Ice Cream Sandwiches
Plus, everything you need to know about homemade ice cream!
Ice Cream 101
Warmer days are here and you know what that means! Time for some cool treats. When making homemade ice cream, you have to start with a really great base, which for me means lusciously smooth, with a dense and silky texture. The flavor should be rich and the texture creamy, so I start with my Vanilla “French Custard” Ice Cream Base (churned in a machine) or a Vanilla No-churn Custard Ice Cream. Once you have your base, you can add just about any flavor you want (see my list of 18 flavors).
Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches
This is an easy one to pull together! Just freeze your favorite ice cream (store-bought or homemade) in a sheet, use a cookie or biscuit cutter to cut out circles of ice cream and sandwich between two cookies. The ones pictured above are my Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies, just without the chocolate chips! You want to slightly underbake the cookies, so they stay soft when frozen.
Obviously, if you are just making a single ice cream cookie sandwich, the timing isn’t as crucial, but if you’re hoping to make them for a Fourth of July party or other special occasion, you’ll want to plan ahead.
Ice Cream Sandwich Pro Tips
I prefer the method of spreading the ice cream into a sheet and then stamping it out for an even, neat sandwich cookie. Freeze the sheet of ice cream until it’s super solid before stamping or cutting it out into the right shape, this can take a few hours+ in a normal freezer.
If you are in a hurry, you can just scoop the ice cream and squish it between two cookies, but then make sure you give them plenty of time to freeze after or they will immediately melt.
You can make the sandwiches as simple or decadent as you like, adding nuts, jimmies, or whatever you please to the outside.
Which Ice Cream Machine is Best?
When I worked at Ben & Jerry’s in Burlington, VT while attending college, we made all of the ice cream from an old fashioned Ice and Salt style churn. Nothing fancy but it made excellent, creamy ice cream. I mention this because you don’t need fancy equipment to get great results, but it sure makes it easier.
With Built-In Compressors
The machine I use is a gelato machine (see below) with a built-in compressor. The exact make isn’t available, but I have listed a few below that are very close. The built-in compressor means that the freezing is more consistent, colder and lasts longer than the models with the canister you have to place in the freezer (I’ll get to that in a minute). It also allows you to make as many batches of ice cream as you want, one right after the other. If you make a lot of ice cream, spending $700 on a machine may make some sense, but if you’re just enjoying the occasional cone with your family, there are great options for less money. The key is durability and easy cleaning (this factors into lots of what I pick).
Lello 4080 Musso Lussino 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker (Amazon)
Cuisinart 1.5-Quart Gelato and Ice Cream Maker (Crate & Barrel) (Amazon)
Whynter 2.1-Quart Ice Cream Maker (Amazon)
Canister Freezers
Before finding my gelato machine at a Garage Sale I used a machine that required putting the canister into the freezer before churning. I think this style of ice cream maker has come a long way since I had one, so they are a good option for a less expensive ice cream production. They do require that you have room in your freezer and you need to plan ahead so your canister is VERY FROZEN or your ice cream will never achieve the creamy consistency you want.
Pro Tip: If you make a bunch of ice cream, it is handy to have two canisters, since you can’t run more than one batch at a time.
Single Serve Machine
If you want homemade ice cream but only want one or two servings, this is a great option and it takes up very little space.
Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker (16 oz) (Crate + Barrel) (Amazon)
Ice Required
This is the style we used at Ben & Jerry’s to make all the ice cream. They are more work and messy, but cheaper and a fun project. A hand cranked ice cream maker is a great party trick and gets your guests involved in the process of making freshly churned ice cream, what could be better!?
Elite Gourmet Old Fashioned 4-Quart Vintage Wood Bucket Electric Ice Cream Maker Machine (Amazon)
Nostalgia Electric Ice Cream Maker - Old Fashioned Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine (Amazon)
My Garage Sale Gelato Machine:
If you have a favorite ice cream machine, let me know in the comments below or add your comment here!
Exclusive Recipe: Ice Cream Sandwich Bars
We all remember the ice cream sandwich bar from our childhood. The one with dark chocolate cookie rectangles stuffed with fluffy vanilla ice cream and wrapped in paper. This recipe takes that classic frozen treat up a notch using the Chocolate Wafers from my book, Zoë Bakes Cookies! You can use your favorite ice cream, whether that’s homemade or store-bought. It’s such a fun recipe for this time of year for all your backyard gatherings.