Yesterday was Kevin's birthday and, because he's not a big cake fan, I'm always challenged to create a fun dessert that's a bit more non-traditional than the birthday cakes and cupcakes I grew up with. He usually asks me to make cookies of some sort, but this year I wanted to amp it up a little. For one, we were coming off of spring break, and quite frankly, I was pooped. I had already committed to making his birthday dinner and the thought of coming up with an original cookie idea (or even making our go-to favorites) seemed like it would push me over the edge. Besides that, I needed to reserve some energy for sexy time once all the festivities were over and Jag was put to bed. I mean, I do have priorities!

So, what was a girl to do? Create something delicious with pre-made treats of course! Easy breezy. Since Kevin digs cookies I wanted to play off that. He and I both love texture in our food and creamy is a big one for us. Knowing this I immediately thought of some type of cookie sandwich with a creamy center. Kevin enjoys ice cream almost as much as cookies, so I decided to use that as the filling rather than other alternatives. Now, for us, I buy non-dairy ice cream. Our tummies just can't handle the real thing. Plus, it's kinder for the animals and tastes great (I actually prefer it to the dairy variety). So, win-win-win! While sometimes I cave and eat non-fair trade chocolate or dairy cheese, I do try to think about the environment, animals, and my overall well-being when making food choices. While there's always something I could do differently, it feels good knowing I'm making conscious choices. My body thanks me, the earth thanks me, and I can enjoy everything a little more. Then, when I do change course I feel ok with it because I know my core is conscious living. Enough of that, back to dessert!

I knew I was going to buy Enjoy Life Soft Baked Chocolate Chip cookies because they're one of our favorites and I thought they'd make the perfect sandwich. They're soft, yummy, and just the right size for an after dinner treat (especially if they're stuffed with ice cream). I also knew I wanted an ice cream that was fun and flavorful - not plain old vanilla. I know many people just love the classic vanilla flavor, but if I have a choice I'm going for something with spunk. There are so many vegan varieties available these days that I chose to wait until I got to the store to decide which kind to purchase. Lucky for me, our local grocer had Coconut Bliss Salted Carmel and Chocolate in stock AND on sale. Boom! I knew this would be heaven and who doesn't love a deal?

So, I scooped up my two ingredients and headed home to arrange everything for the big night. I wanted dessert to be a surprise, so I hid the ice cream and cookies in the back of our freezer and pantry, just in case Kevin wanted to grab a snack before dinner. Fun fact - I'm such a dork when it comes to surprises. I could only barely contain myself until time for dessert. I even kicked Kevin out of the kitchen area after we ate dinner so I could assemble it without him seeing. Told you I'm a dork!

The good news is it only took a few minutes to put them together, so he didn't have to wait long. And, double bonus, I had time to do the dishes while allowing the ice cream to soften. So, we could party some more after dessert and then relax because clean up was already done.

I loved the easy prep and we all loved the tasty treat to celebrate Kevin's big day. These ice cream cookie sandwiches were a huge hit on all levels. Besides being easy to assemble, they were just sweet and light enough to enjoy, even after a big dinner. So, next time you need a quick fix for your sweet tooth give them a try!

Recipe

Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 Box Enjoy Life Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 Pint Luna & Larry's Organic Coconut Bliss Salted Caramel & Chocolate Frozen Dessert

Method:

Remove ice cream from freezer and allow to soften for a few minutes. Remove cookies from carton. Place one scoop of ice cream on the flat side of one of the cookies. Flatten the ice cream out a little. Place another cookie on the ice cream, flat side down, to create a sandwich. Voila! You did it! Now repeat creating the number of sandwiches you wish to make.