Neighborhood Eats: The Treats Truck | ABC7 New York

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By abc7NY

Friday, June 20, 2008

NEW YORK It's sort of like the ice cream truck, but so much more.

It's called the Treats Truck, and when the truck pulls up, the lines form. The Treats Truck has been around for nearly a year and usually makes several stops a day in Manhattan, from NoHo to the Flatiron District to the Upper West Side.

"I was in the middle of a conversation with a friend, and all of a sudden, I was like, the Treats Truck!" Kim Imo said. "I can't imagine anything better. And that was it."

And out of that "ah-ha!" moment, the Treats Truck was born. It runs on compressed natural gas, and Kim drives it through the city five days a week.

It's sort of like a traveling bake sale. Customers come with lists and orders from friends.

And each neighborhood tends to have a certain sort of sweet tooth.

"I don't know what it is about Midotwn, they love peanut butter," Imo said. "Upper West, better have cinammon and lemon cookies."

All the treats are baked daily in Brooklyn. And one of Kim's favorites is the caramel cream sandwich cookie. Both the dough and the filling call for browned butter.

Kim uses a machine to roll out her dough, then cuts circles. The dough is baked. Once cooled, the browned butter filing is piped on and a sandwich is made. But whether it's the caramel cookies or something else, the Treats Truck provides an opportunity to induldge.

For more on the Treats Truck, click here.

Recipe for Caramel Creme Sandwich Cookie:

Cookie Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown sugar (pack it in!)

1 cup butter

1 egg yolk

2 cups all-purpose flour

Cookie Preparation:

Beat brown sugar and butter together, add egg yolk. After it is well mixed, add the flour. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Heat oven at 325.

To shape the cookies, you can either roll out the dough and cut it with a cookie cutter or shape the dough into small circles by hand. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet. If you want, you can use parchment paper on the cookie sheet. Bake for 10-14 minutes, depending on your oven. The cookies make the best sandwiches when they are not overbaked. Cool before assembling.

Icing Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4 to 5 teaspoons milk

Icing Preparation:

Brown the butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Stir often. Look for little brown specks in the melted butter. Take off the stove. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. When the cookies have cooled, assemble the sandwiches.

Depending on the size of cookie you prefer, you will have 20-30 sandwich cookies. Enjoy!