Ice Cream Grahamwiches

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! I was flipping through Gourmet Magazine this weekend, and fell in love with an ice cream sandwich recipe. I had planned a relaxing weekend for myself - reading, lounging on the beach, and no heavy cooking. So instead of creating the Gourmet ice cream sandwiches exactly as their recipe entailed, I decided to make my own version, with a few shortcuts. Because gosh darn it, it's 90 degrees and I wanted ice cream sandwiches - without the effort!

Recipe (makes about a dozen):

1 pack Honey Graham Crackers

1 pint Haagen-Dazs Five - Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

2 cups Blueberries

1/4 cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 tsp Cornstarch

Transfer ice cream to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 10-second intervals until softened. Spread ice cream thinly in a 9x9-inch baking dish and freeze until firm while making blueberry compote.

Cook blueberries, sugar, and zest in a saucepan over medium-high heat, thoroughly crushing blueberries with a pastry blender or potato masher, until juices are released. Stir in lemon juice and cornstarch and bring blueberry mixture to a boil, stirring, for 1 minute. Mixture will thicken. Transfer to a bowl and chill in refrigerator for about an hour.

When blueberry compote has chilled, spread over frozen ice cream and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours. When ice cream mixture is firm, cut into squares the size of a half of a graham cracker. Place the ice cream square between two halves of graham crackers, and enjoy! Napkins will be required, this is a gooey, oozy and crumbly dessert - but definitely worth it! Individually wrap and freeze remaining sandwiches for another steamy summer afternoon.

Fondly,

Optimistic

Adapted From: Gourmet's Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches