Ice Cream Sandwiches for These Scorching Summer Days

One of the side effects of being pregnant that I was most looking forward to experiencing was the cravings. I was eager to experience the ultra-rare feeling of knowing exactly what I wanted to eat and then very kindly requesting that my husband not question my sanity but simply go off to hunt down that said craving.

I’m a little disappointed to report my version of cravings seems to be more like a housefly meandering from room to room. You forget it’s there until you turn off the TV and notice a faint buzzing somewhere. It’s not close enough for you to care, but it’s loud enough to know it’s going to be a nuisance at some point. For me, the housefly is ice cream.

I’ve debated on multiple occasions giving in to the annoying buzz and grabbing a carton from the store. But I don’t. I mean, my baby doesn’t want just any ice cream. She wants ice cream in novelty form, and two scoops in a waffle cone just ain’t gonna cut it.

My resident co-conspirator keeps sending me mental images of ice cream in cake-like form; spongy baked goods layered between frozen sweet cream, topped with more creamy buttery sugar. She is a very good artist, but I’m glad I’m the one in charge of all our faculties.

Overindulgence in sugary treats (especially of the overly processed sort) is generally discouraged during pregnancy, but also committing to an entire ice cream cake as an individual not throwing a birthday party (or with any intentions of sharing) feels a little excessive. And so we find a compromise.

Ice cream sandwiches are an adequate alternative. Two soft, cake-like cookies surrounding cold, velvety cream, topped off with plenty of novelty, all portioned out into a single, responsible serving. The ideal chilled treat for these scorching summer days.

Admittedly, the process of assembling ice cream sandwiches is nothing short of a monumental pursuit in patience and precision. But after taking the first bite, it’ll feel like another notch in the “Best Mom Ever” belt that is certain to guarantee a “Mom of the Century” nomination, or coffee mug, someday. Recipe adapted from iambaker.com.

What you’ll need:

Parchment paper

Plastic wrap

9-by-13-inch pan

2 large baking sheets

Rolling pin

For the ice cream:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla paste or extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

For the cookies:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, room temp

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the ice cream:

Line the 9-by-13 baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.

In a mixer, whip the heavy cream until it becomes stiff and forms peaks.

In a medium bowl, combine the can of sweetened condensed milk, vanilla paste, and salt.

When cream is whipped, use a rubber spatula to slowly fold in the condensed milk mixture.

Pour into the parchment-lined pan and place in the freezer for three hours or until it’s frozen all the way through.

For the cookie:

In a bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl or standing mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Once thoroughly mixed, add the egg and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients and mix just until the dough is formed. Do not overmix.

Form dough into a ball and set the bowl in the fridge to rest for 10 minutes.

Cut two pieces of parchment paper the size of your baking sheets.

Take dough out of the fridge and place between the parchment papers.

Roll the dough between the paper into a 12-by-15-inch rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick. Put the dough in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

When the dough is firm, cut out 4-by-2-inch rectangles and place them on a clean sheet of parchment paper.

Collect excess dough, re-roll, and chill in the fridge before cutting more rectangles. You should get about 20 rectangles.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, just until the edges are firm, but the middle is still a little soft. Cool completely before assembling sandwiches. Should take about an hour.

Assembly:

Cut the ice cream into 10 4-by-2-inch rectangles.

Place ice cream between two pieces of cookie and set on a pan lined with parchment paper. If ice cream starts melting before you can get each section onto a cookie, return to the freezer for a few minutes.

Cover the sandwiches with plastic wrap and put them in the freezer for 3-4 hours, or until you can’t stand to wait any longer.

You can access a printable version of this recipe by following this link.