Remember the way ice cream sandwiches used to be? Two cake-like chocolate cookies sandwiching creamy dreamy vanilla yumminess. All that and wrapped in paper so they were easy to eat. What a perfect dessert!

Sadly they are not like that anymore and I miss that. So I decided to create my own.  Since I could create it any way I wanted, I thought about making them 3-bite size and using some of my favorite soft cookies and favorite ice cream flavors.

These cookies are cherry, pecan and sour cream cookies, and the ice cream is Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. Feel free to tweak the recipe and customize it. You can even make your own ice cream or use plain vanilla with mix-ins. To do this, allow vanilla ice cream to get room temperature, add mix-ins, and refreeze.

The recipe looks long because there are 3 steps, but don’t worry: They are easy and the results are definitely worth it. To make it even easier, I use ice cream scoops in both the cookies and the ice cream. I use a slightly larger size for the ice cream itself. This insures a uniform result and makes the whole process very simple. Watch your guests’ faces light up as they take their first bite.

Pecans

Ice-Cream Sandwiches (Summer Solstice Party)

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

EVENT: Summer Solstice

SERVES: Yields approximately 24 sandwiches

Ingredients

For the cookies:

2 1/2 cups tart dried cherries, chopped *

1 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped *

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

For the sandwiches:

2 pints of ice cream

Equipment

Baking sheets

Parchment paper

Two ice cream scoops, one slightly larger than the other

Directions

STEP ONE: MAKE THE CHERRY PECAN SOUR CREAM COOKIES

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper

3. Mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

4. In bowl of electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until soft and thoroughly mixed. Add vanilla.

5. Beat in eggs and sour cream.

6. On low speed gradually add dry ingredients. Beat only until mixed.

7. Remove bowl from mixer. By hand, mix in dried cherries and pecans.

8. To form each cookie, use a small ice cream scoop or table spoon.

9. Place them on cookie sheets approximately 1 1/2-2” apart.

10. Bake 9-13 minutes until light golden color. They should spring back when gently pressed with a finger.

11. Remove from oven. Using spatula, transfer to cooking rack. Cool completely. Store covered at room temperature or freeze in airtight container.

STEP TWO: PREP THE ICE CREAM LAYERS

1.  Using an ice cream scoop larger than the one you used for cookies, scoop out ice cream and put individual scoops on parchment line baking pan and place in freezer.

STEP THREE: ASSEMBLE THE SANDWICHES

1.  Take out frozen cookies and pans with ice cream scoops.

2. Using small piece of parchment, flatten each ice scream scoop slightly.

3. Place one scoop on bottom of cookie, top with second cookie and press together slightly.

4. Wrap each in plastic wrap as you proceed and immediately place back in freezer.

5. If ice cream starts to melt, put pan back in freezer and allow to harden.

6. Before serving, take ice cream sandwiches out of freezer and remove plastic wrap before putting on serving plate.

Yum! Yum! Yum!

* A NOTE: I purchase the dried cherries and pecans at Costco.

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