Chonky Boys: The Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches that Scream Summer!

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Featuring my thick and nuggy Chonky Boy Chocolate Chip Cookies, these ice cream sandwiches are the stuff that summer dreams are made of.  If you've ever had the Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich at Disneyland , you are going to LOVE these!  These big and bold chocolate chip cookies are based on a recipe from my culinary school studies at Auguste Escoffier, but with a few modifications to give them that Jennuine touch.  They make the perfectas book for a fat slice of real vanilla bean ice cream.  And those mini chips?  You just gotta have that extra cronch! Thank goodness this recipe only makes 8 sandwiches, otherwise I would be eating them for breakfast lunch and dinner.  This way, my big family can help save me from my inner child diet-saboteur.   Print With Image Without Image Chonky Boy Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches Yield: 8 Author: Jenn Erickson Loaded with chocolate chips and buttery, brown-sugary vanilla flavor, these mall-sized cookie...

BE A GOOD LITTLE GIRL AND DRINK YOUR MUSHROOMS ~ THE ADVENT OF HIBISCUS VANILLA REISHI ICED TEA

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There are many reasons why people blog, but like many craft and culinary aficionados,  I do it because it gives me a creative outlet and an opportunity to do that which brings me the most joy:  sharing my ideas, projects, and recipes, and connecting with other creative people who in turn teach and inspire me.  

Every once in a while, however, an opportunity comes along to sample a new product (usually food items), create an original recipe, and share the findings with my readers.  I must admit, I enjoy this little "perk".


Last year I had fun creating a delicious holiday cocktail (recipe HERE), compliments of the POM Wonderful company. Recently, I was contacted by Marx Foods, a 5th generation family business (since 1895) that works with foragers, farmers, fishermen and artisans to supply home chefs with restaurant-quality gourmet foods such as exotic mushrooms, sausages and charcuterie, and sugars and salts from around the globe. Marx Foods offered me a complimentary sample of their Reishi Mushrooms if I would agree to develop an original recipe for a tea drink featuring the Reishi Mushroom.  I jumped at the challenge!

What are Reishi Mushrooms?  Also known as Lingzhi mushrooms in China, these mushrooms have a long history of medical applications and health benefits, dating back to the oldest Chinese medical texts.  According to Shen Nong's "Herbal Classic" and "Compendium of Materia Medica", the two monumental works in Chinese medicine, reishi is rated the best and most superior of all Chinese herbs. 

To find out more about the medical and health benefits attributed to Reishi mushrooms, check out the following links:


I enjoyed experimenting with this unusual ingredient and having the opportunity to exercise my culinary creativity to create a delicious and refreshing iced tea using the dried Reishi mushrooms provided by Marx Foods.  


Here's what I came up with:  









Hibiscus Vanilla Reishi Iced Tea
Step-by-Step




 

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