Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Is there anything better than ice cream sandwiches? Seriously... 

I mean you take two delicious things and sandwich a third delicious thing in the middle.... basically heaven, am I right? 

These bad boys only take about an hour to whip up, if your using store bought ice cream, and are sure to be a big hit with friends and family! Use any flavor ice cream you like - I went with vanilla and chocolate, but I imagine salted caramel, maple walnut, mint chocolate chip or pretty much anything would be delicious as well. 

Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients

Brownie Cookies

8 oz chocolate chips (about 1 1/3 cup)

1/2 cup butter

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking powder

salt

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Filling

Ice Cream

Directions

Make cookies - In a microwave safe bowl (or on the stove top), melt the chocolate chips and butter, whisking until smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs for 2 minutes. Beat in sugars, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the melted chocolate until combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed. 

Add in flour, cocoa powder, and walnuts, stirring until just combined. Chill batter for 30 minutes. (Do not skip this step!) 

When batter is chilled, preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie tray with parchment paper. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop batter about 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheet. They will spread. 

Bake at 350 for 10 - 15 minutes, until tops are crackled. Don't over bake or cookies will be crispy not chewy. If you make the cookies smaller then your cooking time will vary. 

Cool completely on wire racks before filling with ice cream. 

Let ice cream soften on the counter for about 10 - 15 minutes before scooping onto the flat side of one cookie. Flatten gently with a spoon before topping with another cookie. You need to work fairly quickly as the ice cream will start to melt and get very messy!

Store in freezer. 

You can wrap them individually to make storage easier. 

FYI - these go great at bake sales if you have a cooler with ice to keep them in! 

I made some with brownie cookies, some with chocolate chip cookies, some with vanilla ice cream and some with chocolate ice cream and they all sold in about 5 seconds! 

These are, as the little one Sue babysits would say, deeeeeeeeelicious. 

Click HERE if you want to make brownie ice cream sandwiches that are gluten and dairy free. 

Blueberry Ice Cream

Blueberry ice cream is not one of my favorites, if we are being honest. I just find that blueberries are so mild that it doesn't impart a lot of flavor to the ice cream. I decided to try and up the blueberry flavor by adding in a swirl of reduced blueberries. 

It worked!

Not only does it add a textural element, it definitely boosts the blueberry-iness of it. Blueberry ice cream has now moved up the list of favorite flavors for me. The beautiful color helped push it into the top 10. If you are one of those people that only eats ice cream in the summer (weeeeeeird) then you still have lots of time to whip some up!

Blueberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

Swirl

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 Tbsp sugar

Ice Cream

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 cups whipping cream, divided

1 cup half and half cream (or whole milk)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

3 egg yolks

1 Tbsp blueberry vodka (optional)

Directions

Prepare swirl - on a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together blueberries and sugar.

 Keep stirring while blueberries come to a boil and start to breakdown and thicken - about 10 minutes (you want it to be jam-like). Remove from heat and let cool completely. 

Prepare ice cream - Place blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium pan. Cook and stir until mixture breaks down (much like the swirl, above). Remove from heat. Place a strainer over a bowl and strain the blueberry mixture through. Discard the bits left in the strainer. Set the bowl with the blueberry puree aside. 

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together 1 cup of the whipping cream, the half and half, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Keep stirring constantly until mixture starts to steam. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks. Very slowly whisk in a little of the hot cream mixture - about 1/4 cup at a time. (Do this slowly so you don't curdle the eggs). Stir the the yolk mixture back into the cream and place back on heat. Continue to stir until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. When thickened remove from heat.

Place remaining 1 cup of cream in a bowl with a strainer on top. Pour the hot mixture through the strainer into the cream. Stir in the blueberry vodka, if using. 

Stir in the blueberry puree.

Chill mixture at least 4 hours.

When chilled: place in ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions.

When the ice cream is done processing, scrape half of it into a container. Place half of the swirl mixture on top and swirl with a butter knife. Scrape the remaining ice cream on top, then swirl on the last of the swirl mixture.

Freeze until firm. 

I use a bit of blueberry vodka to help prevent the ice cream from freezing too hard. It's not necessary though. You can use plain vodka or just leave it out. If your ice cream freezes really hard just be sure to take it out about 10 minutes before you want to serve it. 

Brownie Coconut Ice Cream Sandwiches (Gluten Free/Dairy Free)

Sue and I like to play around with all sorts of recipes. Sometimes out of need, sometimes out of curiosity, sometimes just for different occasions. This recipe was born out of need. My niece, Sue's daughter, was put on a specialized diet to help with some medical issues. I wanted to come up with a treat she could still enjoy that fit with her eating plan. 

I added a little spirulina for color and to up the nutritional value, but you can certainly leave it out. 

Overall these were a hit. I will admit they are not quite as delicious as a "regular" ice cream sandwich, but they are a great healthier substitute. Plus, they're super pretty, so.... there's that. 

Brownie Coconut Ice Cream Sandwiches

(Gluten Free/Dairy Free)

Ingredients

Coconut Ice Cream

2 cans (14 oz each) coconut cream (or full fat coconut milk)

1/3 cup agave nectar

pinch sea salt

1 vanilla bean pod, split and scraped

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp spirulina (optional)

Brownie Cookies

3 cups icing sugar

1 cup baking cocoa

1 tsp salt

4 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Ice Cream: In a blender, mix together the coconut cream, agave, salt, vanilla bean seeds, vanilla extract, and spirulina (if using). Pulse until well combined. Chill in fridge for about an hour.

Process in ice cream machine as per manufacturer's instructions. 

When machines stops, pour ice cream into a 9 X 13 pan and freeze until solid.

Cookies: Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. (Yes, spray the parchment paper, these are sticky.)

Mix together icing sugar, cocoa, and salt. Whisk in egg whites and vanilla until well combined. Mixture will be in between a brownie batter and a thick glue in consistency. Using a small cookie scoop, drop onto prepared cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. 

Bake at 350 for 9 - 10 minutes, until cookies appear "crackled" on top. Remove from oven and let cool on pan for about 10 minutes before moving to wire rack to cool completely. 

I believe I got 20 cookies using the small cookie scoop, which is about 1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp or so of batter.

This will make 10 ice cream sandwiches. 

Assemble the ice cream sandwiches:  Remove the hardened coconut ice cream from the freezer. Using a sharp edged cookie cutter (or biscuit cutter) the same size as the cookies, cut the ice cream in the pan and use a flipper to remove the circles. You can take the leftover ice cream and press it together to finish up your sandwiches. (I was able to cut 8 circles out and then pressed the remaining ice cream together to get 2 more circles.)

Place an ice cream circle on the bottom side of one of the cookies. Top with another cookie, bottom side towards the ice cream. 

You need to work fairly quickly so the ice cream doesn't get too melty. 

Place back in freezer until firm.

Note - the cookies are quite sticky so wrapping them individually doesn't really work. Your best bet is to leave them on the parchment paper lined cookies sheet so they don't stick to anything. 

Also, these are best eaten within about 4 days. The cookies start to get very gooey as time goes on. 

I love the addition of the spirulina - note: it does add a bit of flavor to the ice cream so if you want a more authentic coconut flavor, leave it out. The color is quite pretty though, just sayin'

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Brown Sugar Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream

Everyone knows that brown sugar cinnamon toast is one of life's most wonderful pleasures. 

Don't even argue. 

When I'm having a cheat day I love crunchy whole grain toast with butter and brown sugar and cinnamon for snack time. Comfort food at its finest. 

Anyway, I decided to play around and see if I could transfer those flavors to another favorite treat of mine... ice cream. 

This...this right here.... I am considering a big win. It's got all the cinnamon sugary goodness of the best snack in the world PLUS the creamy smoothness of a custard ice cream. Have it in a bowl or, even better, serve it with apple pie. 

Your brain will explode. 

Seriously. 

OR, have it in a cone for that almost-toast experience. 

You won't regret it. 

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 cups whipping cream

1 cup 1/2 and 1/2 cream

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

5 egg yolks

1 Tbsp Fireball whiskey

Directions

In a medium pot over medium heat, whisk together the whipping cream, 1/2 and 1/2, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cook and stir until mixture is steaming (does not need to boil). 

In a mixing bowl, whisk the 5 egg yolks. Slowly pour a small amount of the cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking the whole time. Gradually add a little more at a time, continually whisking, until they have been totally combined. (You want to do this slowly to temper the eggs.)

Pour the mixture back into the pot and place back on medium heat. Continue to stir until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. 

When thickened, strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl, stir in the Fireball whiskey,  and place in fridge to chill completely - at least 4 hours. 

When chilled, pour into your ice cream maker and prepare as per manufacturer's instructions. When complete, serve or place in freezer until ready to serve. 

If it freezes too firmly just let it sit out for a few minutes to soften before serving. Adding the Fireball helps to keep it a bit softer. 

I have to say I love it in the cone because it totally reminds me of brown sugar cinnamon toast. My dad loved it with apple pie. It almost has the flavor of apple pie so pairing it with actual apple pie is pretty genius. #ifIdosaysomyself 

Peanut Butter Cookie and Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sandwiches

We're stepping away from healthy today.

Way...way...waaaaaaay far away from healthy. Like.... *here* is this recipe today and that little tiny speck you see in the distance... way...way in the distance... that's healthy.

Everyone needs to indulge a little every once in a while, is what I say. Peanut butter cookies and salted caramel ice cream are two of my most favorite treats so I decided to combine them in the most magical way I could think of: ice cream sammies. 

Yes. They are sweet, in case you were wondering and, yes, they are very rich. You can make them any size you like depending on how big your sweet tooth is. Ever seen a fossilized tooth of a Spinosaurus? That's what my sweet tooth looks like. True story. 

Anyway, this recipe is a bit of work as it really requires 3 recipes to complete the whole picture. 1. Peanut Butter Cookies, 2. Salted Caramel Sauce, and 3. No Churn Salted Caramel Ice Cream.  It's okay though - it's worth it in the end, I promise. 

First Up: Peanut Butter Cookies with Salted Caramel Chips.

Peanut Butter Cookies With Salted Caramel Chips

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup peanut butter

4 Tbsp milk

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 2/3 cup flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 bag Salted Caramel Chips (about 1 1/2 cups)

Directions

In a mixing bowl, beat together sugar, brown sugar, butter, and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in milk, vanilla, and eggs. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and salted caramel chips. 

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until stiff dough forms. 

Chill dough for at least 2 hours. 

When chilled, preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat mat. Scoop cookies using a large cookie scoop onto prepared cookies sheet, about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. 

Bake at 350 until bottoms are golden brown and tops are puffed and appear dry, about 8 minutes. 

Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will flatten a little as they cool.

Next up: Salted Caramel Sauce

Salted Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp vanilla

Directions.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine ingredients.

 Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. When boiling, Lower heat to medium low and simmer, stirring constantly, for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temp. (Store any leftovers in the fridge). 

Lastly: No Churn Salted Caramel Ice Cream

No Churn Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup Salted Caramel Sauce (Recipe Above)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups whipping cream

2 Tbsp Salted Caramel Sauce (Recipe Above)

Directions

In a medium bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, caramel, and vanilla. Set aside. 

In a large mixing bowl, whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the condensed milk mixture into the whipping cream. 

Pour the ice cream into a 9 X 13 pan lined with tinfoil. Swirl in the 2 Tbsp of caramel using a knife. 

Cover and freeze until firm, about 6 hours. (NOTE - if you are making the ice cream but NOT making ice cream sandwiches with it, you do not have to line the pan with tinfoil.)

And now.... the fun part.... assembling your ice cream sandwiches. 

All you will need is another bag of salted caramel chips (about 1 1/2 cups).

Take the frozen ice cream out of the freezer and, using the tinfoil for assistance, remove the ice cream to a flat work surface. Using a round cookie cutter the same size as your cookies, cut out circles from the ice cream. Work as quick as you can so the ice cream doesn't start to melt. 

Flip one peanut butter cookie upside down so the bottom is facing up. 

Top with a round of ice cream and then another peanut butter cookie.

Repeat until all the ice cream has been used up. 

I got 7 large sandwiches with some ice cream leftover. I could have probably gotten 8 or 9 sandwiches if I squished the ice cream leftovers together. 

Place back in freezer to firm up for about an hour. 

When the ice cream is firm again, melt the bag of salted caramel chips in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth. 

Take one sandwich from the freezer at a time and dip half the sandwich in the melted caramel chips. It helps to use a knife to evenly spread the caramel. 

Return to freezer and then repeat with remaining sandwiches. You may have to reheat the melted caramel chips if they start to harden up. 

Freeze until firm or serve immediately. Wrap individually in plastic wrap for longer storage. 

Looks pretty darned tasty, right?

So. Much. Tastiness. 

As I  mentioned above, these do require a bit of a commitment to put together. You could cheat and get store bought cookies, sauce, and ice cream but it just wouldn't be the same. At all. Like.... not even close. I recommend you take the time and effort - trust me, the reward is worth it! 

 

 

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Peach Ice Cream

Store bought ice cream is one of those things that just can't compare to homemade. There is just something about making your own ice cream that makes you feel like a super genius. A few simple ingredients thrown into an ice cream maker and *voila*... magic. 

When making peach ice cream you want to use the ripest peaches you can find. Peaches are not a strong flavored fruit so if they are not very ripe then your ice cream won't have much flavor. 

I got my peaches from our local U-pick farm (Old Airport Gardens, in Lillooet). They were wonderful. I purposely picked the ones that had a few bruises and were almost over ripe because I knew they would have the strongest sweetness. They worked out beautifully!

Peach Ice Cream

Ingredients

4 large peaches, pureed

1 cup brown sugar, divided

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 1/2 cup half and half cream

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cup whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Directions

Combine peach puree, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl. Place in fridge while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Combine half and half cream, eggs, and remaining brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Stir constantly until thickened - about 10 - 15 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and whisk in whipping cream, vanilla, and salt. Pour through a strainer to get rid of any cooked egg bits! 

In a blender, pulse together the peach puree mixture and the strained cream mixture until well combined.

Chill in fridge at least 2 hours. 

When thoroughly chilled, place in the container of an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. When done, pour into a container and place in freezer until ready to serve, at least 2 hours.

I love mine served over fresh peaches!

My parents prefer theirs served in a cone!

In the summer, nothing beats fresh peach ice cream on a scorching day!

A lot of people add almond extract to their peach ice cream but I find that even a small amount of almond extract can overwhelm the delicate nature of the peaches. I go with a little vanilla extract to enhance the flavor but that's all. NOTE - if you find your has frozen a little hard - simply let it sit at room temp for 5 - 10 minutes until it softens a bit. 

Just a reminder: when it is stupid hot out - ice cream fixes all your problems. Ice cream fixes everything.