Gretchen's Gourmet Ice Cream Sandwiches

Yoga was great this afternoon. We did a lot of hp opening exercises, which felt really good after my run yesterday. When I came home, I blended up a raw chocolate covered Jimmy Carter.



Raw Chocolate Covered Jimmy Carter
2 ice cubes
1/2 cup raw almond milk
1 ripe banana, sliced
1 Tbls raw almond butter
1 Tbls raw cacao powder
1 Tbls chia seeds

1 Tbls hemp protein powder
1 tsp raw agave nectar (or to taste)

• Blend ice in blender until crushed
• Add almond milk and banana and blend until smooth
• Add remaining ingredients a blend until smooth
• Enjoy immediately!

This is raw food I can really get into. I think this will continue to be a favorite treat of mine. Add it really fills me up for hours. After sipping this in the sun, I came inside to do some work (ugh). Then made a veggie sandwich which I ate back on the patio.


I used 2 slices of good sourdough bread layered with low fat cheddar, tomato, cucumber, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, and avocado. So good. After lunch I headed into the kitchen for my favorite Sunday afternoon activity - baking! Even on a hot day, I'm still inspired to bake treats. I made a batch of crispy gingersnaps. Some of these will make an exciting appearance next weekend at my mother's Kentucky Derby party - so stay tuned. But I saved a few to make my favorite treat - ice cream sandwiches! I really think there is no better food in the world than cookies with ice cream in the middle. I have fantasies of selling my own line of all natural, gourmet ice cream sandwiches. Maybe some day...

These particular ICSs used the gingersnaps with lemon sorbet in the middle. I picked this brand up at the local grocery.

Its made right down the street in Newton. And I love the ingredient list.

The sorbet is really tart, which is a great contrast to the sweet, gingery cookies. I highly endorse this recipe, adapted from the King Arthur Flour cookbook.

Gingersnaps

six dozen cookies

2 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsps baking soda

3/4 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening ( I use Spectrum Organic)

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup molasses

1/2 cup cinnamon-sugar (2 tsps cinnamon mixed with 1/2 cup granulated sugar)

• Preheat oven to 375º
• Sift together flour, spices, salt, and baking soda in small bowl
• In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening, sugar, and egg until light and fluffy
• Slowly add flour mixture in 4 additions and mixed until flour just disappears
• Measure slightly rounded teaspoonfuls of dough, roll into a ball, and roll in cinnamon-sugar
• Place cookies 2 inches apartment on silpat or parchment lined baking sheet
• Bake 10 minutes until golden brown
• Cool completely on wire racks

For the ice cream sandwiches, I scooped about a tablespoonful of softened sorbet between two cookies, and put them in the freezer to chill. Stay tuned for the finished product.

For dinner, I wanted to use some of the many vegetables I still have in the fridge leftover from raw week. I sauteed 2 chopped portobello mushrooms, a couple handfuls of baby summer squash, and a bunch of swiss chard. I mixed this with some lobster meat I picked up at the fish market, a batch of pesto made with a wilted bunch of basil, and some cooked linguine.

Very tasty. The squash was the best part - and they're so cute and little!

As promised, Gretchen's Gourmet Ice Cream Sandwiches - Gingersnap with Lemon Sorbet