Best Ice Cream Sandwich Summer 2018: Lick

When I told my friend I'd had the ice cream sandwich of my life the other day, he asked me whether I meant a real one or one made with sliced bread. It was a fair question—I have qualms with the standard-issue variety and like to leave the cookies out of the situation—but not this time.

My historic uncertainty about ice cream sandwiches is twofold. There's the unavoidable fact of getting chocolate cookie everywhere, and while I'm no neat freak, I don't like feeling like there has to be a sink nearby in order to have a good time. Second, the ice cream itself tends to be an afterthought. But Texas-based Lick Honest Ice Creams, which added ice cream sandwiches to its already-incredible lineup in 2016, is proving these (albeit minor) annoyances don't have to be true.

Lick's new-to-us treats were the midafternoon pick-me-up of dreams, and after an office-wide taste test, we all had different favorites. I was on Team Caramel Salt Lick, but the Dark Chocolate, Olive Oil & Sea Salt had more than a few fans.

All of Lick's sandwiches use local and sustainable ingredients, and the peanut butter option even comes with a side of goodwill: For every one sold, Lick gives a meal to a youth in need via Mealshare.

What's more, the ice cream is just as good as the half-inch-thick dense, chewy cookie, which is just as good as the ice cream, which is just as good as the cookie, which . . . you get it.

If you're not lucky enough to live in Texas to buy them in person, you can get them shipped across the country. Or, just move to Austin; it might be worth it for the ice cream sandwiches alone.