On not reinventing the wheel

One of my favorite pastimes is to find recipes that recreate classic American snacks like Oreos and Twinkies. I look for recipes that are not exact duplicates, but rather better versions of these iconic treats (this is one of the many reasons I am a fan of Stella Parks, who does this so well in her cookbook BraveTart). Finding ways to improve upon items I enjoyed as a kid provides me with both joy (which comes from the kid in me rediscovering lost flavors) and satisfaction (in making a simpler and tastier version of an overly-processed snack food).

As much I have delighted in making the above mentioned cookies and snack cakes, there is an elusive white whale that I haven’t yet been able to slay: ice cream sandwiches. The ice cream part is easier than the cookie portion of this cool, creamy treat, as I have found several recipes in Dana Cree’s Hello My Name is Ice Cream that are fantastic. The cookie part is a lot trickier. I do not want to stray from the soft texture and subtle flavor of the store-bought version, and it is proving to be a tough nut to crack.

However many recipes I try, there is always something not quite right. Either the cookie gets too hard when it is frozen, or it is too fluffy and ends up being more like cake, or it won’t hold together and you are left with a drippy ice cream mess. As I have worked my way through several iterations of this treat, I have come to realize that this may be an item where the chemical-laden product will remain superior to anything I make at home. There is something about the combination of firm yet yielding cookie surrounding a pillow of not-too-rich ice cream that makes even the store brand ice cream sandwich taste better to me than anything I have created at home to date.

While I won’t completely abandon this quest, I think that absent a shockingly good recipe that pulls together all of the elements in perfect harmony, I will always prefer the commercial version of this treat. I have come to terms with that, and no long feel a pang of guilt when I add a box of ice cream sandwiches to my online shopping cart. There is no need to reinvent the wheel when all you need is basic transportation.

Photo of Ice cream sandwiches from Bon Appétit Magazine (note that this is a recipe I have not tried yet)