Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches

Sometimes store-bought is cheaper. But often homemade is more fun. Instead of grabbing a box of ready-made ice cream sandwiches, opt for your own homemade. If making cookies is too taxing, try picking some fresh-baked cookies from the bakery. 

Ingredients

Ice Cream Sandwiches Filling:
1 quart vanilla ice cream
1 pint (2 cups) fresh strawberries, chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

Cookies:
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon Fleischmann’s® Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup Mazola® Vegetable Oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Rainbow sprinkles, optional

Directions

For the Ice Cream Sandwiches Filling:
1. Soften ice cream in a large mixing bowl at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mash strawberries with a fork; add sugar and stir until well blended. Mix ice cream and strawberries until well blended. Line two 9 x 9-inch square pans with plastic wrap and spread an equal amount of ice cream mixture in each. Mixture will be about 3/4-inch thick. Press another layer of plastic wrap on top of ice cream and freeze for at least 2 hours

For the Cookies:
1. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a bowl until well blended; set aside.

2. Beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer for 1 minute or until well mixed. Add flour mixture at medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until well blended.

3. Divide dough in half. Form each half of dough into a 9 x 9-inch square on parchment or wax paper. Cover squares with another layer of paper and freeze for at least 2 hours or up to 1 month. (Dough should fit easily on top of prepared ice cream).

4. To bake cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove dough from the freezer; thaw briefly for 5 minutes, then roll to smooth and flatten if needed. Cut dough into 3 x 3-inch squares and place 1 inch apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until cookies are set and bottoms are lightly browned.

5. Cool cookies for 1 to 2 minutes on baking sheet; transfer to cooling rack to cool completely

To Assemble:
1. Cut ice cream into 3 x 3-inch squares. Place ice cream on bottom of one cookie and top with a second cookie. Roll in sprinkles, if using. Wrap in foil and keep frozen until ready to serve. 

Photo and recipe courtesy of bakegood.ca.