The Dessert You Didn’t Know You Needed

While the meme game is strong during this pandemic, one meme in particular continually comes to mind.

Whenever I see it, I breathe a sigh of relief that I started writing a book back in September. Like, check! Doing a “side hustle,” even though I’ve never used the phrase in my life.

Though, I now want to #HumbleBrag and tell you that I’ve developed another new skill, one I will share with you now.

I am the proud inventor of…

…the ICE CREAM BOMB.

(Not to be confused with the Ice Cream “Bombe,” as I googled “Ice Cream Bomb” and discovered something of a similar title already exists…a la Ina Garten.)

Now, I’m no Ina Garten (as if that isn’t obvious), but I have focused all of my culinary abilities to gift the dessert world with something mind-blowing. Even my sweet-toothless husband loves these bad boys.

(Yes, you should scroll down now if you prefer to ignore the back story and get to the recipe. I know how annoying the preamble to a recipe can be.)

It all began with an overabundance of Oreo cookies and the most mysterious, questionable substance on the planet…Smucker’s Magic Shell chocolate sauce.

The kids and I routinely watch So Yummy videos on my phone whenever I’m too lazy to get out of bed in the morning. We came across this ice-cream-sandwich cake (starting around the 1-minute mark) a few months ago, and I jotted a note on my calendar to make it for my husband’s birthday.

Well, my husband’s birthday was last week. Since all restaurants are basically closed, I thought I’d try my hand at recreating this ice-cream cake.

Thankfully, our grocery store’s ice cream section wasn’t completely barren, and Oreo cookies and Magic Shell chocolate sauce were stocked plentifully. I got my ingredients, though I switched from Neapolitan-themed to mint-chocolate masterpiece.

As I worked quickly to assemble the softening ice-cream layers (during which my 5-year-old was trying to play Boggle with my mom via Facetime…meaning he needed a LOT of hands-on assistance), I realized I had too much Oreo/Magic Shell mixture. It seemed like a waste to toss so many empty calories into the trash, so I improvised.

I pulled out my XL silicone muffin pan (a fabulous Christmas present from Greenville’s The Cook’s Station), and dumped the extra crumbly goodness into each cup. I also had a softened pint of vanilla-bean ice cream on the counter, as I’d run out of room in my spring-form pan.

I mashed the ice cream on top of the cookie crumble and tossed the whole kit-and-caboodle into my freezer. Once they froze, I simply popped the bombs out of the pan (seriously, silicone baking pans are the pans of the future) and into some Tupperware.

The husband eats them topped with whipped cream (so perhaps he does have a sweet tooth?!), but the customization options are simply endless. I could even use my mini-muffin silicone pan and make these bite-sized, though that seems extremely dangerous.

You’re welcome for this contribution to the culinary world.

Ice Cream Bombs
Makes six gluttonous servings

Ingredients:
About half a package of regular Oreo cookies (or your fave flavor…because there are approximately 37 kinds of Oreo cookies)
Magic Shell chocolate sauce
1 pint of ice cream, softened
Toppings: Let your imagination run wild

Instructions:
1. Place Oreo cookies in either a gallon-sized plastic zip-top bag and smash with your hands, or place on a cutting board and chop with a knife (or hammer, I suppose).
2. Put Oreo cookie pieces into a medium bowl and stir in chocolate sauce. Work at a steady pace, as chocolate sauce will begin to harden.
3. Spoon cookie mixture equally into muffin pan cups.
4. Spoon ice cream on top of cookie mixture and spread to fill cup. Put pan into freezer.
5. Lick spoon.
6. Wait impatiently.
7. Hide ice cream bombs from any dependent children.
8. Consume after offspring are asleep, or fib flagrantly if they catch you in the kitchen after-hours.

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Currently Reading:
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain – OK, I’ve tried to read this book a few times, but my track record with non-fiction is pretty dismal. I’m married to a textbook introvert, and it looks like I’m raising at least one introvert. That should’ve been enough to make me read this critically acclaimed book. However, I’ve now decided to make my book’s (manuscript’s) hero an introvert, so I have three important reasons to dive into this topic. So far, so good.