Chipwich: National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

Today is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day! Perfect for these hot summer days. There's something about an ice cream sandwich that always appeals to me. I think it's because the ice-cream is 'contained'. I'm not big on gooey hands. So in honor of the day, here's a nod to and history of the Chipwich, along with a recipe to make the Chipwich at home.

The Chipwich was 'invented' by Richard LaMotta who turned his childhood passion for dunking cookies in milk into the Chipwich — two chocolate chip cookies embracing a chunk of vanilla ice cream dotted with chocolate chips. On May 1, 1982, Mr. LaMotta dispatched 60 street-cart vendors, each wearing pith helmets and khakis, to the streets of Manhattan to begin selling his 4 1/2-ounce concoction (including 3 1/2 ounces of ice cream) for what at the time was a pricey $1 each. A few hours later, all 25,000 Chipwiches had been gobbled — the start of something big. Within two weeks, Mr. LaMotta was selling 40,000 a day, and by the middle of that summer, the Chipwich plants in Queens, N.Y., and Lodi, N.J., were turning out 200,000 a day.

Want to make your own Chipwich at Home?

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich

Chocolate Chip Cookies:  I use the big Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Chip Cookies (or make your own)
Vanilla Ice Cream I like Dreyer's (softened)
Mini-chocolate chips I use Guittard Semisweet Chocolate Mini Chips

Soften ice cream for 10 minutes before making sandwiches.
Place scoop of ice cream on flat side of 1 cookie.
Place second cookie flat side down and carefully press together until ice cream reaches edge of cookies.
Roll edges in Mini-Chocolate Chips.
Freeze for 15 minutes and serve.

Lots of variations, of course, but this recipe is fairly close to the original Chipwich.

And here's a retro commercial for the Chipwich!