As Promised... Cinnamon Ice Cream Sandwiches with Homemade Caramel

Last night after our lovely steak dinner, I posted details about Birchwood Farms and where you could find the quality ingredients I cooked with as well as the recipes. I was, however, over indulged and sleepy so I promised to post the simple makings of the delish dessert we had. It certainly contributed to the over indulged part.

I started with store-bought sugar cookies, Vortmann's because they were a bit larger. If I had more time, I would've opted to make them myself but these worked in a time crunch. Earlier in the day, I spent a good five minutes studying the ice cream shelves at Birchwood before finally settling on the Cinnamon. Important note that even people who are lactose intolerant can have their ice cream, including my daughter and I. It's magical. But besides the magical part, the processing of the ice cream is done in a way so that we can have it. I was trying to soak up so much information when I visited that I didn't realize I was at capacity and I'm blanking out on some important details!  Forgive me. But I'm going to make it up right now by giving you the ingredients to salted caramel, which turned out to be simple and ridiculously good.

I found this recipe on my favorite blog of all time, which is run by my blogging idol, Ree Drummond. I think she's hilarious and witty and darn pretty too, but I'm partial because I like her charm and her red hair, of course. I could go on forever her about her site, or could tell you to check it out because I'm certain you'll find it as wonderful as I do. Just click here: The Pioneer Woman. Go figure I'd love a site called Pioneer Woman. No shocker there!  The recipe is simple and simply AWESOME. Got how simple it is? Simply simple.

You Need:

• ½ cups Heavy Cream


• 2 cups Sugar


• ½ cups Water


• ¼ cups Unsalted Butter, Cut Into Pieces


• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt


• 2 packages (about 1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon) Powdered Gelatin Mixed With 1/4 Cup Water

Warm the heavy cream, but don't boil it, in a small saucepan.  Now, on the Pioneer Woman site, she notes to use a TALL saucepan to boil the sugar and water (don't stir it, by the way).  I THOUGHT my saucepan was tall enough. It wasn't. So while I was trying to keep an eye on my non-boiling heavy cream, and on my boiling sugar-water waiting for it to turn AMBER (and NO darker. Please.) I got panicky because when the sugar-water begins to boil, it creeps up higher and higher. And higher. And suddenly, you realize your saucepan is, in fact, not tall enough at all.  So then I had to run around opening and closing my cabinets looking frantically for a taller saucepan, and then remember that its hanging on the nifty pot rack I just installed. Not my shining brainiac moment.

Once the creeping bubbles turn amber, remove it from the heat. And I assure you, a watched pot will indeed boil. Eventually. Because I was a first timer making this, I watched that tall(er) pot like a hawk waiting for it to turn amber.

Once you've removed it from the heat, stir in the cream and the butter and salt. You can add the gelatin now, I didn't. I added the cinnamon ice cream to the middle of two cookies, smooshed (technical term) them together and spooned the caramel over the top. 

I got repeated requests for more of everything, and the caramel was so much better than store-bought. It was simple, and the kids kept saying, "Mom made this caramel?!"  I tried to ignore the surprise in their voice.

Enjoy.  We certainly did!