Ice Cream Sandwiches

This recipe comes from the Family Fun website. It's good with chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, or mint chocolate chip ice cream. You could also roll the edges in colored sprinkles after the sandwiches are assembled, and before wrapping in foil to put back in the freezer. Be aware...this is absolutely a make ahead recipe. You'll need to set aside an entire afternoon for this one, but why not make enough for the entire summer and stock the freezer?! If you have little kids, make the sandwiches about the size of an oreo. Personally, I like a lot of cookie and a little ice cream. You can make the ice cream layer as thick or as thin as you wish. Also, check out Chocolate Banana Pops.

Ice Cream Sandwiches
1 stick margarine
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Half-gallon carton vanilla ice cream
Take the ice cream out of the freezer and let sit for 5-10 minutes to soften while you make the dough.

In a medium-sized bowl, cream the margarine and brown sugar (using margarine instead of butter and brown sugar instead of granulated sugar produces a chewy, soft cookie). Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, stir the cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to the margarine mixture. Beat until well combined. Gather the dough into a ball and chill for at least 1 hour.

Line a jelly roll pan with plastic wrap. Start at one end and pat the ice cream down evenly in the pan. It doesn't need to fill the entire pan. Place the pan in the freezer.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4inch thick. Use a cookie/biscuit cutter to cut out rounds. I like mine about 2 1/2 inches in diameter...any bigger, and its hard to eat the whole sandwich.

Transfer the cookie rounds with a spatula to an ungreased baking pan. Use the tines of a fork to make patterns on the cookies.

Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool on a cooling rack.

Meanwhile, remove the ice cream from the freezer and cut out rounds with the cookie/biscuit cutter. You may need to dip it in hot water first to get it to cut all the way through. Place the ice cream rounds on another cookie sheet and return it to the freezer.

Once the cookies have thoroughly cooled, place one ice cream block between two cookies. Trim the sides with a knife, wrap the sandwich in foil, and freeze for several hours. Repeat until you have used all the cookies and ice cream.

Makes enough dough for 12-14 ice cream sandwiches.