Recipe: Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

by Stephanie Zonis

Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

9 or 16 sandwiches

Ah, thought the name of the dessert would get to you! The brownies are baked ahead, then partially frozen before cutting. Come serving time, you slice a brownie in half, heat it briefly in the microwave just to warm it (if you wish), sandwich with a generous scoop of ice cream, and pour on the hot fudge sauce, or chocolate syrup, or drizzle the sandwich with liqueur, or...you get the idea. There are lots of possibilities for everyone here. Promise me that you'll try eating these with your fingers! It somehow increases the decadence level of the dessert, and it's much more fun than using utensils. and I do it all the time, so I won't tell.

These are ideal for kids, of course, but you can also get creative in making them for you and your sweetheart. For example, frozen raspberries with sugar, defrosted and in a small pool on a dessert plate, would make a nice base for a brownie ice cream sandwich, especially one filled with top-quality vanilla ice cream and drizzled with black raspberry liqueur. Use your imagination!

Brownies:
1-1/2 squares (1-1/2 ozs.) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 square (1 oz.) semisweet chocolate, chopped
7 Tbsp. unsalted butter,
cut into slim pats
1/4 cup sifted or strained unsweetened
Dutch process cocoa powder
3 eggs, graded "large"
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. dark rum OR vanilla
Pinch salt
1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour

For Sandwiching:
Good-quality ice cream/sorbet/frozen yogurt
of your choice, slightly softened

For Serving:
Good-quality hot fudge sauce
(make your own!), warmed slightly
Chocolate syrup
Liqueur of your choice
Fresh or frozen, defrosted fruit
Lightly sweetened whipped cream
Miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Chopped, toasted, cooled nuts

For Brownies:
Line an 8" square pan (at least 1-1/2" deep) with aluminum foil, shiny side up. with vegetable shortening, very lightly grease the bottom of the lined pan. Set aside. Adjust rack to center of oven.

In small heatproof bowl, combine chopped chocolates and butter. Place over simmering water on low heat (water should not touch bottom of bowl). Stir often just until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and hot water. Briskly whisk in cocoa powder until most lumps are dissolved. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine eggs, sugar, liqueur or vanilla, and salt in medium bowl. By hand, beat until well-mixed, about 1 minute. Add chocolate mixture, which may still be slightly warm, and stir in well. Stir in sifted flour only until combined.

Turn into prepared pan and level batter, then push batter very slightly higher on edges and in corners. Bake in preheated oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center emerges with a few moist crumbs still clinging to it. Do not overbake. Remove to cooling rack; cool completely.

These brownies are difficult to cut neatly when very fresh. When cooled to room temperature, remove from pan (uncut and still in foil). Wrap airtight; freeze until partially frozen. Remove from freezer and unwrap, then gently peel foil from sides and bottom. On cutting board, cut into 9 or 16 brownies (try a serrated and a straight-edged knife to see what works best for you, but any knife you use should be large and sharp). Wrap individual squares tightly in plastic wrap, then freeze until needed.

To serve, have ready the ice cream of your choice, as well as any other serving "options" desired. Remove as many brownies as needed brownie from the freezer and unwrap them. While still frozen, slice brownies in half horizontally with large, sharp, serrated knife. If desired, heat brownie halves two at a time on microwaveable plate for 10 to 15 seconds at 50% (medium) power, just until defrosted. Sandwich halves together with ice cream (handle brownie halves carefully if they've been microwaved), pressing gently. Add "options" as appropriate. Serve immediately.

Variation

Brownie Parfaits:
Make, cool, and freeze brownies as above (or make and cool brownies and store airtight overnight at room temperature). Divide brownies into 9 equal bars. For each parfait, you'll need one of the nine bars (crumbled), ice cream or sorbet (slightly softened), chocolate syrup or good hot fudge sauce or liqueur, and lightly sweetened whipped cream. Have the components ready before you begin, and work quickly.

In an 11 ounce, tulip-shaped parfait glass, layer about one-fourth of the crumbled brownie, some ice cream, and some hot fudge sauce/chocolate syrup/liqueur. Repeat three times. End with a layer of crumbled brownie, then top with some of the whipped cream. Serve immediately!

Some possibilities:
Raspberry sorbet for Valentine's Day (with chocolate syrup or a drizzle of black raspberry liqueur). Peppermint stick ice cream with hot fudge. Vanilla ice cream with black raspberry liqueur and some fresh raspberries thrown in.

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Stephanie Zonis provides the above information to anyone, but retains copyright on all text. This means that you may not: distribute the text to others without the express written permission of Stephanie Zonis; "mirror" or include this information on your own server or documents without my permission; modify or re-use the text on this system. You may: print copies of the information for your own personal use; store the files on your computer for your own personal use only; and reference hypertext documents on this server from your own documents.

This page created February 1999

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