Chocolate Chip and Toasted Coconut Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ice cream sandwiches have sort of become the signature highlight of our Barnside Movie parties. I feel like the pressure is on to create tried-and-true pairings alongside interesting flavor combinations. This year, I decided to marry two of my favorite flavors together (chocolate and coconut), which led me to create Chocolate Chip and Toasted Coconut Ice Cream Sandwiches. Essentially, this is just a chocolate chip cookie recipe teamed with coconut ice cream. Sounds kind of boring, but when you taste it, fuggitaboutit, it's amazing. I hope you'll try it!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes approximately 30 cookies

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

8 oz chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine flour, baking soda and salt, set aside. Combine butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl, beat until creamy. Beat in eggs.

2. Gradually add the flour mixture and blend well. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Drop cookies in rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool.

Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

Makes approximately 2 quarts

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

8 ounces unsweetened coconut milk

4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut (or more/less depending on your preference)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the shredded coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in oven until golden brown (about 10-15 minutes). Be sure to stir and re-arrange coconut frequently to prevent burning. Allow to cool completely. Note: The shredded coconut lends a chewy texture to the ice cream. Add more or less, depending on your preference (I like more!).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Set aside. In a larger bowl (or in the sink) prepare an ice bath.

3. Combine heavy cream, milk, and coconut milk in a large pot and cook over medium-high heat. Bring to just shy of boiling. Slowly stream the milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisk feverishly.

4. Once approximately half of the milk mixture is added to eggs, add entire egg mixture back into the large pot. Cook until thickened, continuously whisking and scraping the pot (a good trick to knowing it is thick enough is when the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon, run your finger along the spoon. If the track stays, it is thick enough). This will take only 2-3 minutes.

5. Voila! You have an ice cream base. Add the base to the large bowl and stick the bowl in the ice bath. Add the vanilla. Stir the base for several minutes to cool and release steam. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the base so that is touches it. This will prevent a skin from forming. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

6. When the ice cream base is completely cold, and it to your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer instructions. Once the ice cream is nearly done churning, add in the toasted coconut. Transfer to a freezer dish. The ice cream will need to cure and harden for several hours or overnight.

Assembling The Sandwiches

Makes approximately 15 sandwiches

1. Pair like-sized cookies together. For each '"set," place a rounded scoop of ice cream on one cookie and smoosh the second cookie on top. Press until the ice cream nearly reaches the cookies' edges. If desired, press until ice cream it reaches the edges, then smooth the ice cream flush with the cookies with an off-set spatula.

2. Wrap cookies in freezer paper or plastic wrap. Allow to firm up for at least an hour.

Enjoy!

Barnside Movie Party - "A League Of Their Own"

We hosted the 2nd Annual Silly Goose Farm Barnside Movie Party on Saturday (sounds very official, eh?). It was a blast, and it seems everyone enjoyed themselves. This year, we showed A League Of Their Own (we kept with the baseball theme from last year's The Sandlot). The weather was perfect (although a little humid and buggy - seriously, I think I have 50,000 bug bites), and the night was magical.

I kept the food and drink simple this year (well, more simple than usual). For beverages, I served a mint lemonade, white wine sangria, and assorted beers and juice boxes for the kids (sangria recipe coming soon!).

 

Food was kept to a popcorn station (everyone loves an old air popper!), brownies and a yummy jalapeno dip brought by friends and neighbors, and ice cream sandwiches.

I made four flavor combinations of sandwiches, including peanut butter-chocolate, chocolate chip-toasted coconut, chocolate-mint, and oatmeal raisin-scotch vanilla (I made everything from scratch except for the mint and chocolate ice creams. I ran out of time! Recipes to follow).

Edith was having a rough day, and slept through the entire event. Eric, on the other hand, was in the middle of the action all night.

The orange moon was nestled behind a grove of trees for the evening, which allowed the stars to twinkle. I'm not sure which was brighter - the stars or the hundreds of fireflies that hovered around us, flashing their little lights like the most steadfast theatre attendants.

We are hoping to have another movie night before the season is over. I would like to do this every year (show a family-friendly movie (I'd love to show You've Got Mail or Bringing Up Baby), and perhaps a more "cult" movie - topping my list are The Royal Tennenbaums, Harold and Maude, and The Big Lebowski. I get the feeling that no matter what we choose to show, we'll still have a great time.

Have you ever watched a movie in plein air? What are some of your favorite movies? I'd love to hear! Let me know in the comments, or tell me about it on Twitter! I'll be posting recipes and how-to's from the party soon, including tips on making your party fit within a sustainable lifestyle. And a very special thanks to my lovely, gracious friend Christine, who took the lovely pictures you see here!

Barnside Movie

Let me just start off by saying that I am the biggest Social Suzie ever. Seriously. I get so chatty and distracted, that I totally forget to do important things when hosting a party - fill people's glasses, make sure there's TP in the bathrooms, etc. I also forget to take pictures. From now on, I'm dedicating one friend at my parties to be the Official Photographer (I'll even make them a little press badge, if necessary). Actually, I think what I really need is to hire a professional photographer and just capture every moment of my life. Because, yes people, I really am that interesting.

So, where was I? Oh yes, parties. Dave and I love a good party. It seems like this whole "outdoor movie viewing" thing has really gotten popular. Let me just premise this blog post by saying that we've had the idea of doing this party for a while. Like, years. With the barn and surrounding lawn/pastures, it would be a shame not to.

We had to postpone this year's party due to rain, but the day we finally had the party was beautiful. Like I said, not many pictures, but I'll try my best to narrate. We set up our projector to the DVD player and one of our guitar amps. The screen was a 12'x15' painter's drop cloth nailed to the barn. Sure, it's a little "country," but that's okay with us.

This year's movie was "The Sandlot."

Personally, I can't think of movies more indicative of summer than that one.

The barn illuminated by cinematic glow

We put out lots of beverages (check out those HUGE mason jars!)...

I don't care what anyone says - I still love using canning jars as drinking glasses

And lots of tasty snack (including homemade ice cream sandwiches)...

Excuse the appearance of these little treats. They got a little soft and drippy by the end of the night.

My mom thought they were tasty...

Isn't my momma pretty?!

As did Baron...

The evening received a big thumbs up!

So friends, what do you think? Was "The Sandlot" a good choice? Any recommendation for movies next year? My movie dream list would include "Harold and Maude," "The Big Lebowski," and "12 Angry Men." But with so many kids in the audience, being "family friendly" is of high importance. Any ideas? What are your top three movies? Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

A Night of Cheese - Fifth Course

The fifth Night of Cheese course was a slam-dunk favorite. Everyone loved it! And how could one not? Cheese, chocolate, and delicious booze all in one course? Sign me up.

This course consisted of Rupert from Consider Bardwell Farm (West Pawlett, VT), Cornelius Applejack from Harvest Spirits (Valatie, NY), and homemade chocolate Chantilly cream (which might be the easiest chocolate dessert ever, besides eating a straight-up chocolate bar). The cheese has subtle notes of butterscotch and custard. It is aged a minimum of six months and has a thin rind, indicative of even turning and rotating of the wheels of cheese on a frequent, regular basis. It certainly has a sweetness with the characteristics of an Alpine-style cheese.

Applejack and chocolate Chantilly were natural choices to feature with the Rupert. Both have a similar depth and roundness of flavor, but were perhaps surprising at the same time: Chocolate is typically paired with a blue cheese at dessert, and hard alcohol with cheese is not a common accompaniment. Altogether, though, it was a fantastic combination. One warning about the chocolate Chantilly: It's addictive. You'll be making it often and eating it all. By yourself. Just be sure to use a very good quality chocolate since it's really the only ingredient in this recipe.

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Chocolate Chantilly
Adapted from this recipe via Cafe Fernando
Makes approximately two cups

9 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup water
4 tablespoons sugar, optional

1. In a double boiler (or, just a small pot with 1 inch of water with a larger bowl on top of it), heat together the water, sugar and chocolate. Whisk together until melted.

2. Place bowl with chocolate mixture in a second larger bowl filled 1/3 to 1/2-way full of ice water. With a whisk or electric mixer, whip the chocolate mixture until it thickens (about five minutes). Do not over whip or it will become grainy. Serve immediately, or let set up (covered) in the refrigerator - it's great straight-up or as a filling to cakes and cookie sandwiches.

A very special thank you to Eric Paul, The Cheese Traveler, for his expertise. Without him, this night would not have happened! Be sure to follow him on Facebook. Consider Bardwell cheese can be purchased through The Cheese Traveler or online.