The Original (Homemade) Chipwich: The Perfect Summer Treat

Free time in summer looks different than during the rest of the year. Instead of curling up with a nice blanket inside or watching a movie with friends, my summer consists of lounging by the pool, warm sunset walks, and  hanging out with friends under the heat of the sun. Nothing leaves me craving ice cream more than being outside in the scorching 90 degree heat! While the classic scoop of your favorite ice cream in a cone is always a good choice, sometimes it can be fun to mix things up. So, if you’re in the mood for a fun-to-make, sweet, and cooling summer treat, I highly suggest this Chipwich recipe.

The Chipwich was originally sold en masse in New York City in 1982 after being invented by a New York lawyer named Richard LaMotta. The cookie ice cream sandwich was sold in  60 food carts for $1, an expensive price for street food typically sold at a quarter of the price. Despite this, within two weeks of being released, LaMotta’s vendors sold around 40,000 chipwiches a day, allowing him to start his own Chipwich company. In 2007, Nestle acquired LaMotta’s chipwich company and sadly discontinued the original Chipwich. However, when the Original Chipwich returned to the market in the summer of 2018, the New York Times gave it first place on its list of “The 7 Greatest Packaged Foods, Ranked.”

While the Original Chipwich is delightful, nothing beats the aroma of freshly baked cookies and the satisfaction of biting into a homemade treat. The Chipwich has everything you want in a dessert, with vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two golden-brown chocolate chip cookies, and an edge rolled in chocolate chips. When you make warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies, dipping the freshly baked cookies in a glass of cool milk makes them ten times better, but this is already built into the Chipwich. On a hot day, the ice cream melts just enough to soften the two cookies; the chilled chocolate chips add a semisweet crunch; the coolness of the ice cream provides the perfect chilly snack to devour in the sweltering heat. With whatever cookies or ice cream you decide to use to make your chipwich, the only nonnegotiable step to making the perfect chipwich is freezing the cookies before sandwiching the ice cream in between; this helps make sure the cookies don’t crumble in the process of sandwiching. Even more, the Chipwich doesn’t have to be eaten right away. It can be eaten in the moment or stored in the freezer for later. Whatever you decide to do, you’ll have a delicious treat perfect for a hot summer day. 

Recipe:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½  cup softened butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 1 cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips if you are not using the dark chocolate chunks)
• ⅓ cup dark chocolate chunks
• 1 quart or 2 pints vanilla ice cream (I like Graeter’s Madagascar Vanilla)
• 1 ¾ cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Begin by whisking together the sugar, salt, and butter until it is a smooth consistency. Add the egg and vanilla extract to this mixture and beat until uniformly combined. The mixture should be  fluffy enough that when the whisk is lifted, the ribbons of mixture from the whisk do not fade into the mixture’s surface immediately. Add the flour and baking soda by folding the mixture inwards with a spatula. Once doughy, fold in the chocolate chips and chunks. Chill the dough for a half hour in the refrigerator and then use an ice cream scoop to place 6 cookies 4 inches apart on a lightly oiled cookie sheet (parchment paper can also be used). Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes. 

Once cooled, place the cookies on their tray in the freezer for at least an hour. Before removing the cookies from the freezer, pour the mini chocolate chips into a medium sized bowl and set aside. After the cookies have  frozen, sandwich at least one scoop of ice cream between two cookies, making sure that the ice cream reaches the edge of the cookies. Roll the edges of the sandwich in the mini chocolate chips until all sides are covered. Finally, either wrap each sandwich individually in parchment paper and freeze for later or eat upon completion. 

While this recipe shows you how to make the classic chipwich, there is also room for experimentation! Instead of chocolate chip cookies, you could use peanut butter chocolate chip cookies for a more nutty hint, or chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla. If you’re feeling extra bold, you could even use a dark cherry or strawberry ice cream for a fruity twist! There are so many delicious combinations, so grab a friend, eat up, and enjoy! 

Cookie recipe adapted from Tasty

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Spring Salad

As the seasons change, so do cravings. Specific dishes just make sense in different parts of the year. On rainy autumn days, I always want to curl up with a bowl of warm soup; on frigid winter days, a steaming cup of hot chocolate just hits differently. In the upcoming sunny, spring days, when the air smells fresh and flowers bloom, the world will begin to crave something fresh to eat. Or, at least I will. 

Salad in any form, with its combination of fresh ingredients, seems like the embodiment of spring in a dish. By definition, a salad should have fresh leafy greens, which reminds me of the return of greenery in springtime. Whenever I think of salad, I tend to gravitate towards a spinach base, but alone it is too plain. The addition of tomatoes, black beans, and pasta, however, can elevate a salad, freeing it from its relegation as a side dish and transforming it into a full-fledged meal. A delicious pasta salad can provide the perfect transition dish from those richer winter meals to the lighter spring and summer dishes.

In my opinion, pasta in salads just makes them more filling and delicious. For salads, the best pastas have unique shapes. The more fun their shape, the better. With their ridges and curves, pastas like fusilli, campanelle, farfalle, and radiatore, are able to collect the salad dressing and grated cheese, adding more flavor in each bite. Mixed with black beans and cherry tomatoes, this salad has hints of earthy and sweet flavors, which are enhanced further by the balsamic vinegar glaze. The sprinkle of parmesan cheese adds some saltiness to the dish, complimenting the pasta well. While these ingredients seem like they would clash, they are pantry staples, and, I swear, their flavors actually go surprisingly well together! Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy dish for lunch, or something light to eat on a fresh spring day, this salad is sure to satisfy. 

Ingredients:

• 1 box pasta (16 oz.)
• 1 container of spinach (12 oz.)
• 2 cans black beans (15 oz.)
• 5 cups cherry tomatoes
• ¼ cup balsamic glaze 
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Heaping ¾ cup parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

First, bring a pot of water to a boil, add the pasta to the water, and cook according to the instructions on the pasta box, which vary depending on the pasta type. Next, rinse and halve the cherry tomatoes. Similarly, rinse the spinach and canned black beans. As with any salad, the ingredients are flexible. Arugula or baby kale are good substitutes for spinach, and garbanzo beans or lentils are alternatives to black beans. You can always add chicken or tofu to make it more filling. 

After the pasta has finished cooking, strain and place into a large bowl. Next, pour the black beans and cherry tomatoes onto the pasta, and top with the spinach. With salad tongs, mix the salad until all ingredients are equally distributed. To top it off, drizzle the balsamic glaze and olive oil over the salad and mix a second time to incorporate the dressing. Finally, add the parmesan cheese and some freshly ground pepper and salt to taste, and voila! You’ve got yourself a quick, easy, and delicious spring pasta salad. Enjoy!

This recipe serves 3-4 people.

Cover photo courtesy of Pinch of Yum

Avocado Toast

Whether you love it or hate it, avocado toast is the quintessential brunch dish. Though some call avocado toast “basic,” its popularity is well deserved. Be it the crunch of the toast, the buttery texture of the avocado, or the satisfying golden run of an egg cooked to perfection, avocado toast has a little bit of everything you want in a dish. 

Humans began cultivating avocados in Mexico around 500 B.C. and the fruit eventually made its way to California in the 19th century. Over the years, avocados gained popularity for their unique nutty flavor and oily texture, which was perfect for guacamole, as a taco topping, and— especially in the  2010s—in the form of avocado toast. According to the USDA, the American per capita consumption of avocados has tripled since the early 2000s. 

Now, I can’t say whether the avocado toast trend contributed to this, but regardless, avocado toast is both simple and delicious. The everything bagel seasoning adds a salty crunch to the toast while the slight drizzle of sriracha combined with the egg yolk provides a creamy, sweet and spicy finish to the dish. To give the recipe more flavor, I like to add lemon juice to the avocado.

Because avocado is such a versatile ingredient, this dish is also very flexible. If you don’t have lemon juice on hand, use lime juice for a slightly different but nonetheless delicious citrusy edge. No everything but the bagel seasoning? Not to fear! Use a little bit of garlic salt and a sprinkle of black pepper instead. With so much adaptability, this recipe provides room for experimentation. I prefer a poached egg, but any style of egg will do. If you don’t like eggs, use a few sliced cherry tomatoes as a sweet and tangy topper instead. For an added kick, I like sriracha, but for those who can’t handle spice, a sprinkle of crushed black pepper will do the trick. With this recipe, the only non-negotiable ingredient is the avocado. 

Next time you’re craving a quick and filling breakfast (or if we’re being real, lunch or dinner), or simply want to impress your friends with a speedy, yet, scrumptious meal, this not-so-basic recipe has got you covered. 

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of Whole wheat bread (I prefer the Breadsmith brand)
• 1 medium avocado, diced in medium cubes
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Everything bagel seasoning, to taste
• 4 eggs 
• Sriracha (optional)
• Black pepper

Procedure:

To begin, place a medium-sized pot filled halfway with water on medium to high heat. Bring the water to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, toast the two slices of bread in a toaster for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Add the diced avocado and lemon juice to a bowl. Using a fork, mash the avocado until the mixture appears well-combined and textured. Once the toast is ready, divide the avocado mixture evenly between both slices of toast and spread evenly with a fork. Sprinkle the everything bagel seasoning onto the toast. 

Once the water is boiling, poach the eggs, two at a time. To do this, crack two eggs into the gently boiling water. Let the eggs sit in the boiling water for 1 minute and 15 seconds, or until cooked before carefully removing them from the water with a slotted spoon. Place both eggs on one slice of toast and repeat the process for the second slice of toast. Once finished, to add a kick, drizzle some sriracha over the eggs, sprinkle on a little black pepper, and voila! You have yourself two slices of avocado toast that rival any restaurant brunch. 

This recipe makes 2 avocado toasts (Feeds 1 or 2 people).