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 cookies form a perfect partnership with a

Santa Fe Sliders and a Gourmet Getaway with World Market!


Love to travel?
Enjoy gourmet foods and wine?

Then please join me...

One of the wonderful things about travel is having the opportunity to sample the local cuisine.  Recreating some of the culinary specialties from your travels is a fun way to share a taste of your adventure with friends and family back home.  


I may not have the ability to hop on a plane on a whim, but I love being able to jump in my car and enjoy the adventure, culture and flavors of an international marketplace right in my own backyard at Cost Plus World Market.  Any time I'm cooking, entertaining or decorating on a theme, World Market is always my first stop.


My childhood memories of trips to New Mexico are swathed in sunset colors, rich in art and culture, and full of vibrant flavors.  With Santa Fe as my inspiration, I headed to World Market this past week to get everything I needed to share a bit of the magic of the southwest with my family.


When I spotted the Deluxe Mini Burger set in the World Grill section, it sparked the idea for a Santa Fe themed slider.  In the World Marketplace, I quickly found a spice  blend for the burgers, a bottle of Chile Con Queso (a Santa Fe specialty), a tomatillo and corn guacamole mix, and even some southwest-colored corn chips to serve on the side!



World Market is also one of my most favorite places to shop for beer and wine.  Their selection is incredible!  They offer wines from all over the world as well as wineries right in my own back yard.  The wines are organized by region as well as flavor profile.  


Each wine is accompanied by a World Market tag that gives a background, description, any awards or accolades and suggested food pairing.  These tags make it so easy to find the perfect wine for any event or meal.  

 

I ended up going with the Maggio Old Vine Zinfandel (2008) because of the World Market pairing recommendation, the terrific price, and the fact that it met the flavor profile I was looking for (Berries & Mocha).  The verdict -- It was everything the label promised and was delicious!  I'll be heading back to World Market to buy a few more bottles before the week is through.


To enjoy some southwest flavors at home, try my recipe:


Santa Fe Sliders
with Tomatillo Guacamole and Chile Con Queso
(makes 18 sliders or 9 full sized burgers)

1 pound ground meat -- beef, turkey or pork (we used a 50/50 blend of sirloin and pork)
1 package The Art of Spice Jalapeno Popper Burger Blend
1 jar World Market All Natural Chile Con Queso Dip
18 mini buns*
2 New Mexico Chiles (also sold as Ortegas** or Anaheims)
A brown paper lunch sack (for steaming the chiles)
3 ripe avocados
1/2 jar World Market All Natural Guacamole Dip Mix
1/2 small lemon
salt to taste

Step 1:  Preheat BBQ or grill.

Step 2:  Prepare guacamole by skinning and seedling 3 ripe avocados.  In a medium bowl, mash avocado with a fork until smooth.  Stir in 1/2 a jar of World Market All Natural Guacamole Dip Mix (contains tomatillos and corn),  juice of 1/2 a lemon and salt to taste.  Set aside.

Step 3:  Mix ground meat with 1 package of The Art of Spice Jalapeno Popper Burger Blend seasoning.  It already contains salt, so no further seasoning is necessary.  Divide meat into 18 portions.  We used our  World Grill Deluxe Mini Burger Set.  It includes a bun cutter (for cutting down regular size hamburger buns), a patty press and a non stick grilling basket.



 Step 4:  Cook sliders over an open flame to desired level of doneness.  At the same time, place the two fresh chiles on the grill and cook until blackened.

Step 5:  Remove burgers from heat and rest for 5 minutes.  Place chiles in a paper bag to steam.  After 5 minutes, remove chiles from bag and remove charred skin.  Slice open to remove seeds, then slice into strips.

Step 6:  Toast buns lightly.  Then put some of the guacamole on the bottom bun, followed by a burger.  Top the burger with a few strips of the roasted peppers.  Spread some Chile con Queso on the top bun and put it all together.

*For slider buns, use the bun cutter from the World Market kit.  We made our own homemade buns by modifying the Potato Hamburger Bun recipe from America's Test Kitchen.  It took a little work, but they were worth it.  Instead of topping them with sesame seeds, we used cornmeal.

**You can use canned Ortega chiles in place of the fresh Anaheim/New Mexico's if you wish.

If you love to travel and would like to experience New Mexico for yourself, be sure to enter the World Market Gourmet Getaway Sweepstakes!




To stay up to date on the latest happenings at Cost Plus World Market you can follow them here:



Disclosure:  This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™, but all my opinions are my own.  I've been a fan and patron of World Market for more than two decades!


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