Mini Rainbow Cookie + Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches

With this blog has nearly been void of sweet recipes for the last month (or two?), I bet some of you thought I'd changed. Marathon training = no more dessert, butter, breakfast carbs...oh, not so fast! I've been doing more than my fair share of damage to the sugarcane fields of the world; I just haven't had a lot of time to share.

Most notable in my summery sugar exploits is my jaunt with a borrowed ice cream maker. I've fallen hard for this ice cream maker and will most likely buy my own before the next ice cream season rolls around. For one: it's insanely easy to use and care for. It also produces ice cream in as little as 20 minutes!

My first attempt with the borrowed machine was an eggless vanilla ice cream. I made a rookie mistake and substituted entirely too much vanilla extract for a vanilla bean, then added some vanilla liquor that only further added to the resulting overly-sweet, toxic-ly vanilla "ice milk".



To be honest, vanilla doesn't particularly excite me. There are benefits to it's "blank slate" status, but all Boyfriend and I really wanted was some rich, smooth, chocolaty frozen custard. So I bought a mesh strainer and mentally prepared for making my very first custard.

The recipe I adapted was one from David Lebovitz's cookbook "The Perfect Scoop", which was mentioned on nearly every website and blog I looked at for ice cream recipes. The process was easy enough; and the result was outstanding. As in: it rivaled Häagen-Dazs. A rich, smooth, chocolaty trifecta. 



I'm not one to stop when satisfied. There is always a new level. This is why I made mini rainbow cookies and assembled the cutest ice cream sammies I've ever seen (and Boyfriend has ever eaten). This is a two-day process, which actually isn't as inconvenient as it sounds. Make the custard and cookie dough the night before, then bake and freeze the following day.

I liked the ice cream sandwiches best after they had been frozen for about a day, and removed from the freezer about 5 minutes before eating. It's a little less messy than the soft ice cream / warm cookie situation. (And have I mentioned that melting ice cream makes me anxious???)



Whatever approach you decide, I promise you'll love these little babies!

Mini Rainbow Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Servings: 3 dozen cookies + 1 quart ice cream = ~1.5 dozen sandwiches!

1 batch Mini Rainbow Cookies
1 batch Chocolate Ice Cream

Mini Rainbow Cookies
1/2 cup bread flour
1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (i.e. Crisco)

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini M&Ms
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Chocolate Ice Cream
2 cups half-and-half
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
5 oz chocolate, chopped (Semi-sweet is recommended; I used 3 oz dark chocolate & 2 oz milk chocolate)
5 egg yokes
1 cup 2% milk (or whole)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Day 1

• Make ice cream custard: Place 1 cup half-and-half and cocoa powder in a sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk until powder is incorporated and bring mixture to a boil. Then immediately turn down to low heat and let it simmer for 30 seconds, continuing to whisk. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate. Stir until completely melted and combined; pour into a medium bowl and add remaining cup of half-and-half.
• Place yokes in another medium bowl. Return sauce pan and warm milk, sugar, and salt over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Slowly pour warm milk mixture into yokes, whisking constantly to prevent yokes from cooking. Once all of the milk mixture has been added, return to pan and stir constantly. Cook until it has thickened (about 170-175 degrees F).  
• Pour through a fine mesh strainer, placed over medium bowl containing chocolate half-and-half mixture (this will catch any cooked egg pieces). Add vanilla and stir well. Allow to cool on kitchen counter for about 15-20 minutes; cover and place in refrigerator overnight or until cold.
• Make cookies: Combine flours, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together butter, shortening, and sugars on high for 3-4 minutes (stopping to scrape down sides halfway through). Add in egg and vanilla; mix until incorporated. 
• Add dry ingredients and mix slowly to incorporate. You may want (need) to finish combining by hand with a wooden spoon. Lastly, stir in M&Ms.
• Using a cookie scoop (or measurement tool of your choice), shape dough into slightly flattened balls about 1 teaspoon in size---I used a medium scoop and halved each scoop. Lay dough balls flat in a gallon ziplock bag and refrigerate overnight (12-24 hours). 

Day 2

• Bake cookies: When ready to bake, remove dough from fridge and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Evenly space cookies on baking sheet, lined with a non-stick mat or parchment, and bake for 8-10 minutes. Do not over cook! Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then move to cooling rack to finish cooling.
• Freeze ice cream: Place ice cream custard in an ice cream maker and freeze according to machine's instructions. Place frozen ice cream in a freezer-safe lidded container and freezer for about 2 hours or until firmed up enough to scoop cleanly.
• Assemble: Once cookies are cooled and ice cream is firm, on a clean baking sheet (that will fit in your freezer) pair up cookies and lay them face-down next to each other. Using a medium cookie scoop (~1 1/2 tablespoons), scoop ice cream and gently sandwich it between two paired cookies. Work quickly and in small batches; making sure to place assembled sandwiches in the freezer as fast as possible. Allow sandwiches to firm up for at least 1 hour before serving. Once sandwiches have firmed up, serve or wrap in plastic wrap and keep in freezer for about 1 month. Alternatively, scoop ice cream and serve immediately!  

Chocolate Ice Cream found on Brown Eyed Baker, Originally from The Perfect Scoop (David Lebovitz).