5 Ice Cream Sandwiches to Make (and Eat) ASAP
Is there anything better in this world than an ice cream sandwich on a hot summer afternoon? From the classic straight-from-the-truck sandwich with slightly melted vanilla ice cream and cakelike chocolate cookies to more adventurous pairings like red velvet or oatmeal cookie sandwiches, it’s easy to mix and match your favorite flavors for different combinations all summer. Here are five of our favorites, plus an extra to try if you’re feeling like a challenge.
Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Drop a dollop of butter pecan ice cream between two oatmeal-raisin cookies and roll the edges in chopped pecans for an ice cream sandwich with a little bit of crunch. Raisins not your thing? Feel free to swap in chocolate chips — lots of chocolate chips. As with all homemade ice cream sandwiches, make sure to cool your cookies completely after baking before you begin assembling sandwiches.
Giada De Laurentiis gives these good-lookin’ sandwiches an extra dose of decadence by spreading melted chocolate and crumbled bits of chocolate-toffee candy bar on one half of her cookies (which become the tops of the sandwiches) and a thin layer of banana slices on the other half. The souped-up cookies spend about an hour in the freezer before a scoop of vanilla or banana ice cream brings them together to form the perfect summer party treat.
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Red Velvet Ice Cream Sandwiches
Looking for a fun 4th of July dessert? Consider festive red velvet cookie sandwiches with vanilla bean ice cream. Use a cookie or biscuit cutter to help measure the right ice-cream-to-cookie ratio as you assemble your sandwiches, then freeze them for at least four hours to prevent any premature melting.
Ingredients
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 ½ teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Fine salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 ½ teaspoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 pints ice cream, such as vanilla, butter pecan, strawberry, chocolate or pistachio
Directions
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and 1/8 teaspoon salt into a medium bowl.
Beat the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer) on medium speed just until combined. Beat in the egg yolk just until combined. Beat in the food coloring and vanilla until the color is evenly distributed, scraping down the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture. Beat just until the dough comes together. Form the dough into two 1-inch-thick disks, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Lightly dust a sheet of parchment paper with flour. Unwrap one disk, place it on the paper and cover with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thick. Peel off the plastic wrap and, using a 2 ½-inch round or square cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out the dough. Place the cut-outs on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart (about 12 cookies per sheet). Gather the scraps, chill until firm, roll again and cut. Repeat with the remaining disk.
Bake the cookies until brick-red and set, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Scoop a generous ¼ cup ice cream into a 2 ½-inch round or square cookie or biscuit cutter set on the parchment. Smooth the top flat and remove the cutter. Repeat with the remaining ice cream to form 12 to 14 disks or squares, spaced evenly apart. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
Place 1 portion of ice cream on 1 cookie and top with another cookie. Trim off any ragged edges of ice cream. Repeat with the remaining cookies and ice cream. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchens
Classic Ice Cream Sandwiches
Make throwback-style sandwiches with classic chocolate cookies and vanilla ice cream, or get creative with pints of different flavors like mint chip, salted caramel, or cookies and cream (for a chocolate-cookie double whammy). Instead of scooping the ice cream out of the containers, place each pint on its side and cut straight through with a serrated knife — the disks should be the perfect width for the cookies.
RELATED: How to Make Homemade Ice Cream Without a Machine
Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
An easy winner at kids’ parties this summer, Ree Drummond’s chocolate chip cookie sandwiches get a festive pop of color (and even more sugar) by having their edges rolled in chocolate candies. After rolling your cookies in the treat of your choice, wrap the sandwiches and put them back in the freezer until the ice cream firms up and the candies stay put.
Giant Ice Cream Sandwich
Though this behemoth of a sandwich from Food Network Magazine may look imposing, it’s the perfect (and perfectly easy to make!) dessert for an ice cream-loving crowd. Before you get started, make sure you’ve got space in your freezer to fit the finished product — it’ll be about 7 inches wide and more than a foot long — and keep an eye on the clock, as your dessert will need about two hours of freezing before it’s ready to be served.
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