CHIPWICH: Ice Cream Sandwich Day

August 2 is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day. 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. Tomorrow is National Chocolate Chip Day, so I decided to combine the two holidays with a post on the Chipwich--the Original Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich. Here's the history of the Chipwich, along with a recipe to make the Chipwich at home. Sadly, the Chipwich after being sold to various companies and taken off the market in 2011. But here's a blast from the past that you can create in your own kitchen.

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. Alas, as I mentioned above, the Chipwich is no more, but you make your own Chipwich at home!


Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich

Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookies:  I use the big Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Chip Cookies (or make your own)
Vanilla Ice Cream whichever you prefer (softened)
Mini-chocolate chips I use Guittard Semisweet Chocolate Mini Chips

Directions
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 pretty close to the original Chipwich.

And here's a retro commercial for the Chipwich!