I told you I did something fantastic with that ice cream recipe from earlier this week.
The cookies are straight from my book. While I always hesitate to pick favorites, if I HAD to choose, the Old-Fashioned Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches (seen on the cover) would probably be it. Something about the salty chocolate cookies and the rich homemade ice cream are just perfect together.
And while I’d argue that there are few things better than Cookie Dough Ice Cream, the recipe is ripe for adaptation. Indeed, you could sandwich just about any flavor of ice cream between these cookies and your tastebuds would be mighty pleased.
Making ice cream sandwiches is easier than you’d think. The key? Parchment paper and cookie cutters. Line your baking pan with parchment paper before you add the ice cream. You’ll then be able to pull out the entire frozen block. Use the same cutter for your cookies as you do for the ice cream, and they’ll fit perfectly together. You can also simply cut the cookies and ice cream into squares if you so desire.
I was feeling round this time.
Use a skewer or a smooth chopstick to poke the holes. They have no purpose other than pure decoration so leave them off if you must, but I think they really give the sandwiches that classic look.
The cookie itself is the most important part of the recipe. It’s somewhere between a chocolate sable and a sugar cookie: slightly crisp on the edges but soft and chewy on the inside, just soft enough so you can bite into them right out of the freezer. The hit of espresso powder is not necessarily discernible in the final product, it just helps to deepen the chocolate flavor. Don’t skip it. And be sure to use a good, dark cocoa powder (might I suggest Cocao Barry Extra Brute?) and ample salt: otherwise it’d just be a bland cookie. And no one wants a bland cookie.
Creme de Menthe Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1 quart(ish) homemade Andes mint ice cream or store bought mint chip ice cream
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dark or Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Directions:
Line a quarter sheet pan or 9×9-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper. If using store bought ice cream, let it soften at room temperature until it is the consistency of soft-serve. If using homemade ice cream, churn ice cream according to manufacturer’s instructions. Spread ice cream into the prepared pan to desired thickness (for these particular sandwiches, the ice cream is about 3/4-inch thick. In a quarter sheet pan I used about 2/3 of a quart. For a thicker layer, use an entire quart in a 9×9 baking pan). Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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.
On a lightly floured surface, turn out half the dough and roll it to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Using a ruler and a rotary cutter or paring knife, cut dough into 3-inch squares. Alternatively, use a 3-inch round or novelty cookie cutter to cut out cookies.
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. 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.
Bake 7 to 8 minutes, or until tops are matte and cookies are just set. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and let cookies cool 2 to 3 minutes on baking sheet. Transfer to cooling racks to cool to room temperature. Freeze cookies in an airtight container until ready to use.
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.
Cookie recipe from The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook.
All images and text ©Lindsay Landis / Love & Olive OilDid you make this recipe?
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About the ice cream sandwich cookies—is shortening essential for the structure, or could you substitute butter?
It really helps to keep the cookie soft, which is especially important for frozen cookies (hard frozen cookies are hard to eat!) Technically you CAN use all butter but the shortening really does make a noticeable difference!
I just saw Heidi link this. That cutout method for the ice cream is brilliant! pinned
These look amazing, and the photos are just exquisite (especially the first one). Love all things chocolate, mint and ice cream!
do you deliver these?! this is my FAVORITE ice cream in a chocolate cookie sandwich? i can’t even imagine how good they were.
Oaooh! I adore your Ice Cream Sandwiches! They looks so adorable! It must be tasty to. Really great job.
This recipe seems so delicious, it makes my mouth water. I’ve just discover your blog with StumbleUpon, a post from 2010! StumbleUpon is like throwing a bottle with a message to the sea, one day will come to a port although no one knows when.
Ok, these just look like perfection! I’m going to attempt to make them, but a Gluten Free version. Wish me luck! I’ll let you know how they turn out! :)
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Wow, I love the technique for making these sandwiches – I never thought to spread out the ice cream on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper before, but that should work perfectly… I’m featuring this post in today’s Food Fetish Friday (with a link-back and attribution as always). Thank you so much for keeping me inspired with such delicious creations…
These look like absolute perfection, Linds! I love you used a cookie cutter to match the shape of the ice cream to the wafers … this coming from a fellow OCD’er :)
Wow, I think I just feel in love with these icecream sandwiches!
These look absolutely amazing, putting my ice cream maker in the freezer right now!
Lindsay these are beautiful!! I would have never thought to use cookie cutters to make sure they were round and perfect – mainly because I’m a loopy ditz. Wow!!
These look so amazing and the photos are gorgeous! I’m such a lover of all things mint, so I definitely want to give your ice cream a try.
This recipe reminds me of my grandma. We grew up in Russia so ice cream sandwich is not something I know of, but my granny would always eat her ice cream with a piece of fresh bread. I never tasted it, I found it odd and thought it’s because she lived through the second world war and would eat anything with a piece of bread…
But today I read through your recipe I looked at your beautiful photos and I think I was a fool not wanting to try a combination of cold and smooth ice cream with soft, sweet bread…
Now this recipe is on my “must try” list – and it will serve as a great excuse to why I must buy an ice maker:-)
I think your next cookbook should be all about ice cream. And feature these on the cover. Stunning photography and what an easy, approachable recipe!
Love the recipe, and look absolutly delicious, but I think Im a bit lazy to stay 12 hours cooking :)))
Great great post!!
These look and sound wonderful. Can butter be used in the cookies or is vegetable shortening essential?
The shortening helps the cookies stay soft. While butter would probably work ok, the resulting cookie would be more crunchy than soft. Good, but maybe not ideal for this purpose. :)
I love your tip for making these. It’s even easier than the method I used previously! These look incredibly delicious btw!
The texture on those cookies looks absolutely perfect. Can’t wait to try this one! I agree about the little holes, too!
These are my favourite flavours, and I’m excited to hear that the cookies are chewy and soft in the middle–a must for an ice cream sandwich in my opinion.
These look absolutely gorgeous! I’ve said it before, but I adore your photography!
Not sure I’ll be ale to resist making these for too long. They look fantastic!
These ice cream sandwiches are fantastic! My boyfriend’s sister is all about homemade ice cream sandwiches and she would love these! She recently made some with oatmeal cookies, but I’ll have to share this recipe with her because she’d go nuts over the sandwich part of the recipe as well as the Andes Mint ice cream – her favorite flavor is mint chocolate chips. Wonderful thinking!
Of course! I think I actually knew this method to making ice cream sandwiches, but my attempts are much more spontaneous. It looks like a lot of fun to do it the clean way though!
Mint + Chocolate = YES.
These look great!!!!
Anything mint is good in my books! Yum!
I have to make these for nieces, they’re going to absolutely love it!
I’m in love!
stunning, Lindsay! The flavors, the photography, the recipe — You need to open an ice cream store!
These look incredible, Lindsay! Mint chocolate chip ice cream is my favorite, and I adore Andes mints. When I saw you post the ice cream, I was hooked. These? Oh, my.
Oh my! These look scrumptious! So pretty — awesome tips for getting the perfect circle of ice cream!
Your method is so clever! I’ve never made ice cream sandwiches, but if I ever do, now I know how to do it correctly. So beautiful! All of the ice cream would be melted in my pictures… :)
Those are gorgeous! I’m drooling over here!
Those ice cream sandwiches truly look amazing!
at times like this i regret not having an ice cream maker!! these are beyond gorgeous!!
These are perfect in every way!
Oh my gosh! I have to make mini versions of this! I saw the ice cream earlier this week and debated about making it, but now i have ot make it!!!
If it hadn’t turned chilly yesterday, these would be so satisfying–heck, I’ll turn on the fireplace and have one!!
Perfection!
Thes are fantastically beautiful!!! I want some!!