximately 6 cookies.