Look, guys, you’re never going to see my living room on a design blog. As lovely as the walls in landlord-chosen sallow yellow-beige are, as handsome as this coffee table once was (before the finish chipped off the top and we decided to ignore it until it fixed itself), and as charming as the explosion of half-deflated balloons, overturned fire trucks and other toys (some not even wooden, organic, or in sync with our decorating scheme, which, by the way, doesn’t exist) might be, this is hardly the stuff of Pinners’ Envy. Our parties are equally uncoordinated. There are no Mason jar cocktails with homemade bitters, flour sack table runners, or dishes sprinkled with fresh herbs from our window box garden (which also, uh, doesn’t exist, although if you saw the grime that accumulates on our windowsills from the avenue below, you might thank us). We’ve never sent guests home with a party favor aside from a hangover and we usually forget to make coffee at brunch. Our poor toddler has been deprived of organized birthday parties thus far, as I secretly hoped to stick with family brunches and homemade cakes (of course) until he was capable of expressing even the slightest interest in a more elaborate affair. (Although this year, he’s already made his intentions clear: “Jacob turn three. With cake. And guitar. And cake.” Noted!)
But, I do have my moments of high obsessiveness, such as my longstanding affair with creating homemade versions of things you normally buy at the grocery store, be they Oreos, goldfish crackers, graham crackers, fudge popsicles, pop tarts or marshmallows. I can’t help it; the homemade versions always taste a zillion times better and contain no mystery ingredients. So, when I spied a recipe for ice cream sandwiches in a new book about parties, even I knew I’d probably never make the gold luster cookie Oscar statuettes, Walk of Fame brownie stars or glitzy gold curtains in the chapter that focuses on creating an old-fashioned Hollywood-style movie night party, there wasn’t a chance they wouldn’t be in my freezer by that very weekend.
The book is from Amy Atlas, a New York City party planner known for her stunning party spreads that execute a theme down to the tiniest details. Her book is spectacular, 15 chapters with everything from tablescapes to directions for how to do all of those pesky things (applying fondant, flooding sugar cookies with decorative frosting, doweling a cake, etc.) that seemed really intimidating before she walked you through it and you realized it could be a cinch. But lest you think the book is just pretty pictures and ambitious parties, these sandwiches will correct you in a single bite: they are perfection. If store-bought ice cream sandwiches tasted half this good, well, it would be dangerous. Fortunately, it’s impossible to keep these around long enough to cause any considerable damage — especially if you bring them to a (themed, of course) rooftop barbecue, as I did on Saturday night.
One year ago: Crispy Potato Roast and Sour Cream Cornbread with Aleppo
Two years ago: Blue Cheese Scallion Drop Biscuits and Creamed Chard and Spring Onions
Three years ago: Buttermilk Ice Cream
Four years ago: Almond Cake with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote and Cauliflower Bean and Feta Salad
Five years ago: Black Bean Confetti Salad
Classic Ice Cream Sandwiches
Adapted from Sweet Designs by Amy Atlas
Yield: 10 to 12 2-by-4-by-1-inch ice cream sandwiches (24 cookies). However, I made 10 large and 10 miniature (1-by-1.5-inch) sandwiches because while I was baking the large ones, my son toddled in from his nap and announced “Mommy making cookies! For Jacob!” and I realized he probably didn’t need a cookie nearly the size of his head. I am so very mean.
If you have a favorite cookie cutter shape you’d like to use for these sandwiches, definitely use it. You can cut the cookies and the ice cream with it. You could perhaps even make, say, star-shaped ice cream sandwiches for a 4th of July-themed cookout. You know, if you’re not me.
Re, the cocoa weight below: Just about everyone on earth besides me finds that a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder weighs 80 to 85 grams. That’s what the number below is based on. However, I consistently find that my super-fancy Valrhona Dutch cocoa weighs in a bit higher, up to 5 to 10 grams more than you see below. So, you might nudge it up if you’re using the same.
Cookies
2 2/3 cups (335 grams) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup (75 grams) extra dark or Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks or 285 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon table salt
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Filling
1/2 gallon (8 cups or approximately 1050 grams, weight will vary by brand/variety) ice cream, your choice of flavor (I used cookies and cream), softened
Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift the flour and cocoa together (I am generally too lazy to sift things but cocoa is really lumpy so don’t skip this) and set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and salt together until light and fluffy. Add the yolks and vanilla and mix until combined, then scrape down sides and mix briefly again. Add the flour mixture a little at a time then mix until combined.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide into two equal pieces. If the dough is too soft to handle, wrap and chill it until firm enough to roll out (I recommend 30 minutes only; any longer and it becomes crumbly to roll out). Roll each batch into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle, about 10 by 8 inches. Cut into a total of 24 20 2-by-4-inch rectangles. You may have enough extra to reroll the scraps and create 4 more 2-by-4-inch rectangles, in which case, you could make two additional sandwiches.
Use an offset spatula to transfer the rectangles to the prepared sheets; you’ll only need an inch space between them. Use the tip of a thermometer (totally brilliant tip from Amy, by the way; it made far better indentations than skewers that I usually use for docking) to poke the cookies with holes (Amy recommends 14 holes but I used this as my guide and made more).
Bake the cookies for 16 to 18 minutes, or until they stay firm when tapped in the center. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough, rerolling scraps as needed.
Meanwhile, line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment paper, allowing it to overhang on two sides (it will act as a sling for the ice cream). Spread the softened ice cream into the pan, smooth the top and freeze until firm, about one hour (or longer if your freezer is as terrible as mine).
Run a knife along the exposed sides of the pan to loosen the ice cream. Holding onto the parchment paper, lift ice cream out of the pan and onto the work surface. Using one of the cookies as a template, cut ice cream into 10 to 12 2-by-4-inch bars (cut the number of cookie pairs your batch yielded). Strangely, I found using kitchen shears to go right through the ice cream and the paper underneath the easiest. I then flipped each piece of ice cream onto a cookie, peeled off the paper, and finished sandwiching the rectangle of ice cream with a second cookie.
(Look, I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that this whole ice cream part caused a spectacular mess in my kitchen. Huge! It was an ice cream massacre! But, I was rushing and you should not. If your ice cream begins to soften, just slide it back into the freezer for a bit and it will become easy to work with again. Promise. Do as I say, not as I did, unless you like sticky floors.)
Wrap each ice cream sandwich in plastic and please, again, listen to Amy here. I was all “Oh, let me just get them cold again and I’ll wrap them later.” Which was wrong. They continue to lose their shape for a bit, runny and melting, before they freeze up and that is why my sandwiches were kind of a mess. “Sealing” them into their shape immediately with plastic is, well, the reason that Amy is a sweets stylist and my food looks, uh, “handmade.”
Freeze until just before serving.
I think we might live in the same apartment!
Ice cream sandwiches are the best plus, being a grown up, I can choose to have one the size of my head if I want it!
Would you be offended if I told you the first thing I do on any post is look for the Jacob picture?
Ami — No. I, too, find him cuter than ice cream sandwiches.
Jake — SUCH A GOOD QUESTION. (Sorry, I just had a big latte.) Very hard ice cream sandwich cookies are a huge pet peeve of mine. They need to be tender enough that they don’t just squish out the filling. Plus, a firm cookie once frozen becomes hard enough to shatter teeth. These cookies are in the middle. Once frozen, they are firm but they also manage to be tender enough that you can easily bite through both and the ice cream without making a mess. I also think that they tenderize a bit against the ice cream, so after a day in the freezer, they’re even more perfect in texture. They don’t stick to your hand much, but for a softer cookie that is more likely to, you can add 1/2 teaspoon baking powder to the dry ingredients.
Hah! I, too, send my guests home with little more than a hangover and some regrets. But, I tell ya: the food is awesome. The desserts are unforgettable.
I can’t wait for summer to make these! They look wonderful!
Not only do these look spectacular, but I’m totally into your ice cream in parchment method! I tried to cookie-cut ice cream before and it was a sad sad affair.
And this post is a good one. I love that cake is doubly important to your almost 3-year old. :)
Do these ice cream sandwiches leave that film on the roof of one’s mouth the way store-bought ones do? And let me be clear that that film is not a complaint. At all.
The soft chocolate cookies have always been my favorite part of ice cream sandwiches. I’ll have to give this a try.
Awesome. I’d like to know more about the cookies. Are they soft enough that they don’t just goosh the ice cream out when you try to take a bite? Do they do that weird melt/stick to your hand thing? (I hope so)
I’m off to make some so as to answer my own questions.
I love your blog even more now that I know you don’t have a decorating scheme or themed parties. And I am going to make these ice cream sandwiches as soon as humanly possible. As a child, I once fell into an ice cream freezer in order to obtain an ice cream sandwich. Okay. Possibly it happened more than just once.
Really, is there any better party favor than a hangover?
Oh Dear ….*adding to my to-do list!*
Say whaaaa?! Now I’m REALLY ready for summer! I can see my daughter making a huge delicious mess :)
OMG, this photo just came across my reader and I had to check it out. These sandwiches are absolute perfection and something I am going to make along with the kids this weekend. I have the perfect cookie cutter for the job!
I totally agree with you that homemade desserts and treats taste better. I make homemade graham crackers, cakes and cookies all the time for the kids. I never buy birthday cakes or cookies anymore because I know I can do better and its always cheaper to make it on your own.
Thanks for the inspiration Deb.
My kids are all about ice cream sandwiches! Can’t wait to try these for myself. Also, can’t wait to check out that cookbook — thx!
No way! Jacob is turning 3 already, how is that possible?!?!? These look amazing. Now I know what we are doing this weekend, and my daughters are going to love you more than they already do.
Jennie — Not until September. But, we’ve reached the Age Of Birthday Parties (for a few weekends, we had one each) and now he knows exactly what to ask for. ;)
These look incredible – I must find time to make them this week! Also, your obsession with making things you might find in the grocery store is wonderful, and you’re absolutely right that homemade always tastes better. Thanks for sharing this!
Ahhh, I thought I was going to try and cut down on sweets for awhile…but these homemade ice cream sandwiches pretty much throw that plan out the window. I love ice cream truck ice cream sandwiches, but these are so much better – no preservatives or artificial colors!
Looks sooooo yummy!
this just made my life.
Deb, you are awesome. AWESOME!
Okay, LOVE. But one question: what if you made one big top cookie, one big bottom cookie, laid out the ice cream between, and froze it all up again, and THEN cut the individual sandwiches from the huge slab? Are the cookies soft enough to handle that? I did that recently when I had leftover cake trimmings from my kid’s birthday, and it was crazy terrific. I just don’t want to make really flat cakes if I can have cookie, because I think something slightly more al dente would be perfection.
Would it work?
Victoria — It might work. With a very sharp serrated knife, I think it could be done. The edges will be rough and crumb-y (the cookie is halfway between shortbread and a bar cookie) and it’s important not to press the cookie on tightly or it will crack.
Loooks so delicious. I’ll try:) Thanks for recipe:)
I see potential for really amazing homemade ice cream cake made with these sandwiches, stacked up. P.S. I love the tiny little holes in the cookies. Very authentic!
OMG I WANT THIS BOOK SO BAD!
OMG I WANT THIS BOOK SO BAD! I don’t know HOW TO SNEAK this book into this house! GAAAAAAAAAAAH! These ice cream sandwiches look fan-damn-tastic! WOWEEEEE!
These look so good! Can’t wait for it to get warm again so I can make these. This week it’s been so chilly that I reverted to making apple pie. Come on, North Carolina! It’s April, and it’s supposed to be in the 80’s already! ;-)
Your recipes are always awesome, its a scientific fact. These look great. Presentation means nothing, its all about what makes your mouth happy!
omg I just discovered you and although your recipe looks divine, I just adore your writing!!! V. glad I’m not alone with my approach to my kid’s birthday parties. :-) ~ melissa
This recipe looks great! I bet it would be amazing with mint ice cream.
OMG I want these pronto! I love ice cream sandwiches and I love how these are on the soft but firm side (thanks Jake for asking the vital question I wanted to know as well). I’ve bookmarked the recipe and can’t wait to make them soon
Wow, these look good. Love that first short. Ice cream + buttery cookies = YUM!!
Are you for real?? Homemade ice cream sandwiches!?!?! I’ll be making them soon!
There’s nothing more tempting than an ice cream sandwich. There was a time when I thought it was something I can never recreate at home but I tried it once and it was close to perfect. The only thing that disappointed me was that the biscuit was very hard. I’m so glad this is not the case with this one. I will be trying this recipe very very soon. Thank you for inspiring me once again!!
ps I love the way you write, Deb, so so much!
Hilarious!
Loved that post!
I totally love that the cookies from store bought ice cream sandwiches stick to your fingers. Never fails. I think I might have to get my hands on this book – right up my “martha” alley.
Oh lord, Deb. You have outdone yourself. I adore ice cream sandwiches and just spent about 5 minutes reading this post and shouting out loud I WANT THEM RIGHT NOW. MAKE THEM HAPPEN. which would really seem a lot more sane if I didn’t live alone.
um!! yummy!! I want to have one so bad!!!
Oh no, now this! How can I possibly resist making these? Just as I had vowed no sweets until bikini season is over. And I don’t even have a party planned until the end of May to use as an excuse. I guess it’s time to plan a party.
Oh yum! If you sent your guests home with one (or two!) of these ice cream sandwiches, they may overlook the lack of ubiquitious mason jars/burlap runners/herbs in the window box.
P.S. I don’t think anyone would criticize “handmade” if it’s coming from your kitchen.
These look unreal! I think if I made these I would forever be bias against store bought (like I am now with Oreo’s having made Joanne Chang’s from Flour!)
Looks good, but I have to admit that I have been making homemade ice cream sandwiches for some time now with your recipe for homemade oreos, using ice cream instead of the cream filling. I often put a little mint in the cookie dough…delicious! These look more authentic, though.
These look superb!!! :D
Between the description of your living room and this recipe, you just became my hero.
I usually make ice cream sandwiches using the aforementioned homemade oreo recipe and they’re unbelievable. I wonder how these compare? Maybe time for a taste test?
Re, my previous recipe for Oreo cookies — I think that these have as good if not even slightly better chocolate flavor. And they’re probably a little less crumbly when frozen. But, they have a denser crumb as well. I hope that helps.
Ice cream sandwich cookies — Btw, one of my first posts on this site, from July 2006 (!) was about ice cream sandwich cookies I made for a party. One were those Oreos (above), another were a delightful tender-ish gingersnap spice cookie and the third were a chocolate chip cookie. All worked pretty well, but I think the Oreos and Molasses-Spice were best frozen; the chocolate chip did get a little hard.
Adam — I used 365 brand from Whole Foods and would not recommend it. It was totally average! They had a very tiny selection of half-gallons. Next time I’d pay up for a few high-end pints. My favorite cookies-and-cream ice cream is actually Ben & Jerry’s Mint Cookie. Yes, I’ve done my research.
What brand (if store-bought) or recipe (if homemade) did you use for the ice cream?
How adorable are the mini-ice cream sandwiches? So cute and fun.
I love you! I haven’t read through the whole post.. but anyone who makes homemade ice cream sandwiches, I love!! One of my all-time fave things in life! Thank you!!!
My husband is going to love you for sharing this recipe! I can’t wait for the temperatures to warm up so I can make these sinful treats—great idea to use cookies and cream instead of plain ol’ vanilla!
I can imagine that this could be a cooled-by-iced-cream-sandwich summer in NYC! I wonder if you can keep the cookies (formed dough or already baked) in the freezer to put them together as needed…providing you have the freezer space? That would be handy.
What excites me most about this recipe is that, since I have adult-onset lactose intolerance (yes, I made that up, but it’s true), I can put frozen yogurt inside and still enjoy these! I am going to my local dairy farm to get some peanut butter fro-yo. I think it will be perfection!
And Megan (Runner’s Kitchen), I agree! Deb is always foiling our plans to eat better. Good thing we run.
I just freaked out when I saw this in my news feed. I am in the middle of a huge manuscript overhaul right now, but the moment, THE VERY MOMENT I finish, I will be making these. and probably eating them all. as a reward for all my hard work, of course. also, I feel so much better having gotten a window into your perfectly imperfect life. makes the grime on my windowsills from the street below feel somehow less oppressive. thank you, deb!
Yummmers!
What a treat for summer! I will post my home made corn dogs – corn meal, buttremilk and good sausages next week, when I return frm Winemaker’s dinner at Timberline Lidge in Oregon
These look amazing! I’ve made your homemade oreos before and they were exceptionally good. Will definitely try to make these ice cream sandwiches soon.
hi – I haven’t read ALL the comments but I keep seeing Oreos…I have used your chocolate wafer recipe many times to make ice cream sandwiches…but I will have to try these at least once…I am skeptical that they are better?!?! Also, have you ever seen Hershey’s “black” cocoa – it gives that extra darkness to the cookies. love everything about your blog, thanks for being here.
The chocolate cookies, on their own even without the ice cream, look…fabulous! Those could be filled with just about anything from PB to cookie butter and I’d be super happy!
Do you think you could wrap them in parchment paper instead of plastic wrap? Just thinking that they might look cuter that way for a bbq – maybe tie a piece of twine around them?
Jami — For serving, definitely. But to help set the shape, I think I’d stick with plastic wrap until they’re totally firmed up again.
THANK YOU for sharing the recipe! My daughter will love me forever when I make these.
Speaking as a gluten intolerant person who recently (recently being yesterday afternoon) developed a severe pregnancy craving for ice cream sandwiches, you’ve just made my week! You have no idea how excited I am about the possibility of satiating this craving! For some reason it didn’t occur to me to make my own, but now that I have a recipe I really don’t have an excuse. Can’t wait to try this with my favorite GF flour substitute. Also, personally, things looking homemade and non-perfect are refreshing to me. My life doesn’t look like a magazine and I can’t really relate to people whose lives do.
The choco-ice cream-holic in me screams ‘YESSSS’. How about doubling your pleasure and using homemade ice cream … like salted caramel recipe from Epicurious. The ice cream is undeniably addictive; dress it with a chocolate cookie sandwich, and I can’t even imagine how great this would be! Will have to give this a try sometime soon!
The first smitten kitchen recipe I ever made was your homemade oreos, mostly because of how beautiful they looked in the photos. These photos (especially the tower of sandwiches) remind me of why I just had to try them! I will have to add these ice cream sammies to my list.
I have one of those stupid non-full-size NYC fridges, and I’m not sure even my little baking sheets will fit in there. Is it possible to cut the squares of ice cream while it’s soft, or will that just result in decorating my kitchen with ice cream? Is it possible to spread softened ice cream directly on these cookies, or would they break?
Also, if you ever need anyone to babysit/eat any extra ice cream sandwiches…
Ha, sounds like my home. I’ve got plans for this recipe: Chocolate chip-mint ice cream!!! Thanks for all your amazing recipes!
These are my favorite thing ever. I love the way the chocolate cookies stick to your fingers.
I think it’s the first time that I comment a) within single-digit hours of you posting and b) without intention of making this today/tomorrow/till Paris decides it’s almost May. But! I DO intend to make them as soon as the weather inspires me to, because this right there in the first picture , is one of my favourite store-bought kinds of ice cream. It’s just that, it’s homemade!!!! So I know it will taste a zillion times better, and I’m already feeling the cookie sticking just a tiny bit on my teeth, but not annoyingly so, and the ice cream filling my mouth, and oh, we can all tell I’m having a moment here, no?
As soon as I saw it I sent the link to the boy telling him “Look what my friend made for us for the-summer-to-come!!!” (yeap, “my friend” as in “my friend Deb”, as in “the one I don’t actually know, but then again somehow I feel like I do, the one with the funny stories and the awsome recipes”, that definitely sounds as a friend to me, hope you don’t find it weird!)
All this just to say thanks, and that the very first ice cream sandwich this year will be devoured to your honour!
E.
I love your down to earth “anti-fancy” rant at the beginning of this post! I always see these photos of impossibly perfect and beautiful set ups on cooking blogs and sometimes I just have to admit to myself that my kitchen or table will never be like those ones… but I’ll make sure the food is good!
….And, my sugar craving is back. (And I’m jealous of your latte. NO ESPRESSO IN THE WHOLE TOWN, GRR). Deb, thanks for being so quick to answer questions (and for actually answering them — I’m sure it gets tiring after a while). I had the exact same parchment paper question as Jami, and you’re already on it! I’m excited for your book!
Hey Deb! These look fantastic and perfect to me! A few years ago, I made lemon ice cream sandwiches with blueberry swirl from Sunset magazine. The dough was simpler because all I had to do was bake two whole sheets for the sandwiches. Laid down one sheet on the bottom of the pan, poured the melted ice cream in the middle and placed the other sheet on top. Froze it and when it was ready, I just sliced out however many I needed. I am totally trying this recipe but because I’m lazy and do not have a knack for cutting straight, I will have to do it the way I did before. :)
Last year I convinced my 3 year old to go to Disneyland instead of having a birthday party. We had people over for dinner last weekend, and we ran out of propane (um, sauteed chicken?) and our freezer stopped working properly (It’s a semifreddo gelato) but everything TASTED good.
These look excellent.
I am adapting this to Gluten-Free as we speak. My son LOVES ice-cream sandwiches and hasn’t had one in ages since we discovered his gluten allergy. He will love this. Thanks for the inspiration and the recipe. I’m off to adapt!
Its only 9am here and you’re making me want an ice cream sandwich! These look absolutely delicious; I think we’re going to have to try them this weekend. Thanks for the sugar rush!
Ice cream sandwiches are one of my very favorite summer treats, and I had been planning on making them myself for the first time this summer, thanks for the great recipe! I’ll be trying it soon :-)
I absolutely love this idea, but I really think I won’t be able to let the ice cream soften without eating it first.
Deb, you’ve outdone yourself.
This is awesome. I think I will use Victoria’s idea and do them as complete sheets and make one inch ice cream squares for my next party. So tasty!
Like Ami, I too scan over your recipes for a Jacob sighting, lol. Once I get my fix, I can now concentrate on your masterful writing skills :) I can’t wait to make these – oh the good humor memories I have! Thanks for all of your recipes and for your cutie patootie!
If those don’t say SUMMER I don’t know what does. Thanks for the recipe and saving me and my family from who knows what kinds of obnoxious ingredients in store bought.
I’ve always loved ice cream sandwiches since I was a little girl. I can’t wait to try making it myself – it seems healthier and less expensive than ordering them or buying them at the store.
I’ve read 10 reviews for Amy’s book and had no interest in getting it . . . until I read yours. Thanks Deb! :P
These look phenomenal! Great way to start my day- thank you!
YUM! I love those ice cream sandwiches – so a homemade version is ideal! Thanks, Deb!
I love this recipe. The cookies on their own look terrific! Where can I find those square cookie cutters? Have been looking for a while.
Still groovin’ on that beautiful blue plate against the chocolate cookies. I like to think that making minis means I will eat less of them but, sadly, this is hardly ever true ;). Maybe Jacob is looking for a BYOG(uitar) party this year.
I have a 28 3/4 year old daughter who has always had what we call an extreme FONDNESS bordering on obsession for ice cream sandwiches. I know what I’m making her for her birthday desert! Thanks Deb and I too check the post for adorable Jacob pics before reading the rest.
This post just made me want to move to New York, become your best friend and invite you to lots of parties. Wait, I think I already felt like that before, maybe this post just confirmed the feeling.
Cake and guitar? That kid is awesome! Funny thing, I was planning on using a slightly modified version of one of your oatmeal cookie recipes for ice cream sandwiches soon.
My husband was just asking me to make homemade ice cream sandwiches!! Thank you for the recipe!!
One of my friends is doing ice cream sandwiches for her wedding in August (as opposed to cake)…I love her idea for the sandwiches and am passing along a link to this recipe to her…I can’t believe how perfectly your sandwiches turned out! They look great!
Oh, i’ve been looking for these ones for a while! Thank you sooo much and I love your website, Greetings from Poland :))
I loved your previous ice cream sandwiches post (I am obsessed with ice cream sandwiches). Next time you make them with cookies, try the Alton Brown “The Thin” chocolate chip cookie recipe from Food Network. When made with mini chips, it is the perfect ice cream sandwich cookie–crispy, not hard, even when frozen. Perfect with vanilla ice cream.
I feel guilty saying this, but I’m so relieved you didn’t make the ice cream. it takes this recipe from scary to doable.
I tried making an ice cream cake for my birthday when I turned 19 and 20. Learned my lesson, always refreeze in something holds everything together, the firmer the better. That and dense chocolate cake does not freeze well. It took my strongest uncle and a really big knife to slice.
Looks so delicious ! Thanks for the recipe :)
One of our favorite cakes is an ice cream cake made of ice cream sandwiches. When I wrote about it awhile back I joked about how it’s usually more my style to make things from scratch, but I couldn’t imagine *making* ice cream sandwiches. I have no excuses now! They look amazing. And I’m with Zombiesgirl. It’s totally okay you didn’t make the ice cream.
I think these might be the most entertaining set of directions you’ve ever written. I too would have ignored wrapping the sandwiches in plastic first and put them straight in the freezer. I need someone to host a BBQ asap.
ahh… i LOVE these ice cream sandwiches! i`ll try to find time during the summer months to make these~
Deb – Love this idea, and I love the delicious randomness that your blog brings as well. One time it’s irresistible breakfast foods and ice cream sandwiches the next. And I love how these look like someone made them too – not like the frighteningly perfect ones you get at the store…you’re right, these look way better homemade. Also, I think only movie theaters have acceptably sticky floors. (okay, maybe not acceptable but understandable? now I just grossed myself out)
Can you add the conversions to weight? Been milling my own flour and it’s never the same volume as AP. Or can you link to a good conversion site? Thanks!
Crytal — Just added! There are two caveats, one is that I have trouble getting a single weight for cocoa (noted in the head notes now) and the other that, of course, the weight of the ice cream will vary greatly by brand and ingredients. I included the weight of a basic chocolate/vanilla ice cream for reference.
I was just thinking about making ice cream sandwiches yesterday (despite the cold temps), these will be what I make! Thanks Deb!
Wow, Amy’s book must be truly amazing because everyone is talking about it on their blogs! We’ve really gotten into making homemade ice cream sandwiches using various cookies at our house but I wondered how to make the quintessential sandwich. We’ll definitely be test-driving this recipe – maybe even with homemade ice cream.
Homemade ice cream sandwiches have been a thing in my house (mandatory at least once a summer) for decades. I originally made them from a recipe I found in a magazine as a teenager that used a cake mix and shortening. Over the past 15 years or so, I’ve been trying different recipes (not containing the offending ingredients) and have not yet found the perfect one. This looks like it may do the trick!
I’d love to have a bite!
Brings back memories of getting ice cream sandwiches for 75 cents over the summer at my grandma’s house. Delicious.
I just about yelped out loud when I saw the picture. My kids will no doubt thank you soon enough.
These ice cream sandwiches look fabulous. Re the guitar, I bought my 4 year old a Paper Jamz guitar from Amazon for about $15. Best $15 present EVER. (Some of them are even less.) Although it says it’s for ages 8+, I’ll bet Jacob learns to turn it on immediately and will run around the house being a rock star just like my son. (Pretty stinking adorable I must say.)
Fair warning: be sure to pick a guitar that’s loaded with songs you can stand to hear over and over and over again (unless you want to load different songs which seemed to me to defeat the purpose of an easy gift but then I’m lazy). Oh, and don’t forget the all important guitar strap.
I love, love, love the Oreo ice cream sandwich cookies sold in grocery stores, but a) the ingredients list includes all kinds of “food-like substances”, and b) they’re expensive. But, happy day: a recipe for this fabulous summertime treat (not really a dessert if you sometimes eat them in the middle of the afternoon, now is it?) that I can make myself! Thanks so much.
Also, I adore that you posted a fudgcicle recipe. I’m totally buying your book the second it comes out…and I fully support your practice of making from scratch foods that are otherwise bought in grocery stores:0)
What a lovely idea for the outdoor “beach day” my kids are planning for the neighbors. Thanks!
Thanks, Deb for the quick conversions. My babies are super excited about these.
Last weekend I made sandwich cookies using your Oreo recipe…they turn out pretty well (a bit hard though!) I can’t wait to try these!!!!
:D Thanks for the this and for the dose of reality at the beginning. I admit a LOT of blogs make me horribly insecure about my own home and sometimes, my life. Thanks for commiserating with us common folk. And I’m pinning this recipe!
This looks amazing! I’m six weeks into a year long of ice cream making and I’ve got a few recipes that would taste amazing sandwiched between this biscuits!
Oh my gosh…these look absolutely amazing! I’ve always wondered what went into the sandwich part of an ice cream sandwich. Adding in some homemade marshmallows (or marshmallow fluff) would be great too! Customizable ice cream sandwiches….drool
But …but …I was planning on making ice cream sandwiches with your brownie rollout cookies. Would you recommend this recipe over that one?
Mae — Actually, I was debating this because they’re actually quite similar but the brownie ones are slightly more tender. I think either would be delicious.
Looks delicious. Reminds me a bit of Milchschnitte.
Deb – it just dawned on me that you’re the perfect person to ask this question. I have a tiny west village apartment half-sized stove/oven (I suspect you do as well from some of the shots of your baking sheets). Do you have a brand of quality baking sheets you can recommend? I’ve been using just slightly bigger than toaster oven sized sheets for the past 3 years and it KILLS me every time I want to make more than 12 of something. Do you have any idea what size your baking sheets are? I’ve been to Bed Bath and Beyond, but can’t seem to find anything in between these small sheets and the jelly roll pans, which I find to be just slightly too big for my oven. Thanks!
Deb — This is like asking a Muppet if he likes to count, or, YES! I can help. The oven (Hotpoint?) is likely 2/3 size. I measured. You can fit a 9×13 in there and most 10x15s (but they’re so much harder to find quality of; my last decent 10×15 came from Williams-Sonoma and they don’t sell it anymore; I’m going to check Bowery Kitchen Supply in Chelsea Market next). The max is about 14/15-inches, but, things with 15-inch sides sometimes have rims that make them too big. My favorite 9×13/quarter sheet heavyweight pan is from Chicago Metallic. They say it’s uncoated but I don’t agree so it’s best to hand wash it.
Why, Deb?! WHY?! How can you do this to me?!!! Ice cream sandwiches are my #1 weakness. Now, I’ll have to make these and eat them all, because they look sinful.
I made something similar for a party last year using homemade pistachio ice cream and green colored sugar cookies and people are still talking about them! These look wonderful. I love plain old ice cream sandwiches! Yeah for summer!!!
So last year I went on a crazy quest to make some ice cream sandwiches, but I took a different route:
– I used a cake recipe to make the top/bottom; specifically the chocolate stout recipe that’s floating around (I think there’s a version on this site?). I made big sheets, then froze them, then decided they were too thick and cut them in half horizontally, and then spread ice cream on them, put them back in the freezer to solidify, then cut them.
– I decided that wasn’t complex enough so I dipped them in chocolate. TOTAL MESS and pretty ugly, because I suck at chocolate dipping, but OH SO GOOD.
The end result was less like a traditional ice cream sandwich and more like… I don’t know, something amazing. A chocolate ice cream cake?
I brought them to a party and everyone thought I was totally insane. Now I can’t ever go to parties without people asking me when I’m going to do them again…
These look waaaaaay easier so maybe I’ll have to do a repeat with these instead – I’m sure they won’t mind!
Those look dangerous…and do-able. A scary combination for my thighs! But worth every step of a run just to eat them!
Beautiful pictures and I am so excited to try this recipe! I often worry about the quality of my apartment and the theme of my parties, but I know it doesn’t really matter as long as the food is delicious! I know you have that covered!
Yes, this stupid Hotpoint … I hate it but looove my apartment … oh, the sacrifices we make ;) Thank you SO much! The quality issue is definitely my problem. I have two of crummy quality but I will check out the Chicago Metallic. Bowery Kitchen Supply is also a good suggestion… As an aside, there is definitely a market for apartment-sized baking sheets that are slightly larger than a quarter sheet … sounds like a promising business venture! Thanks! Happy baking :)
Thank you for this recipe – I have been trying to recreate that iconic cookie for ages, with no luck. I can’t wait to try it!
Ah, Deb. You forgot to mention pop tarts which somehow have become a staple around here. These will give them a run for their money. Keep ’em comin’
oh deb…. you always seem to read my mind. :)
The other day I was dreaming about icecream sandwiches and lo and behold a whole post on one :D THIS IS FATE ! I MUST make and devour these badboys.
My stomach thanks youu!
Boy, I can so relate. And the ice cream sandwiches look great. I love food that isn’t perfect looking. You know it’s homemade!
So impressive! These look sooo yummy. Wish I could have one right now. :D
oh this is super yum!
I would take delicious homemade food over perfect decor any day! You are the best!
Ami ( No. 2 ), me too.
Nooooo! These can’t possibly be better than your oreos. You are one evil woman but I love you to pieces. I’m obsessed with finding ice cream sandwiches without mushy sandwich parts. Thank you again and again.
Until children are at least 4 you can hold off on the organized birthday party! Truly they don’t dig it as much as when they are older (at least mine did and I have 4).
I agree about homemade except macaroni and cheese. I have never had or made a homemade one I like as much as Kraft Mac N Cheese. It’s my fast food fav! Homemade ones are delish but not the same. Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts may both be donuts but they are not the same either!
I can’t believe your son is turning 3! Such a handsome boy!! Lucky you!
I cannot wait to get that book. I have been reading more and more about it and now it has moved from my wish-list to my “must-buy-right-now” list. Those ice cream sandwiches look perfect. I’m not a fan of the ones that use crunchy cookies, these look softer and chocolatey
omigosh those looks amazing…it kinda makes me mad. i want to thank you and shake my fist at you at the same time
these look so delicious! though where i live isn’t quite summer yet these will sure to go well with my husband anytime! thanks for the recipe :)
Oh gorgeous! They look just like the Monaco Bars that we can get in supermarkets here in Australia. I bet they taste much, MUCH better though! :)
Ohh my gosh! Those look SO delicious! Can we please be neighbors?
Additional treats for kids party!
OMG Deb,
I was about to start my morning workout, all thinking to myself ‘My, what good discpline you have!’, until I saw this.
Now all I can think of is: MUST MAKE THIS. NOW.
Needless to say my workout has gone kaput.
I live for summer barbecues. Now I might live for ice cream sandwiches at summer barbecues.
Hi from Europe, where I follow your recipes with great pleasure (drooling all the while). May I ask the weight IN GRAMS of butter used for these ice cream sandwiches? Here there are no “sticks” of butter, but rather large cakes that weigh 250 grams. Thanks very much!
My husband loves ice cream sandwiches so I cannot wait to make these for him, thank you!
Did anyone ask you yet ….. How did you transport these to a party????
Great recipes, especially for the spring time to eat the first ice cream in this year. Thanks :-)
Wondering if homemade ice cream would work here. Not sure it would get hard enough to form shape for cookies. Is this why you went with store bought?
Hi Sue — I used storebought because I was lazy. :) And then, I realized I had 8 egg yolks languishing in my fridge, leftover from a recipe and wept for the lost opportunity to make incredibly awesome ice cream. (The stuff I used was average.)
Angela — I wrapped them all together in foil, then stuck them in a freezer bag with two ice packs and then got in a cab.
Lynnne — I simply missed that line when I added weights yesterday; it wasn’t intentional. You’re looking for 285 grams of butter.
Cucperson — I did! I knew there was something… will add it now. :) If all goes well, I’ll have something new in this category the week after next. Toddler snacky.
OH. MY GOD. I cannot wait to try these!!! I loooove ice cream sandwiches, but I could do without all the additives and fake sugary taste, these look amazing!!! So summery!!! Although, who am I kidding? I’d eat them all year :)
Homemade=WIN
Themed anything is waaaaay beyond my lazy level, and honestly, I would have though ice-cream sandwiches were too, but if I could co-opt a ‘sous-chef'(nice way of saying skivvy) and bribe them with the finished product, I may be inclined to try this. At worst, I could make the cookies and spoon softened ice-cream over them while I eat them….hmmmm
As a blogger who DOES do a primarily interior design format I LOVE to read you because it is totally about cooking with all the funny bits thrown in too! I spent 15+ yrs doing wedding cakes and have put a meal on the table almost every night for 40+ yrs. I used to try new recipes all the time but I’m tired now. So I LOVE reading your blog as you try, fail, succeed, try again and tweak your cooking! These look delish….maybe sometime I’ll muster up some energy to cook again!
Lorraine
I pre-ordered your book last week. Although I don’t want to wish away spring and summer (my favorite seasons), I simply cannot wait for October!!!! Can’t they speed up the printing process?!?!?!
I can’t wait to get my hands on this book, it sounds fab! Although like you I’d probably go straight for the simpler recipes like these :-)
This is why you’re a rock star, posts like this restore my faith! I may never make homemade ice cream sandwiches but I sure can relate to the stories that accompany your recipes.
My husband adores ice cream sandwiches so I am going to attempt these for his birthday tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Thank you thank you !! Cannot wait to make these !!
I would LOVE to make these! They look so fun! And I bet they taste ten times as better as store bought!
Okay, you seriously made me laugh out loud in the beginning of this post! It made my morning. AND the ice cream sandwiches look delicious.
Oh, I am for sure going to make these one day. My kids would LOVE them!! I love when you do recipes like this. I admit I don’t do it all the time – although I would like to- but I really do try to keep the pre-made stuff at bay. Thank you!
It seems little bit complicated, but I love them. This is wonderful! :)
First the homemade goldfish crackers and now the homemade ice cream sandwiches! You are amazing! You make beautiful food, I just wish I had the time, patience and energy you seems to have.
I love, love, love your blog. And these are going to be a special treat for my hudband’s 99 yo grandfather, who lives with us, and is on a sodium restricted diet. I will be able to cut the salt in half and still come out with a dessert he adn the rest of us, will enjoy. :)
Thank you so much.
Robin
These look absolutely delicious!! My kids will love this little treat. The pictures are beautiful thanks for sharing!
Are the cookies soft like they are in store bought ice cream sandwiches?
What’s the shelf, er, freezer life of these once assembled. I’ve made PW’s ice cream sandwiches before and they don’t last nearly as long in the freezer as store bought sandwiches do. (Cookies got mushy after a few days.) Given the absence of beaucoup preservatives, should I expect the same thing here? (Not, of course, that having to eat many ice cream sandwiches in a short period of time would bother me, but inadvertently letting them go to waste certainly would!)
Gale — I don’t think these are the type to get mushy. I think you could safely freeze them for a month, or however long your ice cream is good for.
Oh my goodness, I can’t wait to see my little son’s face when I make these for him! Thanks for another gorgeous recipe!
These look wonderful. Brings me back to my childhood waiting for the ice cream truck. Cant wait for the kids to try these. Thanks for sharing
I just thought you might want to know that my achingly cool 17-year-old son, while begging me to make the cheese goldfish recipe that I had wandered over to, stopped mid-beg to say, of Jacob, “That is one cute kid.”
Nice to know that we’re in agreement about some things.
Just wanted to say – thanks for mentioning that you don’t have a “pinterest-worthy” living room. Not sure why, entirely, but reading that made me feel enormously better about my wonderful but NOT design-blog-ish apartment.
Party favors, forsooth. When did this become de rigueur anyway? It seems to me the height of greed to expect to be invited to someone’s house and fed and then receive a GIFT on top of that. YOU, as the guest, should be bringing your HOST a gift, if anything. I don’t have ENOUGH to do to cook for two days? Now I have to think up something to buy/make/wrap? These freeloaders, er, friends, require a PRESENT for deigning to come to my house and be fed a fantastic home-cooked meal?
Sheesh. And anyway, I personally think this was just some asshole’s idea of a way to sell more overpriced imported crap that no one actually needs or wants.
/end rant/
The sandwiches look delicious. And I will probably serve them at my next summer party. At which none of the people who are lucky enough to be invited will receive a “party favor.” Thankfully, this retarded idea would never even cross the minds of my friends, who are all, by the way, sweet, deserving people, and not freeloaders at all.
Did you make those cute little holes with a kitchen thermometer or a human thermometer? Perhaps obvious to some folks, but I thought I’d better be sure!
This is by far my favorite food blog! You make everything from scratch, which is the way I like to go about doing things. You have given me a website that I can go to and find exactly what I am looking for. This post is the perfect example of what I mean, because I have always wanted to make my own ice cream sandwiches, and now I have the perfect recipe to try! Thanks!
Your recipes all sound so amazing! Where did you learn to cook?
Thanks so much for the inspiration and I hope to be able to blog more about some of my cooking adventures!
wow these are beautiful! a bit complicated for my ambitions at the moment :) but beautiful nonetheless.
This project looks a bit over the top. I feel compelled to undertake it right away. Or maybe as soon as it stops raining? (I’m in Seattle.) But I could at least bake those cookies now just to see how they are, they look pretty great, but just to be sure, you know….
Oof. I’m up way too late and would give anything for one of those ice cream sandwiches to materialize before me. I’m not sure I have your persistence to make it happen. Also, I appreciate your imperfect home decorating scheme. My rental is a far cry from my future home pinterest board. I’ve gotten a couple of requests for interviews featuring my kitchen and I literally lol every time. My little kitchen, with its linoleum floors, ugly blonde wood cabinets and metallic grid ceiling tiles covering fluorescent lights?! I’ve obliged their requests, and so far the only good that has come of it is that I’ve cleaned my kitchen of cooking debris. That’s something!
Bookmarked! I love making things other people buy in the store. No mystery ingredients for us if I can help it. Thanks. I can’t wait to try these cookie bits!
I love love LOVE ice cream sandwiches!
The kind of ice cream sandwich you made is my favorite and is nowhere to be found in Italy (where I live, incidentally) so imagine my joy when I saw this post. I will definitely be trying these. They are soooo pretty!
OMG you read my mind! I was totally planning to make ice cream sandwiches this weekend, only with your chocolate wafer cookies! I wonder how does this cookie compare to the chocolate wafers in terms of simulating the softness, gooeyness and stickyness of store bought ice cream sandwich cookies? Thanks so much!!
I love this ice cream and was never able to find a good recipe… It came in a perfect time… I’ll try it out tonight to my boyfriend =)
Thank you
love you, love this blog! i would take a hangover over a party favor any day!
These look fabulous. My Dad loves ice cream sandwiches and I swear he picks up a box every time he goes to the store. :) My mom has started to make him a cake that she calls an igloo cake because she bakes up chocolate cake in a jelly roll pan so that it is only about half an inch thick and then she lines a large bowl with parchment and cuts the cake into blocks to line the inside of the bowl, then fills the center with softened ice cream and freezes the whole thing hard. Once hard she flips it out onto a platter and it looks like an igloo. Dad loves it. I really don’t think these would be much harder to make, so I’ll give it a try. Thanks so much!
Thank you so much for your honest and “real” approach to sharing life. Perfect is overrated. – Kyle
Well these look amazing. The ‘sandwich’ dough – how can I resist nibbling? It looks more truffle than dough!
So classic!!
Do you think the dough would be good for homemade Susie Qs?
Celina — I had no idea what those were and so I Googled it and now I’m so mad I’ve been deprived of them thus far. Are they more cookie or cake? These are definitely on Team Cookie.
Redhairing — I used a kitchen thermometer, Taylor brand (but it looks pretty standard). The most important thing is actually the 1/4-inch thickness. The tip of most kitchen thermometers is, of course, quite thin. But as it gets 1/4-inch in, it widens and that totally nails the shape. (The sandwiches I show the front of in the second to last photos used too-thin holes, before I realized the brilliance of the thermometer tip. You can see the more “perfect” holes in the minis and in the 7th photo in this post.)
You are evil, and I love you.
As soon as finals are over I am going to make these…to celebrate summer and to pretend to be a little kid even though organic chem has put gray hairs on my head
Oh oh oh oh, I have been lurking on your blog for a while now, but these made me post. Because my husband, heaven bless him, hates sweets (!!!) and I can never find any sugary thing to tempt him — but ice cream sandwiches are his one weakness. And he always buys the freezer-burned ones from the corner store with their long list of unpronounceable ingredients. Now our toddler announces, when we walk by the store, “Mama, that’s the ice cream sammich and beer store!” Making our own beer is going to be sometime in the far (FAR) mythical future when we have more time and energy… but these ice cream sandwiches? These are happening TOMORROW.
When I read recipes like these, it makes me sad that I am the cook in my family, because right now, while I’d love to make these, what I’d love even more is for someone to show up at my house with a plate of these. Wow! They look fantastic.
Thanks again for the weight. I used freshly milled soft white spring wheat, and it took a little over 4 cups to hit 335 grams! Used a round 2.5″ cookie cutter and got 36 cookies/18 sandwiches. The flavor is so much richer than store bought, but the consistency is identical! So perfect, and I don’t feel quite so guilty devouring them since I used whole grains. Never buying them again, thanks!!
A few days ago I made ice-cream shaped ice-cream sandwiches, using simple short crust cookies, but now, seeing this chocolate deliciousness, I would start again, not caring about the ice-cream mess!
I shaped the ice-cream with a spoon and yes, my hands, to give it the ice-cream cone shape!
I have not made ice cream sandwiches in a long while. This is the kid of dessert that brings back tons of good childhood memories. I think I maybe making them again some time very soon.
As Ami, #2 above, I also look for the “Jacob picture”!
I also love to press the “Surprise Me!” button over and over, and revel in all of the choices! With that perk, someone shoot me if I ever say “I don’t know what to make for dinner!”
. . . or dessert!!!
Is it terrible that I’m at work (on a Saturday!) and plotting to make this with smashed honeycomb or chopped mints in the ice cream?
You’re a legend, Deb!
You are my kind of gal. Amen to the its-better-homemade and the I-don’t-want-to-buy-something-I-can-make philosophies!! (ok…I confess, though, to buying more of that stuff than I care to admit…)
Yum.
This is DEFINITELY happening this summer.
I really think we would be friends in real life. Your approach to design has confirmed that for me.
Not sure if you are aware, but you were rated one of Felicia Day’s “fave five” on her online show. Below is the link to the youtube video where she talks about your blood orange olive oil cake. Anyways, thought you might appreciate the shout out!
http://youtu.be/R9GgKg_3D-k
Deb, i have used your recipe for Brownie Roll-out Cookies for ice cream sandwiches several times. They work pretty well but did get a tad too hard when frozen I thought, so now I’m looking forward to trying these!
I blame Martha for making us feel less-than if we don’t have the perfect favors for our guest…she has a team, so I don’t feel so bad! Your ice cream sammies look AMAZING! And as soon as I’m done with this sugar fast, I will be making….until then I will dream of these.:) And PS- we have the same glass canisters for dry ingredients- I got them from a lady who owned a tea shop for $3 a piece- those are what the loose-leafed tea came in. Where did you get yours?
this entire post made me enormously happy … i love this blog even more now. i didn’t think that was possible.
And that’s one of the many reasons I love this blog, you’re a secret DIYer! Love it! Although I’d probably never make them, I’m tickled pink to think that it IS possible to do it! And who knows, maybe someday I’ll have an out of body experience and decide to do this. Thanks so much for sharing!
I’m so glad to hear that I’m not the only one with window sill grime!! And a freezer that doesn’t like to freeze! The joys of New York City apartments!! These ice cream sandwiches look like so much fun!!
I have to say I LOL’d at “Mason jar cocktails with homemade bitters.” Who are those people? If we got served those, we’d laugh all the way home in the car.
Deb – just made these with my 8YO. I didn’t have a 9×13 pan, so used circle cutters for the cookies and froze the ice cream in matching-sized ramekins lined with plastic wrap. Worked great! Rolled them in sprinkles, and we are ready for dessert tonight!!
There are a must make for the summer!
Hi Deb-
I know this is a little off topic, but are you really not going to say anything about the cover of your book being revealed on amazon.com this week? Looks great!
My chocolate cookies are in the oven. The hardest part so far has been not eating the cookie dough.
Oh My! Do you ship to Sydney, Australia??
One more comment. I made the cookies last night and assembled the sandwiches this morning using mint chocolate chip ice cream, and as my daughter and I sat munching on them just now, we concluded that they are like amped up thin mint Girl Scout Cookes. Excellent.
After your admission that you don’t *even* have a cheese course with dinner in your house, the lack of flour sack table runners is just too much! Unsubscribe!
These look great and I can’t wait to make them! Laughed out loud when you said you don’t send your guests home with anything but a hangover : )
Hey Deb,
I never tried any ice cream recipe but this one caught my eyes, I couldn’t resist especially after seeing the pictures! It tasted so good to the point where my kids wanted me to do it every weekend lol.
Deb I will have to agree with everybody that you are AWESOME! please keep writing more recipes!
Thank you very much!
Oh, and Susie Q’s are defintiely more cake-like, in that spongy, preservative-laden way! Sort of like a chocolate version of a Twinkie….
I made this tonight and it was a big hit. I used some peach ice cream launguishing in my freezer from last summer, plus a couple of pints of vanilla.
I did find that the OXO bench scrape, with its super sharp edge, was particularly helpful in cutting the cookie, especially with the measuring on one side. And to minimize the amount of time that the ice cream would be out of the freezer, I marked the ice cream with the bench scraper as well, put it back in freezer for 30 more minutes, dumped it on the counter and cut out the ice cream shapes quickly by plunging the bench scraper into my markings. I didn’t use plastic wrap because i try to avoid it at all costs, and I didn’t have a melting post-assembly problem.
If I were to do this again, I would keep a couple of sheet pans in the freezer to put the ice cream on when cutting. Even when working fast, the ice cream melted very quickly on the counter. In July when this would be really good the ice cream is going to melt very fast.
I would probably also use just 3 pints of ice cream. The sandwiches were big – not a small dessert.
Great recipe, though.
Mmmm. I can’t wait to make these, although I doubt I can wait until a birthday. And I also loved low-key birthday parties. My favorite boys party: a walk to a nearby firehouse, then home to eat cake! My favorite girls–decorating aprons, then using the aprons while decorating cookies. Notice a theme? Thanks!
Hi! I love your flour containers! Where did you get those? I have been searching for some that will hold all my flour and have yet to find one.
The ice cream sandwiches are on my menu for this weekend:)
Hi Elizabeth — I think they came from Overstock.
Brian — Stay tuned for about another hour. And then I won’t shut up about it. :)
Cassie — Thanks for sharing — so cool! If I were the type who had an assistant and a couple hours free this morning, I would definitely send her over a cake!
I think I would cry if you were an amazing cook/blogger with a 2(+)-year-old AND you had a Better Homes and Gardens-ready living room AND you threw themed parties with party favors AND you grew your own windowsill herbs. Seriously. I’d probably have to stop reading. You are amazing enough as you are! Also, I’m SO glad you focus your time and talent on things like these ice cream sandwiches — WOWSA! Can’t wait to try them!!
I feel glad to read that sometimes bloggers are just ordinary people living real lives. It’s very easy to give a certain impression with the photography etc that we have perfect houses and beautiful things everywhere!
These look amazing. I made ice cream sandwiches once, and made a gigantic mess in my kitchen, too! It was SO worth it though. :D great post, deb!
Oh man. I will most definitely be trying this once the weather gets warmer! Btw I’ve never been so excited to pre-order a cookbook before. October can’t come soon enough! And I can’t wait to see the recipe for those popcorn cookies!! And to see all the pictures!! I am just beaming with excitement right now.
This is great, I never seen anyone make these. They look so delicious :)
I am completely in! These are gonna happen at my house today – pronto! Even with the electrician here!
I’m thinking, though, that since I don’t have an appropriate cookie-cutter, I’m going with a ruler and a pizza cutter for the rectangles. That way, I’m hoping that I won’t have to re-roll scraps; I’ll just bake up the trims for crumbles over a dish of the wee bit of leftover ice cream!
And going way back towards the top of the comments, someone asked about just making it as one big sheet, freezing it, and then cutting it. Thoughts on whether an electric knife would do a good job at cutting – just rinse off between cuts with warm water and then press blades against a towel on the counter to dry off (please be very careful if trying this…).
Congrats, Deb, too, on the book – I’m completely in on that, as well!
Your living room may not be Pinable but your recipes are. Definitely trying this one!
me again – just wanted to share something that worked well for me on this project – another item that can make the holes is the end of a wooden chopstick – the kind that you snap apart at the restaurants… worked perfectly!
I just finished assembling these and I’m wondering if I overbaked the cake/cookie part. They have a delicious texture (just like an Oreo) but they are rather crispy for an ice cream sandwich. We just tested the finished product and the ice cream pushed out the sides while the cookie snapped in half. I have them wrapped in plastic in the freezer and I’m wondering if they’ll be softer tomorrow?
wow…i’m definitely going to try this!thanks for sharing:)
re: Wayan’s comment: Mine did this as well. Deb: thoughts/ideas? Was a bit surprised and am a little concerned as I am making various flavor combinations for an upcoming party (mint choc/chip, coffee, etc. for i/c flavors) and was hoping that they would have stayed softer. I am planning to transport them with dry ice, which would make them even more frozen… thus harder. I also plan to roll them out a little thinner than what the instructions call for; I even pushed it out to 8″ by 12″ for an even cut and count – may try going out to 8″ by 14″ and underbaking them just a touch. Maybe drop back on the sugar a little? hhmmm….
OMG those look wonderful!
Wow!!! Saw these on Style Me Pretty… want one!!!
I can taste these now, oh so good!
Those look incredible! I definitely need to try these when it warms up! You always think of the most creative yummies!
This is exactly what my 10 yr old and I need to beat the awful summer we are facing. Lovely lovely recipe. My son is going to love this. Thank you, Deb. Bookmarked!
wrt the party: Jacob’s idea is excellent. It turns out (for me, anyway) that if you specify no presents, parties can feel more like a really fun playdate, and less like a job. There can even be party favors if you want (helped the no present thing last a little longer at our house) NB: people are VERY BAD at coming empty handed. It helps to 1: explain that you are overrun with age-appropriate material lovin’ from grandparents, etc. 2: send them a page protector with the invite and ask them to help make a Birthday Book for the birthday child — please make a card or a page to include, and you promise to add photos of the Party to it later. My kids treasure their birthday books, even though I never managed to print out photos for them.
Totally making these ice cream bars this summer. Or putting my kids on it.
I made these for mother’s day on the weekend. The biscuits were awesome!
Only thing is, even though my icecream was frozen for hours, it was still soft, and I did not listen to you. So heaps melted out the sides, leaving an undesirable biscuit:icecream ratio. Next time I would probably scoop the icecream straight into sandwiches.
I made these yesterday for a BBQ today. I was VERY happy with how easy it was to roll out and work with the dough. The taste was lovely as well. Thanks for the recipe :)
I just recently found your delicious website through http://emminaliebtdich.blogspot.com/.
I can’t thank you enough for also writing the recipes in grams! I live in Indonesia and we use metric here. I find it frustrating to see American recipes, especially if I had to calculate butter in cups! hahaha.. had to google everything for the conversion; but now I don’t have to do that, thanks to your website! :D
I think I have found my next recipe to try…
These look fantastic . My son asked for ice cream sandwiches for his birthday but I have not been able to deliver due to illness . He will love these. Thanks!
Do you think it would work to roll the cookie dough out into two giant rectangular cookies and bake, rather than cutting them into individual pieces first? Seems it would be quite easy to put the ice cream on one cookie, top with the second, freeze, and then cut into squares after they’ve frozen.
Hi Nuala — I am not sure — I think it would get pretty overcooked at the edges before it was baked in the center. And it might warp.
This looks delicious! I might even make some up for our eldest’s graduation open house on Saturday…. that is if I get off the computer and actually finish the cleaning. Right now I think I would rather just look at recipes and empty my mailbox…unfortunately it won’t keep our 1st born from graduating and leaving for the military in September.
hi deb, your site is one of my everyday pleasures -delicious food to gawk at. fun writing to smile at. city stories to vigorously nod at. thanks for all you put into this site!
noticed that you’d tried the 365 ice cream and didn’t like it. we’ve never been impressed either. BUT in the freezer at WF, you should find something called Alden’s Organic Ice Cream. It is hands down the best commercial ice cream we’ve ever had (outside of small batch homemade ice cream, or family-made, artisan gelati in Florence). Creamy. Scoopable straight from the freezer. Really fresh flavor. The strawberry is actually bursting with fresh strawberry-ness. The chocolate is a deep chocolate with tiny nibs of real, dark cocoa nibs. The vanilla is seriously vanilla-beany. No wierd, waxy fat taste. No mystery ingredients. Excellent. No I don’t work for them. We just eat embarrassing quantities of Alden’s ice cream whenever i’m not making large batches of ice cream. Okay, we eat embarrassing quantities of ice cream, period. At any rate, try it! Happy Memorial Day weekend!
Okay, I have to post this question and risk sounding like an idiot because I can’t count. Mine are safely in the freezer now, but I have a question on the measuring/numbers of cookies I should have. If my two halves of dough are rolled out to 8×10, and my cookies are cut to 2×4, won’t I end up with 20 cookies instead of 24 (10 from each instead of 12)? I’m confused as to where you all are getting those extra four cookies, because I want ’em! I had two extra slabs of ice cream, which makes sense, but those cookies are a mystery. Help!
Hi Becky — Uh, YES. I cannot believe it took over 250 comments for someone to find the error. In fact, my cookies (see photo #6) look like I indeed got 10 per half, yes? I’ll fix. So sorry to have shorted you.
However, I really wish I could make these again because I am pretty sure my yield was correct (10 large + 10 mini). Did you feel like you had enough extra to make 2 more, if I had in fact written it as 8×12? I do remember that in that 6th photo, quite a bit had been “balled” back up to be rerolled. I suspect enough for one or two more cookies but my memory is foggy. (Which is pathetic because this wasn’t very long ago, oh well.)
I just got to this recipe, it had been on my mind, I made a few small changes since my husband cannot eat egg and neither of us eats cane sugar. I subbed honey for sugar whicha llowed me to just leave out the egg and they held together fine. I added a bit of black onyx chocolate and chocolate extract to get stronger chocolate flavor. The cookies were perfect. I rolled and cut out rounds. Next I used my Donvier ice cream maker which you would love and made vanilla ice cream. I froze it pretty hard, then put blobs int he frozen cookies, wrapped each up and froze them right away. It made 15 of these and is one of the tastiest things ever.
Deb, this is completely nothing to do with this recipe but have you gone to Pinterest and typed ‘the smitten’? You literally end up with a whole page of pins of your cookbook. haha!
Jane — Aw! I had no idea. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Deb-
Thanks for the fix (and the re-instatement of my counting credentials!) I didn’t make any minis – just large, and I think 8×12 would have been doable, I believe. Either way they were delicious :-D
I have been searching for a good ice cream sandwich recipe. Thanks! This will be perfect on a hot summer day, especially with homemade ice cream
Made these with my two little girls for breakfast (what the hell, it’s summer); used heart cookie cutters in 3 sizes. No idea how many we yielded, b/c we ate some before even wrapping and freezing them. Fantastic. Thanks for the great recipe, can’t wait for your book.
I made these heavenly cookies and filled them with easy homemade peanut butter ice cream. I actually thought the homemade ice cream was easier and less messy than partially melting some store-bought ice cream because it came out of the machine easily spreadable into a nice layer. I’m eating the (tiny) bit of ice cream I have left and wishing I had more sandwiches in the freezer. I think these will have to be included in our Father’s day BBQ this weekend!
Thanks so much for this recipe! I have only just discovered your blog and am in HEAVEN trying all these divine recipes. So I made a whole heap (big and small, round ones) and piled them up instead of a birthday cake for my husband’s birthday. They looked great. One comment I got though was that the biscuits were a little hard. It was like they froze hard(had been made the night before). Anyway, fast forward a week and a half and I remember the left overs, biscuits a perfect texture now!
Thank you for ruining my life. I attempted to make these for my 4-year old’s birthday party in the park. I burned so many cookies (inconsistent rolling and dough too thin!) that there were only exactly enough for the kids at the party (sorry grown-ups!). Then, I tried to get the ice cream inside. I used Trader Joe’s vanilla (yum) and didn’t freeze it long enough so it was running after 2 sandwiches (squares). So back in the freezer. Well, as you know, it was an ice cream massacre; only about 6 of the 15 sandwiches were party presentable so we kept them and “only” brought chocolate cupcakes with mascarpone cream frosting (your perfect chocolate cake recipe!). Today was day two of ice cream sandwiches for snack. The 4-year old inhales them as I and father of said child do and the two-year old requires the cookies cut off as his first attempt to hold an ice cream sandwich resulted in “Mommy, get the cold out!”. My life is ruined because I foresee in the immediate it’s-still-summer-future having to stay up late and trying to make these again. They are amazing.
These are so hard to make yet so delicious. Sigh. Any tips for how to roll the dough to an even thickness? I have a wooden rolling pin (and not the fancy kind that taper to the ends) and think I may need an upgrade. Oh, and the whole getting the ice cream inside I can’t even begin to tell you about all the things I did wrong. But, the adults and the 4 year-old love them and the 2-year old only eats the cookie because when he holds the sandwich he demands, “take the cold out!”. I want to keep eating these but am not looking forward to making them again. I’m very happy this is my greatest problem these days.
Karin — There are a couple product you can buy, such as these and this. Or, you can just check from time to time with a toothpick, seeing that it goes equally deep into the dough at different parts.
I took your suggestion and made them in star shapes for my July 4th party, and they turned out great! I think the ice cream was actually easier to cut using the cookie cutter, though it was a little soft and my freezer wasn’t cold enough so the first sandwiches melted in the freezer… I ended up just assembling right before serving, and everyone loved them!
I thought the dough was very easy to work with, and my coworkers loved the leftover cookies plain. Time-intensive, but worth it! Next time I think I’ll just soften/re-freeze ice cream the day before so it’s better-frozen.
Hi! Maybe this is crazy but I’m getting married next month and we’re thinking of doing these for dessert. It’s a casual, DIY-y affair, and we want to make our own dessert but I am not excited about having to make 12 cakes or crisps or something the day or two before and was looking for something that could be made well ahead and would require minimal prep on the day of! Also that is fun and tasty. Mostly tasty. I know you also recently posted a recipe for chocolate wafer cookies, which could be served with ice cream. How do they compare to these?
Hi Lily — The wafers are thinner and more crisp. They have a more porous crumb; they absorb ingredients a bit more. If you’re going for classic ice cream sandwiches, I’d use these. If you want more of an elegant, crisp chocolate wafer to make a tiny quick ice cream sandwich with, use the others.
I made these for a bbq, and despite the fact that I was rushed for time (scooped ice cream + 90 degree temps + hot cookies + not enough freezer time == messy!) they were AMAZING. I used espresso chocolate chip ice cream, MMMMMM. I just used a glass to make round cookies. Also, instead of schmearing the softened ice cream onto the cookies, I scooped it individually, which may have made it messier.
First we ate the dough, then we ate the baked cookies warm, by themselves and or with icecream scooped up on top. Finally, we got around to making the sandwiches; ate some of those too before they went to the freezer. When it was all said and done, there weren’t that many left for the day after…..they were yummy.
Amazing recipe – so good! Thank you for sharing! :D All of your personal-experience tips were invaluable, too! I ran out of plastic wrap, and finished wrapping with foil, which I found to actually be easier & stays together better. :) We enjoyed the dough, cookies, & fresh sandwiches along the way; I can’t wait to see how the remaining sandwiches turn out after a day in the freezer! I’ll try to report back. :)
I love making homemade marshamallows and think they’d taste great in place of the ice cream in these sandwiches as well. :P (Another dieter’s plan gone awry! lol)
I made these for dinner tonight to celebrate my grandfather’s birthday and they were absolutely DELICIOUS! The cookies had a wonderful, rich, dark taste that contrasted wonderfully with the sweet creaminess of the ice cream within. They had a fantastic crunch as well, although I’m not sure if this is supposed to happen or if I accidentally over baked them a tiny bit. Either way, they were fabulous.
My only question is this: (because they are DEFINITELY something I will want to make again– in fact, I’m planning to jot down the recipe in my cookbook as soon as I post this comment) When do you suggest taking the ice cream out to thaw? I made the mistake of leaving them out from the beginning of cooking, and while the sandwiches did turn out marvelously, they were definitely a little more mushy than I’d like.
Also, I look forward to seeing you at Politics and Prose on the 17th. I’m sure I’ll be using your cookbook a LOT, although I have yet to meet a kugel recipe I thought compared to my own. But then, I bet everyone thinks that their own recipe is the best, hmm? If only I could share some of my own with you. (Hey, that’s an idea! I should totally make a kugel to bring you! I’d love to hear your thoughts. xD (I’m kidding, of course. Unless… You’d like me to bring you some kugel? >.> Just say the word!) )
Rebecca — I’m glad you liked them and am looking forward to seeing you in DC! I would take the ice cream out just 10 to 20 minutes before. But it’s really about how hard the ice cream is, how cold your freezer is and how hot your kitchen is. My kitchen is always warm and the freezer isn’t particularly cold so for me, just a few minutes does it.
Thanks for the recipe it looks delicious!
looks amazing. I actually want it to be hot and summery again before winter has even started so I could make these. oh, and i read through all 272 posts and didn’t see it – what was the theme of the party where these made their debut??
Hi Kristina — I don’t think there was a theme… oh wait, that might have been the Chicago dog barbecue. My friends are obsessed with Chicago dogs and set up a whole make-your-own-dog table replete with different instructions for different regional ones.
Deb,
Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve been meaning to drop you a comment since I first used it this summer. I did some alterations for taste and consistency to suit my purposes (a little less salt, a little more cocoa – I discuss that in my own blog). I did indeed give Smitten Kitchen props in the post I made on my own blog; it beat out three other recipes I was considering. I made and sent a batch of ice cream sandwiches to my father in Florida (in the middle of the July heatwave, no less) and he loved them.
Thanks again!
Carlton
I made these yesterday, and found the recipe very easy to follow. The cookies turned out beautiful. I used a round scalloped cutter on the cookies and ice cream. They looked like the flying saucers from Carvel. For those of you looking for a soft ice cream sandwich that sticks to the roof of your mouth, this is not it. The cookie stays firm, even with the addition of baking powder as suggested, and waiting 24 hours to eat them. While they look gorgeous, they are not amazing. I prefer a soft cookie. Thanks for the recipe, for you crunchy cookie loving folks you will enjoy these.
l just made these since i am going to make some homemade ice cream today anyway. My only comment or question is, is that are these suppose to come out crunchy, i was expecting soft ice cream sandwiches so that when you take a bit the whole thing doesnt fall apart into a big mess. I wish people would actually comment on the recipe AFTER they made it and tasted it and not just comment on how beautiful the picture is. I may try a different recipe next time. thanks
hi i have made these beautiful little sandwiches, and i have had the same problem every time – that the dough is always dry and crumbly. is it possible that the recipe has too much flour in it? thanks! cant wait to fix the problem and make them again
My ice cream sandwiches (jokingly requested by my 16 y.o. son) are in the freezer waiting for a family lunch in a few days. These were fun to make and look awesome, mostly due to the thermometer indents. You scared me re the ice cream mess so I employed an old Girl Scout leader trick – everyone gets a tray at her work station to capture spills and messes. My work station was a plastic serving tray bigger than the sheet of ice cream and it worked well. Best of all, I earned major points with my teen who can’t believe ice cream sandwiches can be homemade!
He-eey….made these this week and, while we liked the flavor of the cookie, we felt like they did not work very well for ice cream sandwiches. They came out cute (we made them into heart shapes), but we were expecting Klondike bar-like softness. The crisp cookies were super hard frozen and difficult to eat with soft ice cream inside. We actually ended up cutting out the homemade ice cream from cookies and eating it separately.
delicious recipe! photos of my attempt here
http://abimakes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/ice-cream-sandwiches.html
I made these this weekend. They were such a huge hit amongst my people! I used butter pecan and mint chocolate chip frozen yogurt to fill them. They were the most delicious ice cream sands of ever, I loved the crisp-ness that the cookies had; not a bad feature at all. Thanks for being such an inspiration.
P.S. I had a real smitten weekend and also made you’re peas and shells alfredo (with bow-ties instead), aaaand even used your biscuit recipe to make strawberry and whipped cream desserts (I was busy in the kitchen!). A-mazing to all. Thanks again.
I just had a little break from house cleaning and pulled out an ice cream sandwich bar (they were on sale the other day) and I sat down to eat one, opened the package and it was huge, such a lot of ice cream and I thought I wonder if you can make these from scratch and lo and behold I search it out and come to your blog, so to say the least I am so happy I did.. these huge bars I bought (on sale mind you) were $3.00 for 4 of them (yes only 4 in the box) – thankfully my two sons no longer live with me and I have no grandchildren yet so it was ok, but they are huge… anyhow I am going to try this recipe of yours, I was even thinking of make some with sherbet inside…. can you imagine!!! thank you so much….
Though this recipe turned out beautiful, they were not as soft and spongy as I was expecting/hoping for. This is no fault of the recipe; this is just not the recipe for super soft ice cream sandwiches that mimic the store-bought ones. If I do try this recipe again, it was a good recipe, I may try to decrease the cook time of the cookie. When putting the sandwiches together I made about 4-5 at a time and then put the slab of ice cream back in the freezer to harden. This made for a slow process, but it saved a big headache I think. :)
If you buy the ice cream that comes in a thin cardboard box you can peal the cardboard off the front then take a big knife and cut the ice cream into sandwich sized blocks instead of smoothing the ice cream out on a cookie sheet =)
I tried these and like so many others before the cookies were very hard although I’m sure I didn’t over bake them. Quite a few others (it seems like over half of those who tried the recipe) have posted comments asking you if they are supposed to be this texture or if they came out wrong but not sure why you haven’t responded to those questions (despite responding to other comments)? Anyway, I looked up the recipe on Joy of Baking and she uses a LOT less flour to achieve a cakey cookie texture. I’d recommend that over this recipe.
Hi Sarah — I miss questions, despite trying to stay on top of comments (I think I answered 40 in this post alone!). I’m sorry they weren’t to your liking. Questions like this are the hardest to answer because it might just be a matter of taste. For softer cookies, keeping them rolled thicker (really that full 1/4-inch, checked with a ruler if needed) and baking them not a minute too are the way to go. What I liked about these was that when filled with ice cream and frozen, to me, they got just tender enough. The cookie on it’s own is firm but shouldn’t be rock hard when baked just right. Hope that helps. I’ll check out Joy of Baking’s version — it’s more of a cake, if I remember correctly. I’d love to try it and compare this summer.
I’d like to know more about the cookies. Are they soft enough that they don’t just gosh the ice cream out when you try to take a bite? Do they do that weird melt/stick to your hand thing? The soft chocolate cookies have always been my favorite part of ice cream sandwiches. I’ll have to give this a try.
Zion — The cookies are only a little tender, more so after sitting with the ice cream for a while. They are not so hard that the ice cream will squeeze out when you take a bite, or weren’t when we made it. Ice cream melts when… it’s warm so it’s really about how hot it will be where you eat it.
Also, do these ones melt in your hand when you are eating them (not eating in the sun)? I’ve never liked that. Thank you!
These were fun to make and delicious. However agree with the reviews that the cookies are much crunchier than cake like. I scooped the ice cream into a couple large zip lock bags, then mushed it to the bottom and formed a flattened log the thickness I wanted before freezing overnight to make sure it was super hard. Then just cut strips with scissors. I also laid the ice cream on a bag of ice from the freezer while assembling to keep cold. Would like to compare the Joy of Baking recipe next time, but would happily make these again. Thanks!
Great! Thank you for your response. I will be sure to try them over the summer?
The cookies taste great and are the perfect ice cream sandwich vehicle. Next time, I will forgo the whole complicated rectangular shape for the cookies and ice cream – it added complication and LOTS of mess because the whole cutting up the ice cream process was pretty comical. Deb’s looked like Martha Stewart compared to mine. Next time (and there will be a next time for sure bc they tasted great), I’m just going to stamp circles for the cookies with a biscuit cutter, soften the ice cream for 15 mins, and then scoop ice cream and squeeze between two circle cookies until the ice cream shows. Individually wrapping each sandwich in plastic is a must.
How would you recommend transporting these for a drive to the lake house of my new wonderful man’s family? I mean what better way to make a great first impression on a summer day than with homemade SK ice cream sandwiches?
I made these the other night, and I really wish the cookies weren’t so thick, and weren’t so hard. The cookie part of ice cream sandwiches that I remember from childhood are soft. These hard cookies make the sandwich break apart while you eat it, making it incredibly hard to eat. We ended up having to put the sandwich in a bowl and eat it with a spoon that we used to stab the sandwich to break it apart in order to eat it.
This is so good.if your looking for a good late night treat you looked at a great thing.there creamy and delicious!!!
I’ve been looking for this recipe for quite some time. Fell in love with ice cream sandwiches many years ago. Glad I can now make them. Thanks for this awesome recipe.
Hi there,
Is it possible to make this without having a batter mixer ?
Thanks !
Sara — I think so. But it’s definitely easier to whip butter if you at least have an electric hand mixer or even one of these (okay, maybe nobody has those anymore).
how long does this recipe take?
This brings back to my youth. I will try making this!
I think I love you.
Well, I know I love these ice cream sandwiches. I’ll love them even more with the homemade ice cream I’ve perfected.
Hear that groaning? Yep, that’s my trousers! ;)
I loved, loved, loved your post! I got totally sucked into the entire read (in a nice, nice way) because I am in the midst of making my own ice cream sandwiches for a family function. I have made vanilla ice cream on the weekend and will generously stuff it between chocolate chip cookies. Although these dark chocolate cookies have me really tempted to sway on your side! Yum!
Ooooooohhhhh this looks so good and the filling pissibolities are endless! Cherry! Vanilla! Salted caramel! Oh god my poor thighs
How do these compare to the cookies in the homemade Oreos? I was thinking the homemade Oreo cookies would make great ice cream sandwiches.
They’re the same ones. ;)
I tried to make the cookie part today and when they were taken out of the oven they literally crumbled into tiny pieces….almost as if they didn’t have enough moisture in the batter. Any ideas what to do to fix that? I even weighed all my ingredients as I know it’s much more accurate.
Do you have a suggestion for adapting this to a vanilla cookie? I wanted to bake something (rather than using a graham cracker) that would have the semi-soft texture of the classic chocolate version, but need to make it vanilla
I haven’t tried it but my hunch is that it would be just fine to replace the cocoa powder 1:1 with flour or cake flour (non-leavened) for a vanilla cookie. Let me know how it goes, if you can. I’m curious!
Oh boy, these did not turn out for me—but it’s not because of the recipe being flawed. I just think it is important to pick an ice cream that you are familiar with and KNOW is a firm ice cream. I did not do this–instead, I bought the cheap grocery store brand vanilla. I softened it, spread it and it has been in the freezer two hours. In those two hours, I have attempted three sandwiches and they are all exactly the same–total mush. It’s almost like soft serve that is half melted. I don’t know what do other than give up or go out and get new ice cream. In the meantime, I will continue freezing it and hope it firms up more, but I am so annoyed! The ones that have been assembled are still mushy after an hour in the freezer too (wrapping and all). You would think the hard part would have been making the cookie, but that was very straight forward. Darn! Will try again at some point. Please learn from my mistake and make sure your ice cream is a hard type!
I actually used really awful grocery store ice cream in these too and regretted it. Like, I look at the picture and can still taste how compromised the filling was. Anyway, it always takes hours more than would seem necessary for it to firm up again — did it eventually? I’m sorry it gave you such a headache.
Sorry I am seeing this so late! Yes! It did firm up and did take longer than I would have guessed to do so! They were still yummy despite my ice cream choice. Thank you!
I’ve never commented on a recipe before but these are so good I’ve made them twice in the last two weeks.
The chocolate cookie part is ridiculously delicious – extremely chocolate-y and not very sweet at all. They *are* rich though, so don’t be tempted to go too big.
I sprinkled a little salt on top before baking and subbed peanut butter ice cream the second time and was also pretty great.
Do you think it would be possible to make one giant ice cream sandwich 8×10? Do you think the giant cookies would bake evenly enough? Would it be possible to cut into pieces after it all froze together in giant sandwich form or would any attempts to cut it just squish the sandwich together and squirt ice cream everywhere?
My daughter loves ice cream sandwiches and I am thinking that a giant one would make an awesome birthday cake.
Okay, I got brave and just tried it. The cookies came out fine but I may have overlooked them a bit because they were pretty crunchy. I baked it as two giant pieces of rolled out dough and then cut a nice size rectangle out of each of them.
The only problem I had was cutting them into smaller pieces. Definitely squeezed the ice cream out the sides despite a long freezing time trying to get it super hard and squeeze-proof. I have some still in the freezer to see if the cookies soften a bit and the ice cream toughens up enough to cut slices.
The flavor was absolutely delicious and a big hit with my guinea pigs.
These ice cream bars look just amazing! I love how easy the recipe is ♥
These ice cream sandwiches were divine! The bittersweet dark chocolate with a touch of salt was insane with the ice cream, but I would add that they were more popular with the adults than the kids. I followed the recipe exactly and to my surprise it worked out for me – I’m not a talented baker. I used verrrry soft butter so maybe that helped. Chose cookies and cream Breyers and vanilla from Dreyers which was a little goopier, but both worked well in the end. I can’t wait until tomorrow when I’m justified in eating another one :-)
Taste is delicious but the dough came out more cookie-like in texture; I’d love for it to be softer, more felxible after cooking (a little more cake-like). Any advice for this?? Did I go wrong somewhere?
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I have not made ice cream sandwiches in a long while. This is the kid of dessert that brings back tons of good childhood memories. I think I maybe making them again some time very soon.
would it be possible to spreed and freeze the ice cream a day in advance of assembly? wanting to make to make the cookies and assemble them with friends but time is limited, so it’d be nice to have the ice cream ready
Yes, the main thing is that you want the ice cream to have lots of time to chill again, and you will.
How do you make the cake or cookie in vanilla? What would I replace the cocoa with? My husband had vanilla ice cream sandwiches with strawberry ice cream as a kid and we can’t find them anywhere. Thank you for any suggestions.
Delicious and classic. Adored by all the kids – big and little. Some were particularly charmed by the hand-poked holes.
I skipped the whole spreading the ice cream out on a baking sheet step, and just individually scooped slightly softened ice cream onto each cookie bottom. It was pretty easy. Not too messy.
In my opinion, these came out great. Pretty easy to make. My cookies were much thinner and pretty brittle, my ice cream was thicker in the 9×13 pan than I thought it should be so I think I did something wrong. But for a first try, I made some great ice cream sandwiches. I halved most of them because that’s a lot of dessert, I scored the cookies before they went in to the oven so they would break easily, but I also could leave them whole if I wanted. If you break a few like I did, when transferring them from the cookie sheet to the rack, it’s easy to cut them to fit a smaller size.