Make the Best Grilled Arepa Ice Cream Sandwiches

The ice cream sandwich has always been ripe for innovation. At first, “bread” was cookies and waffles, but soon donuts, buns and pop tarts broke this stereotype . We haven’t had a new ice cream car in a while. Fortunately, I only know one thing. Make an incredible arepa ice cream sandwich.

Arepas are great for this important role as they have all the necessary qualities that make them a good ice cream stand. They are soft but not crumbly (even if you split one in half to expose the soft center). When you take a bite of the sandwich, the arepa will stay intact and won’t get tough. Arepas have a dense crumb, so they won’t get wet and get their fingers dirty with melted ice cream. Flat, round shape and medium size make for a large serving. Arepa is naturally gluten-free and, most importantly, is a delicious carbohydrate.

To make your own Arepa Ice Cream Sandwich, buy a pack of them from the refrigerator section of the supermarket or make your own. This recipe is a basic arepa and has a neutral flavor, but you can make it sweet by adding two tablespoons of white sugar to the dry ingredients.

Bring the arepa to room temperature. Use a serrated knife and separate the sides and center of the arepa to make two circles. Place a couple scoops of ice cream in the center of the cut half of the arepa half. Cover with the other half so that the fluffy inside is adjacent to the ice cream, and eat immediately. (Alternatively, you can just use two whole arepas and an ice cream sandwich in the center.)

I made a sandwich with caramel corn ice cream and arepa, and it brought me great joy. I made a thicker version of arepas de choclo, an arepa dough that includes mashed sweet corn and mozzarella cheese. After they cooled, I split the arepa and added a scoop of Talenti salted caramel ice cream to the center. This portable summer snack was sweet, salty, and a little smoky. Roasting any type of arepa corn dough produces small, charred patches that give the ice cream sandwich a slight smoky flavor. You won’t regret it.

You can even make arepa ice cream sandwiches in batches. Simply separate and freeze the arepa halves first, then load them with ice cream, wrap tightly and freeze again for a future snack. Arepas vary by recipe ( they are thinner , for example), but the recipe below produces a thicker arepa de choclo, ideal for halving.

Arepas de Choclo

Ingredients:

• ⅔ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ¾ cup sweet corn kernels
• ½ cup pre-cooked cornmeal ( masarepa precocida )
• 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup shredded mozzarella (or quesito columbiano )

Add butter to milk in a small measuring cup. Place the milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds to melt the butter, but it should not be too hot. Puree the corn in a food processor. Add a bit of milk mixture if that makes it easier to crush the corn. Add the cheese to a food processor and process it a few times.

In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients. Add pureed corn mixture and mix thoroughly. Cover and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. After resting, the dough should resemble soft clay. Divide the dough into four pieces. With the palms of your hands, form each piece into a flat round disk about four inches in diameter.

In a skillet over medium to low heat, sear each arepa until browned on both sides. Refrigerate before dividing and filling with ice cream.