Banana Split Cupcake From Ooh La La

Most of the boxes I open at work contain boring things and occasionally, the contents actually cause me physical pain as in the cases of the paper ream that gave me a mother of a paper cut.

But today I unpacked something lovely and delicious.

And, impressively, only slightly squishy from a hot car ride.

The August Cupcake of the Month from Ooh La La Sweets.

Ooh La La's August Cupcake of the Month: Banana Split.

This over-sized confection has a  Neopolitan (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry) swirl cake base that is topped with a very generous portion of banana buttercream frosting, a crunchy, hard coating of dark chocolate, and, of course, a cherry. 

Decadent and a perfect representation of banana split flavors. It also boasts the advantage of not melting nearly as quickly.

Monday Ice Cream Sandwich Experimentation

Yesterday, I learned an important lesson.

Chocolate ice cream that has been sitting in the freezer for only 1 hour is no match for a freshly toasted marshmallow.

Well, the idea had merit, at least.

Next time, I'll use chilled marshmallow fluff instead.

Sunday Funday Ice Cream Sandwich Experimentation

Although base for an ice cream sandwich is traditionally a cookie or wafer, a brownie can be ideal for creating a compact, cocoa-heavy treat. The texture of the brownie is extremely important; too soft and fudgy and it will "bleed" over the cream; too hard and it will fail to contain the sandwich contents. A soft, slightly cake-y brownie is just about perfect.

Cut-out Brownie Base.

I suggest using an over-sized rectangular pan when baking, so the batter spreads out to form brownies that are just a bit thinner than average.  Then, cut out circles of cooled brownie or use your favorite cookie cutters for more creative shapes. For the sake of uniform circumferences, you may want to use an upside-down water glass.

Next, top your bottom base with a scoop of ice cream. Top with matching brownie base and smoosh slightly to meld the layers. Enjoy promptly or wrap in plastic wrap for consumption at a later point.

Now, obviously, you can apply any type of ice cream you like to this recipe, but why not continue with the chocolate theme and select an inventive cocoa-based flavor? This time I used plain Dutch Chocolate, but next time let's introduce some legumes via this bad boy.

Only More Day Until....

...Ooh La La launches its August Cupcake of the Month!

What's so special about this cuppie cake and why am I writing about it here? It's designed to taste like a banana split.

The worlds of ice cream and baked goods meet with this treat and the collision looks to be most delicious.  Stay tuned for more details following my taste-test.

Ice Cream Candy Bars...

...or "Candy Ice Cream Bars" as some might call them. The genius who first came up with this idea is probably swimming in his own pool of money a la Scrooge McDuck. Or maybe she ate too many of her own creation and died from Type II diabetes.

In either case, the world is a better place because of the elimination of any dichotomy between "ice cream" and "candy bar."

Note: Not that we either had to really choose between the two treats as evidenced by the popularity of candy bar toppings.

Missing is my all-time favorite candy bar topping: Heath Bar.

Although most of the major candy companies have come up with ice cream versions of their most popular bars or candies, still absent is a sufficient ice cream edition of the M&M. Yes, I know Mars has put out an M&M cookie ice cream sandwich; however, this novelty fails to replicate the true M&M consumption experience. Specifically, what I'm suggesting is that Mars issue slightly larger M&Ms filled with milk chocolate ice cream (or peanut butter ice cream or mint ice cream to represent different M&M flavors) and sell them by the bag in the freezer section.

I think the contrast between the hard candy shell and the soft ice cream would be divine.

Until that product emerges, my favorite ice cream candy "bar" is actually Reese' Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cups.