Before I began blogging, I had no idea there were so many food and drink holidays out there. I’m definitely not opposed to having a reason to celebrate, though, so bring on the special occasions!

Today’s National Ice Cream Sandwich Day, and it’s only right to commemorate the day with a variation of the sweet treat. And for more fun, let’s add a bit of booze–I’m thinkin’Four Roses Bourbon. Now it’s a real party. Check out these recipes from Marbled, Swirled, and Layered, a must-have cookbook by Irvin Lin. If you bake these oatmeal cookies and combine them with vanilla and peach-bourbon ice cream, you’ve got the perfect way to #handcraftthemoment and enjoy National Ice Cream Day.

Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (225 g or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup (220 g) packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons mild-flavored honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (225 g) thick-cut rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (160 g) dried blueberries

Make the Oatmeal Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats. Place the butter, both sugars, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on media speed until the butter is fluffy and sticks to the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, waiting for the first one to incorporate and scraping down the sides of the bowl before adding the next. Add the oats and flour and mix on low, then increase the mixer speed as the dry ingredients are incorporated. Add the dried blueberries and mix on low speed until just blended in.

Scoop the cookie dough in about 2-tablespoon amounts onto the lined baking sheets, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart. Flatten the dough slightly with the palm of your hand (the cookies will continue to spread a lot as they bake) and bake until lightly brown at the edges, 11 to 13 minutes. Don’t overbake these cookies, as you want them soft for the ice cream sandwiches. Let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. Once cool, stack the cookies in a plastic container and freeze for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Vanilla and Peach-Bourbon Ice Cream 

Ingredients

Vanilla Ice Cream Custard

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar, divided
• 1 vanilla bean
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Peach-Bourbon Mix-In

• 1/4 pound (340 or 2 or 3 medium) ripe peaches
• 1/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla bean pod (from the custard, above)
• 1/4 cup bourbon (I highly recommend using Four Roses Bourbon…and pouring yourself a glass while you bake)

Make the Vanilla Ice Cream Custard

Combine the cream, milk, and 1/4 cup (50 g) of the sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring the cream to a near simmer over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until you see small bubbles start to form on the sides of the pan. Turn off the heat. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the cream, then add the vanilla bean pod as well. Cover the pan and let steep for 30 minutes.

Combine the egg yolks, salt, and the remaining 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar in a heatproof bowl. Reheat the cream to a near simmer as before, then remove from the heat. Drizzle about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into the bowl of egg yolks, stirring constantly with a whisk. Repeat with another 1/2 cup of hot cream. Return the egg yolk mixture to the pan with the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly.

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula and making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the pan so nothing cooks too fast or scorches, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon and holds a line when you draw a finger across the custard, 3 to 5 minutes. Open a 1-gallon zip-top plastic bag and set it in a large bowl. Place a fine-mesh strainer inside the bag and pour the ice cream base through the strainer into the bag. Rinse off the vanilla bean pod and save it for making the peach mix-in. Fill the bowl with ice from 2 ice cube trays and water. Submerge the bag in the ice water and let sit for 30 minutes, or longer, until the ice cream base is cold. Move the bag to a smaller bowl and refrigerate overnight. (You will add the vanilla extract to the base later).

Make the Peach-Bourbon Mix-In

Peel the peaches. The best way to do this is to bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice cubes and water. Cut an “X” on the bottom of each peach with a sharp paring knife. Then submerge the peaches in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Once the time is up (don’t wait for the water to boil again), remove the peaches with a slotted spoon and plunge them into the ice water. Let sit for 10 seconds, then peel the skins off with your fingers.

Cut the peaches in half and discard the pits. Puree the peaches in a food processor or blender. Measure out 1 cup of the puree and place it in a medium saucepan. Add the sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon stick, and the reserved vanilla bean pod. Cook over medium-high heat until the puree starts to boil. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes. The puree will have reduced a bit and thickened to the consistency of applesauce. Let cook completely. Discard the cinnamon sticks and vanilla pod, stir in the bourbon, and pour into an airtight container. Freeze overnight.

Here’s where we put it all together!

Stir the vanilla into the ice cream custard base. Churn the custard in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Create sandwiches by smearing the ice cream in between two cookies. Freeze prior to serving. Enjoy!

And take a gander at this delightful recipe created by my fave, Chef M! It’s an Old Fashioned Ice Cream Sandwich. I loooove a good Old Fashioned, and now it can be made in dessert form! My prayers have been answered. If you happen to make these yummy treats, send me a pic…and a sample!

Recipe extracted from Marbled, Swirled, and Layered by Irvin Lin. Book courtesy of The Baddish Group. Many thanks to Laura Baddish and Melissa Hass!