Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Directions for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a bowl of a stand mixer, cream softened butter in mixer, 2-3 minutes on medium-high until light and fluffy, scrape down edges of bowl. Add sugars, beating on medium-high for 2-4 minutes, scraping sides. Beat 4 minutes if using natural cane sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, cream on medium-high 1 minute per egg. Add vanilla and mix well.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt until combined. With mixer on low, slowly add ½ cup of flour mixture alternating with water (high altitude only. Add chocolate chips, minis and chunks, hand stir or on low the chips into dough. Don’t over mix.
3. Scoop dough using a 2-tablespoon scoop (slightly larger than a walnut) onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Refrigerate 10 minutes, then bake 8-10 minutes until just set and slightly golden. Cool on pan 2-3 minutes, remove to cooling rack to cool completely.
4. I recommend that you only make 18 cookies for ice cream sandwiches, yielding 9 sandwiches. If you choose to make all 18 you will probably need more ice-cream and sprinkles.
5. Follow the Dough Freezing instructions on my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe for making cookies later or bake them all at once & enjoy cookies and sandwiches, but keeping both frozen until ready to eat.

For the Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches

Tips to assuring you achieve the chewiest-yummiest-cutest ice cream sandwiches!

1. FREEZE YOUR COOKIES | Once your chocolate chip cookies have cooled completely, pop them into the freezer until they are frozen, about 20 minutes. WHY? You don't want your cookies to turn into crumbs or mush when you press the two cookies together sandwiching the ice cream, freezing them provides structure and hardens the chocolate.
2. SOFTEN your ice cream by allowing it to sit on the counter* for about 10 minutes, making sure your cookies will be nice and frozen by the time the ice-cream is soft. *If you are in a hurry, you may zap it in the microwave in 10-15 second intervals until it's soft enough to scoop, but not soupy!
3. ICE CREAM! Make sure it's the highest quality, creamiest ice cream you can easily buy (which might mean going to your local grocery store and buying what's on sale!). For me that means either Häagen-Dazs® Vanilla Bean or Trader Joe's® French Vanilla, or make homemade vanilla (recipe coming soon) and you'll hit it out of the park! Choose your favorite flavor.
4. PREP! Place your sprinkles into shallow bowl(s) or a sturdy cupcake liner to hold the sprinkles, once you finish rolling them in sprinkles, just toss the cupcake liners.
5. ASSEMBLE | Place a generous scoop of ice cream on the bottom of your cookie, match it with a similar sized cookie, press down gently, squeezing the ice cream just to the edges. If too soft, just scrape off the excess that squeezes out before rolling in sprinkles.
6. Carefully roll ice cream edges in sprinkles. Set on cookie sheet and work quickly repeating the process.
7. FREEZE | If doing more than 4 at a time, take them to the freezer in batches of 4, so they don't melt. Freeze for 20 minutes and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap, store in the freezer.
8. That's it! You will brighten anyones day by offering them a cool, creamy ice cream sandwich with sprinkles no less!
9. To make these extra decadent and festive, dip one half of the sandwich in melted chocolate (follow the instructions on your package of Ghirardelli Melting Chocolate or Chocolate Chips), then dip again in sprinkles, m&ms' or crushed nuts.