Real Food Ice Cream Sandwiches

To make the ice cream, combine the first five ingredients in a large bowl. Once they are well-combined, transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and mix according to the manufacturer’s directions. I use the ice cream attachment that goes with my KitchenAid mixer. After churning the ice cream, place it in the freezer to solidify it. (Note: You will only need about 2/3 of this ice cream for the sandwiches. You can store the rest in the freezer in an air-tight container or snack on it as you’re working.)

To make the sandwich base, preheat the oven to 350 F and grease two 8×8 inch pans. Place a piece of parchment paper in each pan, allowing the parchment to hang over both ends so you can easily lift the cookies from the pan to cool.

Combine the butter, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and cocoa powder. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine well. Transfer the mixture into the prepared pans and spread it evenly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the sandwich base is set and the edges are pulling away from the sides a bit. Remove the cookies from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

To assemble, soften the ice cream slightly so that you can spread it, but don’t let it get runny. Place one of the sandwich bases (top side down) on a piece of plastic wrap and spread 2/3 of the ice cream evenly on it. You can save the rest of the ice cream in the freezer for another time. Put the other sandwich base on top of the ice cream (top side up) and wrap the whole thing with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 2 hours to let it solidify. Remove from the freezer and cut it in half. Then, cut each section into 6 sandwiches for a total of 12 sandwiches. Enjoy immediately or wrap the sandwiches individually and return them to the freezer.

Recipe for Vanilla Ice Cream adapted from Ben and Jerry’s recipe; recipe for Chocolate Sandwich Base adapted from Joy of Baking.