Old-Fashioned Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches

Nothing says summer like an ice cream sandwich: creamy ice cream, little bits of moist chocolate cookie getting stuck to your fingertips, eating the whole thing before it melted into a goopy mess. You probably don’t need a reason to seek out one of these yummy summer treats, but now you’ve got one: it’s National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!

Even better, today we show you how to make your own… with chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream!

Here’s the recipe, from The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook by Lindsay Landis.

Old-Fashioned Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches

These tasty summertime treats take the classic ice cream sandwich to a whole new level with—what else?—cookie dough! The soft chocolate cookies make the perfect foundation for blocks of frozen cookie dough goodness: firm on the outside, chewy on the inside, with a hint of saltiness that intensifies the richness of the chocolate.

Makes: 9 sandwiches                     

Active Time: 35 minutes                                                   

Total Time: 12 to 24 hours

For Filling:

·       1 quart cookie dough ice cream, homemade or store-bought

For Cookies:

·       ½ cup vegetable shortening

·       1 ¼ cups light brown sugar, packed

·       ½ teaspoon baking powder

·       ¾ teaspoon salt

·       ½ cup dark or Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted

·       ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder

·       ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

·       2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Directions:

1. Line a 9-by-9 inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper.

2. If using homemade ice cream, prepare as described on page 89. Immediately after churning, stir in cookie dough bits and then spread ice cream into the prepared pan. If using store-bought ice cream, soften it slightly and then spread it into the prepared pan. Freeze overnight or until firm.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F

4. In a large mixing bowl, beat together shortening and sugar with an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Mix in 1 cup of the flour, followed by 2 tablespoons of water, and then add the remaining 1 cup flour and another 2 tablespoons of water, mixing well until no dry ingredients remain. Dough should be soft and pliable but not sticky; if necessary, add more water until dough comes together.

5. On a lightly floured surface, turn out half the dough and roll it to an even ¼-inch thickness. Using a ruler and a rotary cutter or paring knife, cut dough into 3-inch squares. Alternatively, use a similarly sized cookie cutter to make fluted or circular cookies.

6. Transfer cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Using a chopstick or skewer, poke an even pattern of holes on each cookie’s surface. (Note: This step is purely decorative and can be skipped if you prefer your cookies sans holes.) Roll out, cut, and poke remaining dough, rerolling scraps as you work. You should have just enough for 18 cookies. Place sheets of cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking.

7. Bake 7 to 8 minutes, or until tops are matte and cookies are just set. Do not overbake.

8. Remove from oven and let cookies cool 2 to 3 minutes on baking sheet. Transfer to cooling racks to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate or freeze cookies until ready to use.

9. To assemble sandwiches, use the edges of the parchment to carefully lift the block of firm ice cream from baking pan and place it on a cutting board. Using a large knife, cut ice cream into 9 equal squares. (If you used a shaped cutter for your cookies, use the same cutter for the ice cream.) Place 1 piece of ice cream between 2 chilled cookies and press cookies lightly to adhere. Freeze sandwiches until ready to serve.

Quick Tip: A standard-sized Post-It note happens to be exactly 3 inches. Use it as a template to make cutting perfect squares a breeze. 

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