Has this ever happened to you?

You duck into the grocery store for one thing (something you need for a recipe and/or forgot from the last visit to the store). Once in the store you start thinking about other things you need, and soon you have a cart full of stuff. (And of course you didn’t bring your reusable bags in from the car because you were only supposed to be getting one thing.) All this, and by the time you get home you realize you forgot the one thing you went to the store for in the first place.

This just happened to me today, and not for the first time.  I think I should coin it “Grocery Store ADD”, and shopping lists are the only way to cure it. Unfortunately, I didn’t bother making a list because I was only supposed to be getting one thing – gruyère cheese for my cauliflower gratin. The cheese never made it home. Before I could get to the cheese aisle, I had to pass some Halloween displays and the ice cream aisle end cap display. This is what got me derailed:

I’d never noticed this product before, and instantly I had an idea that got me all excited (and forgetful, apparently).  The wheels were turning.

With a few store-bought products and the vanilla ice cream I had at home, I could quickly whip up some ice cream witches’ hats for after school snacks. By cutting down the cones, the portion of ice cream becomes just right for kids (or, ahem, moms).

Ice Cream Witches’ Hats

Makes up to 12 hats

• 1 box Oreo® Cones (12-ct)
• 1 package Famous Chocolate Wafers
• Any flavor ice cream
• 1 tube orange Decorating icing

Set out the ice cream to soften slightly, and clear a flat surface in the freezer.

Using a serrated knife, saw 1” off the wide end of the cones.

Using a teaspoon, fill the mini cones with ice cream. You want just enough to fill the cone; too much extra and the ice cream will ooze out.

Place atop a chocolate wafer and place in the freezer; repeat with remaining cones.

Attach a star-shaped tip to the tube of icing and squeeze little stars around the cone/wafer seam. Return to freezer.

Once  ice cream and icing has hardened, carefully place hats in a large freezer bag until ready to serve.

Alternative Halloween ice cream sandwiches:

Place small scoops of ice cream onto chocolate wafers. Top with another wafer and freeze until firm.  Roll exposed edges of ice cream in mini chocolate chips, sprinkles or candy corns.  Wrap individually in wax paper and freeze until ready to serve.