It's been such a hot, dry summer that all I seem to think about lately are ice cream and other ice-cold treats. In the last couple of months, I've tried my hand at homemade ice cream and made ice cream cake, tartufo and ice cream pops, popsicles, and even crepes so I could stuff them with ice cream. I can't seem to stop there. Today, it's time for a quick ice cream sandwich.
I made pistachio tuiles - those thin, crisp cookies that get their name from classic curved shape (if you choose to form them that way) that resembles antique French roof tiles. They're sometimes called lace cookies, referring to their delicate appearance. The last time I made this type of cookie, they were the very delicious almond-butterscotch tuiles (still my favorite thus far when it comes to tuiles), which I shaped into bowls, plates and other shapes to hold and serve with ice cream. This recipe features pistachios and I cut the tuiles with round cutters while they were still warm from the oven to surround ice cream rounds. I used vanilla ice cream and mint chocolate chip gelato but there are no rules other than to use what you like.
These tuiles have a caramelized pistachio flavor. When fully cooled, they are crispy like a thin wafer and act as a great accompaniment with creamy ice cream. Using them for ice cream sandwiches changes their texture completely; the moisture turns the cookies soft and slightly chewy. These cookies are so thin that they take nothing away from the ice cream, only leaving you with not only something convenient to hold the ice cream between but also a lingering bite of nuttiness to go with your ice cream. I really like the idea of using thin cookies for an ice cream sandwich and tuiles are a nice change up from other more "typical" cookies.
Now, I have to admit that shaping/cutting the tuiles as well as cutting out rounds of ice cream may not be something you have time or want to do. In that case, simply scoop some ice cream into a dish and serve the cooled tuiles, unshaped, alongside.
Now, I have to admit that shaping/cutting the tuiles as well as cutting out rounds of ice cream may not be something you have time or want to do. In that case, simply scoop some ice cream into a dish and serve the cooled tuiles, unshaped, alongside.
I like to spread some ice cream on top of the tuile and eat it together, the way you might eat ice cream with salty potato chips (I know I'm not the only person who does that!). Tuile batters, on their own, are very quick and easy to put together. It's a great way to dress up some store-bought ice cream.