(Photo: Hannah Whitaker/New York Magazine; Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano/Halley Resources)

Nutella panini have their charms, as do whoopie pies, but when it comes to dessert sandwiches, nothing trumps the good old ice-cream variety. There are two potential pitfalls in its construction, though, and Donna Chernow, pastry chef at the new Meatball Shop, handily avoids both. By using freshly baked cookies and scooping her housemade ice cream to order, she achieves optimal texture inside and out. Iciness isn’t an issue, nor is impenetrable cookie dough. We especially appreciate the opportunity to select not only the ice-cream flavor but also two different cookies in one sandwich. Our current favorite is mint encased between a chocolate-chip and a brownie, but chocolate-coated peanut-butter bookending chocolate ice cream comes close. That’s the thing about sandwiches, sweet and savory—the combinations are endless.

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• Archive: “Food Features”
• Articles by Robin Raisfeld | Rob Patronite
• Table of Contents: Jun 7, 2010 issue of New York | Subscribe!