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Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches

Source of Recipe

From "Classic Snacks Made from Scratch" by Casey Barber


List of Ingredients

Ice Cream:
◦  3 cups light cream or whipping cream
◦  ½ cup granulated sugar
◦  1 tsp vanilla extract

Sandwich Cookies:
◦  1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
◦  ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
◦  ½ tsp baking soda
◦  1 pinch kosher salt
◦  8 Tbsp chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
◦  1 cup granulated sugar
◦  1 large egg


Recipe

Make the Ice Cream Base:
Bring the cream to a bare simmer in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, just until it is steaming and small bubbles form around the edges. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar and vanilla until the sugar is fully dissolved. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until fully chilled.

Make the Sandwich Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Cut a sheet of parchment paper and a sheet of waxed paper large enough to fit your baking sheet. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl until well blended and uniform in color.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and stir on low speed for 30 seconds, until thoroughly combined. Add the dry ingredients until just incorporated into a sticky dough, scraping down the bowl halfway through to make sure everything is homogenous.

Turn the dough out onto the parchment paper, press it into a rough square, and place the waxed paper on top. Roll into a 13-by-11-inch rectangle â…›-inch thick. Make the edges as even as possible so you won't have to trim and waste any baked dough.

Remove the waxed paper and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the dough seems puffy and slightly under-baked but a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then carefully slide the entire cookie and parchment paper onto a large metal rack and let cool to room temperature.

Put it All Together:
Using an ice cream maker, freeze the vanilla ice cream base according to manufacturer's instructions. Using a pastry or pizza cutter, trim the cookie as needed to make a 12- by 10-inch rectangle, then slice it into 4 (10- by 3-inch) strips. Flip the strips over onto a large sheet of waxed paper so that the flat underside is now facing up. Using an offset spatula and your fingers, spread 2 of the strips with a â…“-inch-thick layer of vanilla ice cream. Top with the remaining cookie strips, pressing very gently to adhere, and freeze for 2 hours to make sure the ice cream firms up completely.

Cut each strip into five ice cream sandwiches, each 2 inches wide. For an extra touch of authenticity, wrap each one in parchment or butcher paper. Store the sandwiches in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.


Makes 10 sandwiches