Penny, an exciting new seafood and raw-bar kitchen situated in New York City’s East Village, boasts an impressive menu with oysters, delicious Maine lobster, and an ice cream sandwich that is legendarily good. Behind this delectable marvel is Chef Joshua Pinsky, the co-owner of Penny, who makes this sweet treat by trading in the traditional half-frozen cookie for a sumptuously soft slice of brioche filled with vanilla ice cream-creating a literal ice cream sandwich.

"I was drawn to creating simple yet meaningful desserts, and an ice cream sandwich felt like a perfect balance of casual and whimsical," Pinksy explains. The chef and his culinary team had initially experimented with various cookies for the sandwich base, but they never quite managed to realize the soft and squishy texture Pinksy desired. "One fateful day, we were working on our ice cream switch but didn't have any cookies. That’s when we decided to use our in-house baked daily sesame brioche. The result was nothing short of culinary magic."

This is not your ordinary brioche. Typically served as a delicious appetizer with anchovy-draped butter, this soft, super squishy mini milk bread brioche loaf transforms when filled with vanilla ice cream, passionfruit jam, and salted strawberries. Unlike a cookie, the bread absorbs the ice cream while its seeded brown crust diligently captures any escaping drips.

This reinvented dessert and its less sugary taste permit the vibrant flavors from the salted strawberries and the sour-yet-sweet passion citron jam to dance harmoniously with the vanilla ice cream's sweetness. Reminiscent of an Italian brioche con gelato, a brioche bun filled with a dollop of gelato, this literal ice cream sandwich brings more satisfaction by retaining its sandwich look. One can even slice it diagonally without disturbing the ice cream.

Keen to keep his dessert creation exciting, Pinksy plans to introduce different versions of this ice cream sandwich, adapting to seasonal availability. "I'm currently considering introducing blueberries with caramelized white chocolate once they're in season. Maybe something similar to apple pie in winter," he muses, "and I’m definitely excited for a peaches and cream rendition."

Pinsky's formula for the ice cream sandwich at Penny isn't just innovative-it opens up limitless possibilities. Better still, anyone can reproduce it at home. Pinksy advises using Japanese milk bread, but even Wonder bread, challah, or any squishy white bread can work. "Feel free to experiment with different genres of jams and jellies, “he suggests,” and customize it with your favorite flavor of ice cream. After all, the ice cream sandwich is made for personalizing."