The Sweet Sandwich

My freezer is often crammed full of what I like to think of as "Plan B" sweets. They've saved me on more than one occasion when an unexpected visitor drops by or a dinner party menu has to be put together with next to no notice.


In one of the airtight boxes stacked in the freezer, there's always a small pile of individually cling-wrapped ice cream sandwiches - of the desserts that freeze remarkably well and in fact need to be stored frozen, ice cream sandwiches weigh in at the top of my list. Whether it's a pair of macarons, meringue shells, chocolate chip cookies or brownies clasped around a complementary ice cream or sorbet, these little packages mean that all it takes for dessert to be served is a 5 minute thaw in the fridge, snipping off the clingwrap, and perhaps a little squirt of accompanying sauce or coulis on the plate.


For sandwiching darkly chocolatey treats like chocolate chip cookies and brownies, my favourite ice cream is Malted Milk Chocolate Ice Cream (made with Valrhona Jivara Lactée 40%).


Milk chocolate, with its creamy notes of butterscotch and toasted nuts, has a wonderful affinity with malt. Churned into an ice cream, the fabulous flavour is reminiscient of an old fashioned malted milk shake.

The above - Malted Milk Chocolate Ice Cream, Chocolate Chip Cookie & Ice Cream Sandwiches, and Fudge Brownie & Ice Cream Sandwiches - are some of the recipes and ideas I've included in the bonus section of the recipe pack for Ultimate Chocolate Treats I. This demo class will be held at Shermay's Cooking School on 14 March 2009 (Saturday), 15 March 2009 (Sunday), 28 March 2009 (Saturday) and 29 March 2009 (Sunday) - the March schedule has all the necessary details. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg