It's National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!
Sandwiches come in many forms. They can be pressed or toasted, grilled or wrapped, or they can be sweet, cold, and simply served with a napkin and a smile. We're talking about the ice cream sandwich. To many, the ice cream sandwich is greater than the sum of its parts, so it’s no wonder August 2nd has been decreed the national day of ice cream sandwiches.
As detailed in Jeri Quinzio’s book Sugar and Snow: A History of Ice Cream Making, the ice cream sandwich made its debut in Lower Manhattan in 1899. In the hopes of making ice cream more portable and handheld, a pushcart peddler sandwiched vanilla ice cream between two wafer cookies –and the rest, as they say, is history. But these are hardly the only types of ice cream sandwiches in existence. Iranian ice cream sandwiches consist of saffron and rose-water scented ice cream, sandwiched by two waffle-like wafer cookies. The Israeli version uses a biscuit instead; the Thai take it a step further: sweet, sticky rice is generously slathered onto a pillowy-soft bun, before being topped with durian or jackfruit ice cream and chopped peanuts or corn kernels.
For National Ice Cream Sandwich Day, the HRN tasted treats from CREAM on Roberta’s idyllic patio.
CREAM is the Berkeley-based ice cream joint that dishes up ice cream sandwiched between two freshly baked cookies. These aren't your typical ice cream truck sweets. CREAM focuses on innovative recipes and premium ingredients. While the original location in Northern California has been a long-time popular date spot among teenagers, the company has opened locations in Florida, Nevada, and Colorado. With over 25 ice cream flavors, 16 different cookies, and dizzying array of toppings available, CREAM is where dessert dreams come true.
We tried five of their flavors: Butter Cookie with Strawberry, Creamfetti with Bday Cake, Double Chocolate Chip with Mint, Chocolate Chip with Vanilla, and Snickerdoodle with Cinful Churro. After our tasting, we took a vote to determine the first ever HRN Ice Cream Sandwich Power Rankings! Here's what our staff said:
Snickerdoodle with Cinful Churro:
"It’s like if your favorite snickerdoodle from the school bake sale and the best churro from the taqueria had a delicious love child."
-Halley Crane, HRN Editorial and Research Intern
“Love dat cinnamon, churros added great texture as well.”
-Conor O'Donovan, HRN intern
Double Chocolate Chip with Mint:
"So refreshing!!!"
-Caity Moseman Wadler, HRN Executive Director
Chocolate Chip with Vanilla:
"You can't beat the classic!"
-Kat Johnson, HRN Communications Director
And the winners are…
- Snickerdoodle with Cinful Churro
- Double Chocolate Chip with Mint
- Chocolate Chip with Vanilla
To find out where you can get your very own taste of CREAM, click here.
