Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

I'm spending the holiday break in Australia's scorching hot summer, and on a lazy day ice cream sandwiches never fail to hit the spot.  I used a chocolate sugar cookie recipe and just some plain-jane Woolworth's brand vanilla ice cream.  The cookies alone are delicious; they're only made better with the ice cream and a hot summer's sun.

For the Chocolate Sugar Cookies:

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tbls unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg
small chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 F (about 190 C)

Whisk all dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, soda, baking powder, salt and sugar) in a medium sized bowl.  Add butter and either continue to whisk or use an electric mixer whichever you prefer until butter is incorporated.  Then add egg and do the same.  Lastly, sprinkle in the chocolate chips...as many as you'd like!

Don't be put off if the dough isn't exactly doughy, I used a whisk for the entire process and it came out quite crumbly.

Use hands to form dough into the desired size cookie, flatten it slightly and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for 7-9 minutes, but watch them because they can burn easily, as I learned in my first batch :)

Rotate halfway through for even baking.

After cookies are cooled find two of the same size and start making the ice cream sandwiches.  Use a butter knife and put the ice cream on nice and thick, then top with the second cookie.

Wrap the sandwiches in cling wrap to keep them together then stick them straight in the freezer for a few hours up to a day.  The more frozen they are the easier they are to eat.

Another idea, if you want to try and avoid the terribly epic moment when you go to bite into your luscious ice cream sandwich and all the ice cream squishes out the sides, as it tends to do, you can try baking a very small, coin sized, cookie to place in the middle of the sandwich, putting the ice cream around it...I didn't do this, but some one told me I should try it...he knows nothing about baking or ice-cream-sandwich-making, but he did fail miserably at eating his cookie sandwich so thinks it is worth a shot.

I hope you enjoy the ice cream sandwiches! :)  They are surprisingly easy to make and pretty lip-smackin' delicious!

Soft Sugar Cookies

HII! It's Stef! I know, it's been awhile.

I have only had a few REALLY good sugar cookies. I don't like the hard, crispy ones with the hard frosting. I like soft cookies with real buttercream frosting! But I haven't found a good recipe; they always end up to cakey. These cookies are a little cakey, if you like the really soft ones from the grocery store, I would try these. Next I think I'll work on a chewy sugar cookie...I think that's what I'm looking for anyway...

I also don't have a fancy expensive camera like Rach does...so you will just have to do with my point and shoot photos :)


This recipe only makes about 2-3 dozen. It is easily doubled.

Cookies
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream

Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

1. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

2. Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Don't forget to scrape down the side of the bowl! Add eggs one at a time, beat until incorporated. Add vanilla and sour cream and beat until combined.

3. Add flour mixture and beat at a slow speed until combined. The dough will be sticky, this is okay! Flatten and wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate over night or at least for two hours.

4. When ready to bake, Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

5. Flour countertop, roll out dough using a rolling pin (or a can of PAM if you don't have one, hey, don't judge! I am a poor college student!). Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness, using a 2.5 in cookie cutter*, cut out circles and transfer to lined baking sheets. Bake for about 5 minutes and cookies are pale yellow. Take out and immediately transfer cookies to wire rack. Let cookies cool completely before frosting.

6. To make the frosting, cream together butter and vanilla using a mixer. Slowly beat in powdered sugar and salt until combined. Add milk one tablespoon at a time, beating in between for a minute or two until fluffy. Add food coloring if desired! Don't forget the sprinkles!!

* I used a glove shaped cookie cutter, the cookies were too puffy to tell. I would suggest just using a round cookie cutter.

Enjoy!

Stef

I was Cravin' Oatmeal Raisin!

This recipe is super easy and quick.  Nothing complicated, but makes really delicious and puffy cookies!

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
16 tbls (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In medium bowl mix flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.

In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy.  Beat in sugars then eggs one at a time.  Add flour mixture and beat until combined.  Finally fold in oats and raisins until combined.

Roll dough into balls and place on cookie sheet, then bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.  The bottoms of mine came out a little bit dark so you can try to use parchment paper if you want, that might help.

Let cool and eat them all!!! :)