Ice Cream Sandwiches, Anyone?
Jacob Lawrence, (1917-2000)
The Migration Series, 1940-1941.
Text by J.L., 1993: “All other sources of labor having been exhausted, the migrants were the last resource.”
Number four in a series of sixty panels.
Tempra on gesso on composition board, 18 x 12″.
The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Gift of Mrs. David M. Levy.
African American Painter
Ever wonder who decimates the nut bowls at parties? That would be me, standing there in the corner with my fingers covered in salt, trying extra hard not to seem too obvious as my eyes lean over the top of the bowl to fish out my favorite nut of all time, the cashew.
I easily go through at least 1 pound of cashews and almonds a week. Sometimes alone and sometimes in my favorite trail mix which is dried sour cherries, cashews, dark chocolate chips, and almonds. Simple goodness never got better. Ahhh…
However, rather than divulge all my little obsessions to you, I suppose the best thing I can tell you is that this particular obsession has garnered something on the verge of celebratory: a mouth watering cashew butter cookie that satisfies even the most ardent cashew craving on contact.
And since we had our newly-wed friends Lance and Katia visiting for the Labor Day weekend, I added a little extra love by making my first ever ice cream sandwich: Rum Raisin ice cream held together with these cashew butter cookies=instant food karma. Nothing but smiles, lest the occasional umm and ummmm.
Happy Labor Day, everyone!
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Cup freshly ground Austin Nuts roasted and salted cashews
1 Cup light brown muscovado sugar
¼ Cup milled cane sugar or granulated sugar
2 Eggs
2 1/4 Teaspoons vanilla
½ Cup sorghum flour
½ Cup tapioca flour
½ Cup cornstarch
1 Teaspoon baking soda
1 Teaspoon guar gum
¼ Teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat oven to 330°F and line two cookie sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.
In a blender, grind your roasted and salted cashews until they have the consistency of breadcrumbs, scraping down the sides of the blender as necessary. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, except the sugars, with a spoon and set aside.
Cream together the butter, cashew crumbs, and the sugars until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth. Add the vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Pour in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.
Spoon out tablespoon sized drops of dough onto your prepared cookie sheets, being careful to space them 1” apart. Bake at 330°F for 15-20 minutes being sure the cookies have a healthy, crisp appearance. Allow to cool for several minutes on the cookie sheet before moving them to a wire rack with a spatula.
Makes 2 Dozen Cookies.
1 Cup whole milk
1 Cup heavy cream
¼ Cup + 1 tablespoon dark rum
6 Egg yolks
½ Cup granulated sugar
1 Cup dark raisins
1 Can sweetened condensed milk
First, pick through your raisins to insure that all of the stems have been removed.
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the heavy cream, milk and rum until just before it boils.
Whisk together the granulated sugar with the egg yolks to the ribbon and set aside.
Pablo Picasso, (1881-1973)
Three Women at the Spring, 1921.
Oil on Canvas, 6’8 1/4″ x 68 1/2″
The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Allan D. Emil.
Picasso during his Neo-Classical Period
When your milk comes to temperature, remove from the heat and temper your egg yolks by ladling in the hot cream mixture, 1-cup at a time, whisking the egg yolks all the while.
Return your mixture back to the saucepan and heat the custard until it coats the back of your wooden spoon and you can easily draw your finger through the mixture without the line running. As always, do not boil as it will cook the egg yolks.
Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk and the raisins. Allow to cool completely before refrigerating for at least 1 hour before freezing in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Makes 3 Cups Ice Cream.
To construct your ice cream sandwiches, simply scoop a generous amount of ice cream onto the back side of on cashew butter cookie and then press another cookie, back side facing the ice cream and voila!
