where to begin. this past weekend was a whirlwind in the best way. i had brought these ice cream sandwiches to my parents house to celebrate my dad's birthday. when we got there, there was a large crowd of family and friends gathered on my parents' back deck. while i was in a state of shock i remember glancing around and seeing so many faces of those who traveled from near and very far to come and celebrate. it was the most overwhelming, wonderful, and joyful surprise. and to know that everyone had known about the shower and to have kept it a secret from me was icing on the cake.

i had planned to dedicate this post to father for his birthday. and i still will. i feel so lucky to have a dad that will give up his special day to celebrate my impending marriage. as i was writing his card that sunday morning i was planning on writing a such sappier card than i did, one that explained just what a selfless, and giving man he is. i sometimes don't feel deserving of everything he gives me, but he is a giver by nature, and someone that adores and loves his family. enough cannot be said about the parents i have, and the lengths they go for others, especially for me and my brother. i could never thank them enough, nor show them how much everything they do means to me.

ok, ice cream, ice cream! this is one of the most creative and interesting recipes i have ever seen. Caitlin, from the lovely blog, Roost, posted a dairy free ice cream recipe not too long ago. The recipe called for bananas, nut butter, agave, and coconut oil. i think i literally scratched my head when i read the ingredients, "how will this ever become ice cream?" i thought. by roasting the very ripe bananas (ripe enough that they're brown, and smelling of that very ripe banana smell), and then roasting them, and then blending them (in a high speed blender), they become ethereally smooth and creamy. then i froze the ice cream, took it out of the freezer, dug my spoon in, and ate a bite. holy s***! this is really ice cream! i sandwiched the ice cream between two gluten free chocolate cookies and it was perfection. if you want to skip the step of making cookies, by all means buy your favorite brand and sandwich away! next time i will definitely be trying almond butter or cashew butter, and perhaps adding some toasted almonds to the ice cream. oh, and what's better, no ice cream machine needed! easiest ice cream recipe ever.

banana + peanut butter ice cream sandwiches

ice cream slightly adapted from Roost

cookies adapted from Comfy Belly

| makes 6 sandwiches

ice cream

4 very ripe organic bananas

3 tablespoons raw agave nectar

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons organic, salted, smooth peanut butter

cookies

2 cups almond flour

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup raw agave nectar (the original recipe called for 1 cup, in my opinion 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup is plenty sweetener)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 organic, free range eggs

instructions

make the ice cream

pre heat the oven to 375° and line an edged baking sheet with parchment paper
in a bowl, toss sliced bananas with the agave nectar and coconut oil. Spread into a single layer on the baking sheet
roast for 30 minutes
remove from oven and pour bananas and caramelized liquid into a high speed blender
add the peanut butter and blend until very smooth - about 5 minutes. scrape the sides of the blender every few minutes
pour into freezer safe container and freeze over night or at least 2 hours

make the cookies

pre heat oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
in a large bowl, use a whisk to mix the almond flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder
in a medium bowl, combine the eggs, agave nectar, and vanilla. pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine using a spatula
using a tablespoon measure, scoop the batter and place onto baking sheet allowing at least 2 inches between each cookie (these cookies will spread quite a bit, so be careful not to miss this)
bake for 15 minutes (rotating halfway through) or until a cake tester comes out clean
cool the cookies completely before removing from the parchment paper

assembling the sandwiches

i stuck my cookies in the freezer for about 20 minutes to allow them to really stiffen up (unless you're using store bought cookies i highly recommend doing this)
using about a 9-inch by 9-inch piece of saran wrap, scoop about a 2 tablespoons worth of ice cream into the wrap. wrap the ice cream, roll with the palm of your hands and shape into a flattened disk
place the ice cream disk onto a cookie, and top with another cookie
repeat with remaining ice cream and cookies
eat right away, or store for at least a week in a freezer safe container

enjoy!