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.