Nothing says summer quite like ice cream sandwiches. And, since it’s the Fourth of July weekend and July is national ice cream month, I can’t think of a more appropriate thing to post.
This will be the last of three posts today. The peanut butter cookie and chocolate sandwich cookie recipes were specifically developed to make the perfect ice cream sandwiches, so I had to throw them all at you at once. I made the ones shown to take to a dinner party with three other families. They were a big hit with the kids and the adults! They traveled well (a few neighborhoods away), wrapped individually, and placed in a cooler until I could transfer them to the host’s freezer. Some blank label stickers and a Sharpie identified the different combinations.
Obviously, there are endless options, and your perfect frozen combination will not be the same as mine, but here is a guide with some ideas. And, I hope it goes without saying, feel free to use some store-bought items in place of the homemade cookies, ganache, or jams. It’s a lot of production to make it all. On the other hand, you might take it a step further and make your own ice cream. I’m not that industrious.
Ice Cream Sandwiches
(16 sandwiches)
Ingredients
vanilla bean ice cream (amounts vary)
cherry or berry ice cream (amounts vary)
chocolate ice cream (amounts vary)
raspberry, strawberry, or blackberry jam
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup chopped peanuts
A Few Combos
peanut butter cookies, vanilla bean ice cream, chopped peanuts
peanut butter cookies, vanilla bean ice cream, raspberry/strawberry/blackberry jam, chopped peanuts
peanut butter cookies, chocolate ice cream, chocolate ganache, chopped peanuts, mini chocolate chips
cocoa sandwich cookies, cherry/berry ice cream, chocolate ganache, mini chocolate chips
cocoa sandwich cookies, chocolate ice cream, chocolate ganache, mini chocolate chips
Assembly
Assuming your cookies are baked and ready, start by making the ganache if it’s not already prepared, so it has time to cool.
Remove the ice cream from the freezer to soften a bit and gather the rest of the ingredients. You might need to soften one kind at a time, depending on how fast your assembly will be. If you have some extra hands, employ them to help out. Kids love this kind of work!
If necessary, speed up the cooling of the ganache by placing it in an ice bath. It should be about room temperature or cooler; thin enough to work with but not hot, and not cold enough to solidify.
Chop the peanuts and place them and the mini chocolate chips on separate plates or in shallow bowls.
Lay out the cookies on a parchment-lined sheet pan or other freezer-safe pan or plate that will fit in your freezer (important detail).
Place a generous scoop of ice cream on one cookie, top it with the ganache or jam if desired, and place another cookie on top, smashing it down just a bit. Be careful not to break the cookie by having the ice cream soft enough and pressing with a gentle touch.
Dip half the cookie in the chopped peanuts or mini chocolate chips, or both!
Place the ice cream sandwiches in the freezer as soon as possible and allow them to freeze for at least an hour before eating or wrapping them individually in plastic wrap. Enjoy!
I hope you have a fun-filled weekend with your people celebrating Independence Day! I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling extra patriotic and protective of our freedom this year.
We’re blessed with the opportunity to stand for something – for liberty and freedom, and fairness. And these things are worth fighting for, worth devoting our lives to.
Ronald Reagan