Ah, summertime. The livin’s easy, the fish are jumping and the number of ice cream sandwiches nearby is high. I always forget about how much I love these as a treat, mostly because I’m too cold to actually enjoy ice cream from about September 1 to May 31. These next three months, then are prime sandwich time for me, and most certainly for you. The perfect treat for summer, ice cream sandwiches cool you off and are easy to eat in the sun, as long as you do it fast. Not to mention, this treat reminds me of one of my favorite songs by Battles called Ice Cream!
While some sandwiches are not cross-contaminated with nuts, they aren’t always easy to find. And gluten free ice cream sandwiches? Unless you’re lucky enough to live next to a specialty gluten free shop, finding those is highly unlikely, unfortunately. And a dairy-free version? You’re in the same boat.
The finished sandwich!
So what’s a food allergy kid to do? Thankfully, Claire Thomas at The Kitchy Kitchen posted an easy chocolate ice cream sandwich recipe. This recipe is the perfect combination of rich and sweet. The cookies, without ice cream, taste of crisp, bitter dark chocolate. Putting ice cream in between two balances the cookies’ original bitterness, making a not-too-sweet treat that tastes amazing. I tweaked her recipe to create mini ice cream sandwiches that are peanut, treenut, egg, shellfish and fish free. The recipe can be adapted for those with dairy allergies by substituting margerine for the butter, and by using a dairy-free ice cream or sorbet for the filling. While finding similar gluten-free recipe to create was difficult, having some K-toos or gluten free Joe Joes on hand can make a similar gluten-free version of these treats.
I cut out the cookies with a small beer glass, about 2.5 inches in diameter.
Easy Ice Cream Sandwiches
Dark Chocolate Cookies
8 ounces butter, room temperature (or 8 ounces of margerine, for dairy-free)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup grated or finely chopped bittersweet chocolate (make sure it’s dairy-free)
The cookies all rolled out and ready to be popped into the oven!
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Blend together the butter and sugars with a mixer until pale and fluffy.
3. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the mixer on low speed.
4. Add the vanilla and chocolate and blend until the dough turns dark brown.
5. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness and using a small glass (mine was 2.5 inches in diameter), cut out the cookies.
6. Place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper to bake.
7. Bake for 12-13 minutes and cool completely on a rack before serving.
Pulling the crisp cookies out of the oven!
Ice Cream Sandwiches
1. Scoop one rounded scoop of vanilla ice cream (dairy free if you are allergic) in between two dark chocolate cookies. Serve and enjoy.
You can use just about any type of ice cream or sorbet to fill these cookies. You can create them each individual, or make a lot, wrap them in wax paper and freeze them for later.
Munchies Just For Me 