In 1950s in Mumbai, a certain Irani gentleman Khodabux Rustom Irani opened an ice cream parlour, and named it K Rustom & Co. It is said that they served creamy ice cream in elegant china plates, but they were fragile and prone to breaking. To resolve this issue, the founders got rid of the cutlery, cut their ice cream into neat rectangles and served them sandwiched between two wafers with a tissue to go. To this day, K Rustom is one of the most popular ice cream places and is credited with introducing the city to the iconic sandwich ice cream.
The sandwich ice cream is a harmonious blend of textures and flavours. Several gelatarias and content creators have their own spin on this sinful treat. On Thursday, the host of the food show Taste the Nation, Padmalakhmi, posted about baklava ice cream sandwiches. The name is self explanatory. The dessert is a thick slice of ice cream served between crispy, flaky, rose-syrup dipped baklava. A melange of flavours that combine to create something spectacular.
A few weeks ago, two new gelatarias opened in Mumbai that have options for pairing ice cream with breads, croissants and cookies. Affogato in Khar serves gelato between two thick and chewy cookies. To add another twist, they offer a scoop of gelato in croissant cones. A croissant is cut into two halves; one part is hollowed out and a scoop of gelato is placed in it. It can’t get more indulgent than this—pairing a buttery croissant with creamy gelato. The Gelato Bar in Bandra West has a similar menu with the addition of brookies (brownie-meets-cookies) and brioche buns. Scoops of gelato are neatly placed on a halved brioche bun, like a sinful gelato burger.
If you are craving a thick slice of ice cream between two slices of toasted buttery bread, go for it. And, if you want to make ice cream sandwiches from scratch, here’s a recipe:
