There's Been a Big Mix-up!

I love to mixy-matchy. A grrr-animals approach to living. If you will. If somethin' goes with somethin'. Then it's twice-as-nice if somethin' goes with somethin'-else, too! And, so it goes.

With that being said. Take the Mom's Day Brunch Chai Sugar Cookies recipe and the Home-made Vanilla Ice Cream recipe featured here recently. Smash them together. Literally. But, gently. And you get a delectable treat to please kids and adults alike!

Chai Sugar Cookies

2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons Chai Spice Blend (recipe below)
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Coarse ground sugar, optional

Prepare Chai Spice Blend.

Mix flour, Chai Spice Blend, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually stir in flour mixture until well mixed.

Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or until dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Shape dough into 2-inch balls*. Roll in additional sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

*As these will be used for sandwiches, the cookie size and baking time has been increased from the original recipe.

Chai Spice Blend: Mix 2 teaspoons each ground cardamom, cinnamon and ground cloves with 1 teaspoon ground white pepper until well blended.

Easy Home-made Vanilla Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Prepare your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

In a medium bowl, mix the milk and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Mix in the cream and vanilla. Chill for at least one hour.

Stir again right before using. Pour mixture into ice cream maker's freezer bowl. Churn and freeze following the directions for your ice cream maker. Freeze until ice cream is scoopable.


Making the Sandwiches: Once the cookies are fully-cooled and the ice cream is frozen - yet scoopable - you're ready for assembly.

Line a rimmed cookie sheet with waxed paper. If you wish to roll your sandwiches in chopped nuts or sprinkles, get these goodies ready by pouring onto small plates.

Working quickly and using a levered ice cream scoop, place one scoop of ice cream on the bottom of a cookie. (It's easiest to cradle the cookie in your hand.) Place another cookie on top of the ice cream, bottom side down. Gently squeeze - being careful not to break the cookie - until the ice cream just starts to smoosh to the rims of the cookies. Roll in nuts or sprinkles. Place on cookie sheet. Once all sandwiches are made, cover lightly with plastic wrap. Place tray in freezer and freeze for at least 30 minutes. Wrap individually in plastic wrap. That is if you-and-yours don't plan on consuming on-the-spot!

PS. I keep a shaker jar of the Chai Spice Blend in my spice rack. A shake-shake on iced coffee with cream is yummy-yummy. It's also great added to blueberry muffin mixes!

See what else is cookin in this Urban Girl's Kitchen today!