< PreviousV2_TacosAZ_MS6_020323.indd 18V2_TacosAZ_MS6_020323.indd 182/3/23 12:01 PM2/3/23 12:01 PM19 T H E A L P H A BE T OF TACO S INSTRUCTIONS 1.In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, dill, garlic powder, celery salt, and pepper until smooth. Pour into a squeeze bottle or jar. You will have more than you need; store leftover dressing in the refrigerator for up to a week. 2.Bake or air-fry the chicken tenders according to package instructions; this will take 18 to 20 minutes. While the chicken tenders bake, make the celery salad. Toss the greens and celery with enough of the ranch dressing to lightly coat the leaves. 3.When the chicken strips are ready, roughly chop them (2 to 3 chunks per chicken tender) and drizzle them with the wing sauce. Don’t coat the tenders completely; you want to have some areas of the breading left dry to retain their crunch. Fill the tortillas with the salad and tenders and serve with additional dressing and wing sauce at the table for those who want more on their tacos. TACO TIPS For a lighter version of this taco, coat 1½ pounds of sliced raw chicken breast with 1 tablespoon safflower oil and season with salt and pep- per. Grill over medium-high heat or broil the tenders until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Chop and toss with the wing sauce before proceeding with the recipe. V2_TacosAZ_MS6_020323.indd 19V2_TacosAZ_MS6_020323.indd 192/3/23 12:01 PM2/3/23 12:01 PMV2_TacosAZ_MS6_020323.indd 20V2_TacosAZ_MS6_020323.indd 202/3/23 12:01 PM2/3/23 12:01 PM21 Chocolate-Dipped Ice Cream Tacos s e r v e s 8 t o 1 0 I love the ice cream novelties that were called Choco Tacos. A genius fusion of a crisp taco-shaped waffle cone stuffed with ice cream, the sweet treat was invented by Alan Drazen, senior VP of Jack and Jill Ice Cream company, and later sold to Klondike. Sadly, the tacos were discontinued in August of 2022. Here’s my answer to their absence on the market: a recipe for simple homemade crispy cookie shells folded into a taco shape, filled with softened ice cream, and dipped in home- made chocolate candy coating. While the coating is still unset, you can dip the taco in chopped salted peanuts, crushed dehydrated berries, sprinkles, or cinnamon crunch cereal . . . whatever strikes your fancy! INGREDIENTS For the taco cookie shells and ice cream: 2 large egg whites ¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon salt ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (2¾ ounces) all-purpose flour (spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level with a knife) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 6 cups chocolate and vanilla swirl ice cream, softened slightly For the chocolate coating and toppings: ½ cups (3 ounces) dark chocolate (at least 65 percent), chopped 1½ tablespoons solid coconut oil 1 cup toppings of your choice (see headnote) V2_TacosAZ_MS6_020323.indd 21V2_TacosAZ_MS6_020323.indd 212/3/23 12:01 PM2/3/23 12:01 PM22 TACO S A -Z INSTRUCTIONS 1.Preheat the oven to 350°F and adjust an oven rack to the center position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Using a 4-inch bowl or ramekin, trace 3 circles on the parchment with a pencil. Flip the parchment paper and set aside. 2.Set a 1-inch-thick book with a long spine (something like a picture book works well) up next to the oven and place cans on either side of the book to steady it. You’ll use the book as a form to mold the flat cookies into taco shapes as they come out of the oven. Set a dish towel and a rectangular casserole dish on the counter as well. 3.Whisk the egg whites, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until smooth, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar. Whisk in ½ cup of the flour. Add the butter and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining tablespoon of flour and whisk until smooth. 4.Spoon 1 tablespoon of the batter into the center of each traced circle and spread evenly into 4-inch rounds, using a back-and-forth motion. You may need to steady the parchment with your fingertips as you spread. Put the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and bake until the rounds are light golden brown on the edges but still pliable, 10 to 12 minutes. 5.Moving quickly, scoop up a cookie with a spatula and set it on the spine of the book. Gen- tly push the cookie down over the spine of the book to create a taco shape; repeat with the other 2 cookies. Put a towel over the cookies (making sure that the cookies are centered on the spine of the book) and hold the cookies down for a few seconds. Let the cookies cool a bit on the book until set, pushing the cookies down a bit if they’ve sprung back. They will crisp up and retain their folded shape as the dough cools. Hang the cooled cookies on the rim of the casserole dish where they will continue to cool and set. 6.Continue the baking and bending process with the remaining batter to make 8 taco-shaped cookies. (You may be able to make a few more with the batter; I’ve calculated this recipe to factor in a few that break or crack.) 7.Gently spoon about ⅔ cup of ice cream into a cookie, or use more to fill the taco all the way up to the edges. Smooth with an offset spatula and place the taco upright in the casserole V2_TacosAZ_MS6_020323.indd 22V2_TacosAZ_MS6_020323.indd 222/3/23 12:01 PM2/3/23 12:01 PM23 T H E A L P H A BE T OF TACO S dish. Repeat with remaining tacos and ice cream. Freeze for at least 1 hour (wrap casserole dish with plastic or foil if freezing for longer than an hour as the ice cream will pick up any off flavors in the freezer). 8.To make the crispy chocolate shell, put the chocolate and coconut oil in a medium micro- wave-safe bowl. Microwave on high heat for 1 minute. Stir and continue to microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the mixture is smooth and glossy. (Alter- natively, put the chocolate and coconut oil in a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water on the stove and stir until smooth.) 9.Dip the top edges of the tacos in the chocolate and then very quickly dip the choco- late-covered part of the taco in your choice of toppings. Let the tacos stand at room tem- perature until the chocolate solidifies into a hard coating, about 2 minutes. Enjoy now, or store in the freezer in a covered container for up to 3 weeks. TACO TIPS Traditional store-brand ice cream, as opposed to gourmet brands, work best for this recipe. They have a fair amount of air whipped into them, which makes it easier to spread evenly into the taco shells. V2_TacosAZ_MS6_020323.indd 23V2_TacosAZ_MS6_020323.indd 232/3/23 12:01 PM2/3/23 12:01 PMNext >