Best Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

This is another winner from my friend Jenny Johnson. She made this for her husband's birthday party and gave me some to try. She warned me that she thought that they would fall into the TDF category and was she ever so right! I had them, and was blown away at how perfectly the texture and taste was. She used mint ice cream, but you could use any type of ice cream you prefer. You could also use whatever toppings you like, such as toffee chips or crushed candy bars and roll the ice cream edge in the toppings and then freeze as normal. (Very cute, very yummy)
They were super decadent on their own, but Jenny insisted that dipping them into hot fudge sent them over the top...YUM. I think by using a cake mix for the base of the cookie, you get the right texture, and the cookie is still slightly soft when frozen with the ice cream. LOVE THEM! My next goal is to make these using a yellow cake mix, adding some brown sugar, vanilla, and chocolate chips to make a "Big Ed" version of my own.

Best Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

1 pkg chocolate cake mix (devils food, milk chocolate, German chocolate..any kind)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 c semi-sweet chips
1/2 gallon of favorite ice cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, butter, vanilla extract, eggs, and chocolate chips. Roll dough into 2-inch balls and place them onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Do not overbake; the cookies should be set, but still soft. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to finish cooling on wire racks.
3. Using an ice cream scoop, mold the softened ice cream into a ball about the size of the cookies. Place scoop of ice cream between two cookies and gently press together. If you like a smooth edge, run the back of a spoon around the edge of the ice cream sandwich. Working quickly, fill all of the cookies, lay out on a baking sheet, and place in the freezer to harden. Serve when the ice cream has frozen solid. Sandwich cookies can be stored in a freezer bag for up to two weeks.

Chocolate Milk Brownies

I love chocolate milk, and what better way to have chocolate milk than in a brownie form. I got this recipe from my friend Eliza Hirokawa. This recipe is unique because you use Nesquik chocolate milk powder as the chocolate in this brownie. I made a few changes just to amp the flavor a bit by adding some salt and vanilla. This recipe is so easy and so versatile. I sprinkled milk chocolate chips on top of the brownies before they cooked. You could certainly add anything you want to the base of this brownie. The brownie has a milk chocolate flavor as opposed to a dark chocolate flavor. I love them because they are not cakey and very moist. Very yummy, and slightly different from your average brownie.

Chocolate Milk Brownies

2 c sugar
2 c flour
1 1/2 c chocolate Nesquik
4 eggs
1 c butter, softened
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4-1/2 c. milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and salt, mix until combined. Add flour and chocolate Nequik, stir just until combined. Spread into a 9x13 greased pan, sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake for 30 minutes (this recipe can be halved and put into an 8x8)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

Have I got a recipe for you! This recipe is courtesy of my friend Jenny Johnson. She is a wonderful baker, and I love her treats. After I tried this I came home and told my husband that I had a new top 10 favorite treat, and these are it! First of all, this recipe is so easy. Second of all, I had never had these before and the flavors/textures were PERFECT in my book. The bottom layer is a peanut butter/oat cookie, followed by a thin chocolate layer, followed by a thin layer of peanut butter buttercream frosting. So, so, good! This recipe makes a ton. If you want to half this recipe, it works out great. My friends, family, and followers MUST try this one. If only I could attach an audio of my voice describing how much i love these...you would be convinced.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 c butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 c creamy peanut butter
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c flour
2 c quick oats
1 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Frosting:
1/3 c butter, softened
1/3 c peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c powdered sugar
dash of salt
milk for desired consistency

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine butter and sugars until fluffy. Add peanut butter, vanilla and eggs, mix well. Add dry ingredients to wet until combined. Spread into a greased cookie sheet. Cook for 15 minutes. When the cookie layer comes out of the oven, sprinkle chocolate chips evenly all over the cookie layer. Let chocolate chips sit until they turn shinny. Spread them evenly over the cookie layer until covered. Let cool completely. Mix frosting ingredients until desired consistency reached. Spread a thin layer of the buttercream over the chocolate layer.

Thai Peanut Sauce

I have been busy! I have felt the need to post, but have not had the time lately. What can I say, living in Hawaii is rough! I have plenty of recipes to post about, but I wanted to get this recipe up first. My friend Kristi Collins made this incredibly awesome sauce to go with grilled chicken. This recipe is so easy and can really jazz up a boring meal. The sauce is also a healthy as it contains peanut butter, and no oil. My kids love it to dip chicken in because the sauce has the familiar taste of peanut butter. I sometimes like to use it as a salad dressing, thinning it out with water for the right consistency. This recipe can be doubled or tripled.

Thai Peanut Sauce

2 tbs smooth peanut butter
2 tbs coconut milk
1 tbs lime juice
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Serve with grilled chicken.