I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been in a really bad mood lately. And you have too. Don’t deny it! Who knows if it’s the heat, the smog, or just a general LA summer malaise but there’s a crankiness hovering over the city these days. Perhaps our bitterness is the adult angst of knowing that school will never be out again. Oh, Alice Cooper, why do you mock me so? August 2nd was National Ice Cream Sandwich Day and I totally forgot to celebrate! When did I grow up? How could I forget such an auspicious day? If you’re asking yourself the same question, follow me to Westwood where there is a bastion of cookie comfort waiting to take your woes away on the cheap. Whether it’s the 35 cent cookie you crave or the full $1.25 splurge for a sandwich, Diddy Riese will release your inner child on the sugar rush of its life. Forget August 2nd! Everyday is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day at Diddy Riese.

Each cookie is soft, chewy, and fresh. Some days, you even get them just-out-of-the-oven hot. They have mastered the art of the cookie here and they happily share their gifts with the legions of rabid fans and followers that queue up daily. Awaiting cookie assignment is Dreyers Ice Cream; cold, creamy and divine, they have all your favorite flavors on tap. When applied to the warm cookies you get the perfect combination of ice cream melt against cookie chill. The gooeyness remains but the cookie becomes slightly more al dente as the ice cream starts to gently melt in a way that demands you throw caution to the wind (it’s such a boring adult constraint anyway) and lick that thing like you mean it! Eat it the way you did when you were eight and didn’t care how gluttonous you looked!

There may be a line (usually quite long on weekends or as movies let out of the two neighboring theaters) but any wait is well worth it as a heavenly hovering aroma keeps you company. What is that celestial scent? It might be Double Chocolate White Chocolate; a dark chocolate cookie with chocolate and white chocolate chunks that pairs excellently with mint chip ice cream as a sandwich filler. Or maybe it’s the Candy Cookie; a sugar cookie studded with large M&M-like candies that have slightly melted centers which burst with warm chocolate eruptions (so great with French vanilla). There’s Macadamia White Chocolate, Cinnamon Sugar, Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, a myriad of choices that all deserve your devotion and Dreyers Ice Cream just waiting for a cookie counterpart to make your day. It’s a $1.25 Summer Vacation for your taste buds. Happy National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!

Diddy Riese Cookies
926 Broxton Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Mon-Fri: 10am-12am
Sat-Sun: 12pm-1am

We’ve almost arrived at the end of Peach season…but we ain’t there yet. For those less inclined to the pure sugar bonanza, here’s a sorbet recipe that can be done with or without an ice cream maker and uses the last of this year’s incredible summer stone fruit.

Fresh Peach Sorbet
Yields 4 Servings
Ingredients-
1 lb. Fresh Peaches, washed and pitted (or other ripe stone fruit)
1 Lemon, juiced and zested
1/2 cup sugar

1. In the bowl of a food processor, puree peaches.
2. Add lemon juice and sugar. Pulse several times to combine.
3. Strain mixture into a large bowl and mix in lemon zest.

If you have an ice-cream maker:
4. Refrigerate mixture for 1 hour.
5. Pour into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.
6. Transfer sorbet to an airtight container and freeze for two hours or overnight before serving.

If you do not have an ice cream maker:
4. Pour sorbet mixture directly from the food processor into a shallow baking pan and place in freezer.
5. Freeze until firm, stirring everything 30 minutes for 2 hours.
6. Place frozen mixture back in food processor and process until smooth. Return to an airtight container and freeze for two hours or overnight before serving.
7. Serve and Enjoy!