I've been wanting to make ice cream sandwiches for the longest time, but I had no idea how to shape the ice cream like the cookie so they would fit perfectly. Won't the process of cutting ice cream with a cookie cutter, then getting it out and onto the cookies just make the ice cream all melted?
Wait, there's a solution! Heart-shaped silicone molds!
It just happened that I had a cookie cutter with the exact same shape as the silicone molds. We've had these molds at our house for the longest time but I've never used them once before this weekend! Just churn your ice cream and place it in these molds to freeze.
In order to remove the ice cream from the molds, run hot water under the molds, then carefully detach the ice cream from the molds, one heart at a time. Sandwich the ice cream between two cookies and voilà: beautiful ice cream cookies for your valentine!
Here's the chocolate cookie recipe I used (the dough is insanely addictive!!). Enjoy!
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Chocolate Sablé Cookies
Adapted from Williams Sonoma
Makes about 40 cookies
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp coarse sugar (optional)
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy. Add the vanilla extract and eggs one at a time, beat until smooth. In another bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Reduce the speed of your mixer to low and gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Beat until blended.
Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces, pat each into a flat disk and wrap them separately with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the disks for at least one hour. (You can also store the disks for future use: store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month. If freezing, place the well-wrapped disks in heavy-duty sealable plastic bags and thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.)
When ready to roll out the dough, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheet with parchment paper (or silicone mats).
On a work surface, place the disks between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and roll out the dough to about 1/8-inch thick. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer them to prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1-1/2 inches apart. Gather the scraps and cut out more cookies. Sprinkle the cookies with coarse sugar (optional, I didn't).
Bake the cookies until the edges are crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies cool briefly on the sheets. Transfer the cookies on the wire racks to cool completely.
