On a recent hot (horray!) day in Seattle, I had friends coming for dinner and nothing planned for dessert. It was getting late and I didn't have time for my usual cake-baking antics. Walking into the grocery store, I was blessed with an epiphany. Maybe not a life-changing revelation, but a day-changing one at least. Ice. Cream. Sandwiches. I imagined two huge golden cookies with a thick layer of ice cream between them. Some dreams must become reality. Especially cookies and cream dreams....

Aren't they charming? I love taking simple, classic concepts and blowing them up with super high quality ingredients. In this case, the cookies start with a base of whole wheat pastry flour, wheat germ, natural sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs and a touch of coconut oil. Then the batter is studded with whisps of coconut, huge chocolate buttons, crunchy banana chips and buttery pecans. Mortar the cookies together with any natural ice cream made with real vanilla, and that seals the deal. Literally.

Check out the recipe here. And remember, when comes to ice cream sandwiches it's worth the effort. Because summer yummer than others.