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For those that love words and those that love food, the combination is heaven. I first learned how literary food could make my mouth water and tongue slurp like Wile E. Coyote through Dr. Seuss. Green Eggs and Ham, man. Then, I remember reading how Edmund couldn’t resist Turkish Delights and loved how an author could make a sugary treat sound so tempting. I don’t need that much convincing, but it’s always pleasant to experience lovely language mixed with food. Preview: Dainty slapjacks garnished with honey and puddings made of delightful creaminess.

If you can make pancakes, then you can certainly cook crepes. These are thinner and lighter, but with the same flavor and texture as flapjacks. And these egg crepes aptly honor the egg in celebration of World Egg Day.

This is sheer egg on egg. A rich, elegant open-faced egg crepe which softly cradles a fabulous filling of plump apple slices cooked in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, fresh strawberry slices, on a base of dulce de leche caramel. Layer upon layer of this decadence is finally crowned by huge dollops of whipped cream. Cook the crepes ahead or make them on the spot for a warm dessert. Enjoy them with a cup of tea or coffee.

It’s simply egg-cellent!

What’s even more refreshing than Southern-style sweet tea with mint and peach? Southern sweet tea in pop form!

This cool recipe from Pops! By Krystina Castella is perfect for (Peach Month, as it uses six whole fruits that get frozen right into the pops. Make up a batch or two to share—you and your guests can beat the heat while enjoying sweet, fresh peaches.

Nothing says summer like an ice cream sandwich: creamy ice cream, little bits of moist chocolate cookie getting stuck to your fingertips, eating the whole thing before it melted into a goopy mess. You probably don’t need a reason to seek out one of these yummy summer treats, but now you’ve got one: it’s National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!

Even better, today we show you how to make your own… with chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream!

Here’s the recipe, from The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook by Lindsay Landis.

Old-Fashioned Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches

These tasty summertime treats take the classic ice cream sandwich to a whole new level with—what else?—cookie dough! The soft chocolate cookies make the perfect foundation for blocks of frozen cookie dough goodness: firm on the outside, chewy on the inside, with a hint of saltiness that intensifies the richness of the chocolate.

Makes: 9 sandwiches                     

Active Time: 35 minutes                                                   

Total Time: 12 to 24 hours

For Filling:

·       1 quart cookie dough ice cream, homemade or store-bought

For Cookies:

·       ½ cup vegetable shortening

·       1 ¼ cups light brown sugar, packed

·       ½ teaspoon baking powder

·       ¾ teaspoon salt

·       ½ cup dark or Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted

·       ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder

·       ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

·       2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Directions:

1. Line a 9-by-9 inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper.

2. If using homemade ice cream, prepare as described on page 89. Immediately after churning, stir in cookie dough bits and then spread ice cream into the prepared pan. If using store-bought ice cream, soften it slightly and then spread it into the prepared pan. Freeze overnight or until firm.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F

4. In a large mixing bowl, beat together shortening and sugar with an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Mix in 1 cup of the flour, followed by 2 tablespoons of water, and then add the remaining 1 cup flour and another 2 tablespoons of water, mixing well until no dry ingredients remain. Dough should be soft and pliable but not sticky; if necessary, add more water until dough comes together.

5. On a lightly floured surface, turn out half the dough and roll it to an even ¼-inch thickness. Using a ruler and a rotary cutter or paring knife, cut dough into 3-inch squares. Alternatively, use a similarly sized cookie cutter to make fluted or circular cookies.

6. Transfer cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Using a chopstick or skewer, poke an even pattern of holes on each cookie’s surface. (Note: This step is purely decorative and can be skipped if you prefer your cookies sans holes.) Roll out, cut, and poke remaining dough, rerolling scraps as you work. You should have just enough for 18 cookies. Place sheets of cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking.

7. Bake 7 to 8 minutes, or until tops are matte and cookies are just set. Do not overbake.

8. Remove from oven and let cookies cool 2 to 3 minutes on baking sheet. Transfer to cooling racks to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate or freeze cookies until ready to use.

9. To assemble sandwiches, use the edges of the parchment to carefully lift the block of firm ice cream from baking pan and place it on a cutting board. Using a large knife, cut ice cream into 9 equal squares. (If you used a shaped cutter for your cookies, use the same cutter for the ice cream.) Place 1 piece of ice cream between 2 chilled cookies and press cookies lightly to adhere. Freeze sandwiches until ready to serve.

Quick Tip: A standard-sized Post-It note happens to be exactly 3 inches. Use it as a template to make cutting perfect squares a breeze. 

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Oh cheesecake. So rich, so creamy, so totally deserving of a holiday of its own. The delectable dessert has roots running all the way back to ancient Greece, and is now enjoyed in various forms around the world. In honor of National Cheesecake Day (it’s a thing, it was yesterday), Quirk is serving up a unique recipe from the book Pops! Icy Treats for Everyone by Krystina Castella.

Perfect for summer, these Blueberry Cheesecake Pops have all of the essential cheesecake elements: graham cracker crust, creamy cheesy filling, and delicious fruit topping. You may think you know cheesecake, but you’ve never had it quite like this.

For the chocoholic in all of us, a slight twist on a classic ice cream flavor: Chocolate Cookie Dough Ice Cream.

Lindsay Landis’ egg-free cookie dough recipe means you can chow down on the dough itself to your heart’s content… so you might want to make a little extra.