ICOTW: Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches

You know when you haven't worked out or been active for awhile and then get up and stretch or get back to your regular routine, how good it feels to use those muscles that hadn't been doing much?  (I'm very familiar with that feeling after two 17 hour train rides last months and a lot of missed workouts with traveling.)  That's kinda how it feels to be back in the routine of making new drinks and new ice cream every week.  Although it's the opposite of getting back to working out because instead of burning extra calories, I'm eating them.  (Although, it's not like we weren't eating ice cream anyways.  On level 3 of the 30 day shred, Jillian says that is when your 6-pack should start to appear...that definitely didn't happen for me and the nightly ice cream is probably part of the reason.  I'm ok with that.)

These ice cream sandwiches were super easy to throw together, are delicious to eat, and are disappearing fast from our freezer.  Starting summer off with a winner.

Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches
yield: 12-16 sandwiches, depending how you cut
Ingredients
½ cup butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
3TB milk
2 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips (I used dark because it's what I had but mini would probably work better)
~2 cups ice cream, softened (I used Market Pantry vanilla bean but make your own to get bonus points)

Directions
1) Stir together the butter and sugars in a microwave-safe bowl.   Microwave for 1 minute, stir.  Continue to microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each, until the butter is completely melted. 
2) Add the milk, vanilla, and salt.  Stir.  Add the flour and mix until combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Refrigerate about 15 minutes (not much longer, the "dough" will get really hard to work with!)
3) Line a 8" or 9" square glass dish with parchment paper, overlapping the edges.  Spread half the dough in an even layer, making sure to cover the whole bottom.  Cover with more overlapping parchment paper and then spread the rest of the dough.  Cover with aluminum foil and freeze at least 30 minutes.
4) About 15 minute before pulling the dough out of the freezer, let the ice cream sit at room temperature to soften.  When ready to assemble, lift the top layer of dough from the pan, using the parchment paper.  Spread ice cream in an even layer.  Peel the parchment paper from top dough and place dough on top of the ice cream.  Recover with aluminum foil and freeze for at least two hours.
5) To serve, cut into bars.  Wrap individual bars in plastic wrap to store in freezer.

Our Thoughts
These are delicious.  I thought 12-16 bars would make the servings too small but these are so rich you don't need a big piece!  I love how simple they were to make and they are really satisfying after a long, hot summer day, especially when that day is spent in the sun holding a garage sale.  (Just speaking from a little experience there.)  I would definitely make these again!

Source: In Katrina's Kitchen

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In the summer I aim to make a different homemade ice cream each week and report back here, good or bad!  I call it "Ice Cream of the Week".  You can follow the "ICOTW" tag to see them all chronologically or go to my "Recipes" page and scroll down to the "Ice Cream/Frozen Things" section for my favorites!