Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Nothing says summer like ice cream! And sitting out on the back deck with a couple of beautifully golden cookies sandwiching creamy cold ice cream is just about perfect. This recipe is too simple to make, and just requires you to be patient while the ice cream freezes!

Nothing says summer quite like ice cream, does it? Normally, I’m always whipping together a batch of homemade ice cream, although since we’ve discovered my husband is having issues with lactose, I haven’t been doing that!

Luckily, our grocery store carries lots of brands of ice cream made with lactose free milk! Turns out it’s a pretty widespread issue. Almost 65% of the population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy, and it just keeps going down from there.

Being a data analyst, I’ve been digging into the data on prevalence, historical length of dairy farming in nations with high lactose intolerance percentages, and more, but I’ll spare you. Instead, I’ll just say that people are inventive, and lactose intolerance is prevalent enough that I’ve been able to go to the grocery store and find lactose free – and dairy free – dairy products.

And our small test kitchen can’t tell the difference between the lactose free and regular products.

They work just as well when you’re cooking and baking, and they taste just great in your recipes. Including when you bake delicious cookies, smash a couple scoops of ice cream between them, and leave them in the freezer long enough for them to become DIY Chipwiches!

[lt_recipe name=”Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches” summary=”Nothing says summer like ice cream! And sitting out on the back deck with a couple of beautifully golden cookies sandwiching creamy cold ice cream is just about perfect. This recipe is too simple to make, and just requires you to be patient while the ice cream freezes!” servings=”12″ total_time=”45M” print=”yes” image=”https://homefrontcooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Ice-Cream-Sandwiches-1048.jpg” ingredients=”1 cup butter, softened;1 cup granulated sugar;1/2 cup brown sugar;2 eggs;2 tsp vanilla;2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour;1 tsp baking soda;1/2 tsp salt;2 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips;1/2 gallon Vanilla Ice Cream {you won’t use it all}” ]Line a small cookie sheet with wax paper. Scoop the vanilla ice cream out onto the pan and smooth it out with a large wooden spoon. Freeze the pan for at least 2 hours.;Preheat oven to 375F. Line two pans with parchment paper or baking mats and set aside.;Cream the softened butter in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until it is fluffy.;Beat the sugars into the butter until the mixture is soft and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat to combine. Beat in the vanilla.;In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the mixture by cupfuls to the wet ingredients until combined and fluffy.;Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.;Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, portion out the cookie dough onto the pans so that the balls of dough are about 2″ round. Leave room for them to spread.;Bake at 375F for 9-10 minutes or until they’re golden brown.;Cool the cookies on a cooling rack or parchment paper.;Using cookie cutters or biscuit cutters about the same size as your cookies, cut out the ice cream into round shapes.;Sandwich the ice cream rounds between two cookies, wrap in plastic wrap, and stick in the freezer for another 30-60 minutes.;Let the cookie sandwich thaw for about 5 minutes before enjoying!;[/lt_recipe]

If you want to roll them in mini-chocolate chips a la Chipwich or sprinkles or other toppings, put them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes and then roll them in the toppings. You want them cold, but still smooth enough to pick up the toppings!

24 cookies will get you 12 sandwiches, although we usually make half that and eat the rest of the cookies by themselves. They’re meant to spread out and get a little crispier than our favorite chocolate chip cookies and they’re their own kind of delicious.

Here’s wishing you all a great week!