Okay, so it’s not just any old sandwich. The brioche con gelato brings the ice cream sandwich to a whole new level. This Sicilian speciality takes a fresh, toasted brioche bun and stuffs it with Italian gelato.
Being of Italian descent, I tend to think I know a lot about Italian cuisine. But it wasn’t until I was sitting on the couch, watching a travel show on Food Network, that I became aware of this game changing dessert.
The classic American ice cream sandwich takes regular ice cream and stuffs it between two American cookies – by no means an inferior combination. This Sicilian equivalent, however, has characteristic European flair by merging an Italian staple, gelato, with the much loved French brioche.
I love ice cream, I love bread, I have Italian family and I study French – so this treat sounded like something I had to try! Sadly a quick trip to Sicily wasn’t really on the cards, so I set about creating my own brioche con gelato in my little student kitchen, and this is how it went.
The taste test
Freshly baked brioche buns are hard to come by in this small Fife town, so I opted for a Tesco brioche burger bun and combined it with my ultimate favourite ice cream – Haagen Dasz Pralines and Cream, but you can use any ice cream you like, or if you’re feeling adventurous even make your own!
After a minor setback when I realised I don’t have an ice cream scoop (I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup instead – an inspired improvisation if you ask me) all it took was a quick toasting of the brioche and two scoops of ice cream before I could sink my teeth into this tempting treat.
What makes each bite of this game-changing sandwich so satisfying is the contrast in textures and temperatures. The combination of warm, slightly crisp, toasted brioche and cold, soft, creamy ice cream keeps you coming back for more and more.
What makes this even more exciting, is that the Sicilians often eat it for breakfast! So next time you find yourself eating ice cream out of the tub the morning after a big night out (these things happen), you can be safe in the knowledge that you are not a terrible human being, but just indulging in a more continental lifestyle.