Hello everyone! Despite it being the crappiest weather ever in my city (rain and fog), I still made chocolate ice cream sandwiches. What inspired me? Well, leftover ice cream sitting in my freezer and the desire to relive those simple summer days when I used to go to the outdoor pool and feast on ice cream sandwiches with the soft brownie-like cookie. I figured I could spend money and buy them OR I could go ahead and just make them for a fraction of the price and have a whole batch to myself. Also, I saw Displaced Housewife’s post on ice cream sandwiches and I knew I had to make something similar!
The best part of these homemade brownie ice cream sandwiches is that it takes no time at all to make. The “brownie” sandwich part is actually my recipe for flourless chocolate olive oil cake which I simply halved. As for the ice cream – don’t shoot me– I used store-bought vanilla. Hey! In all fairness, I was going to make ice cream but then I never got around to doing it.
My summer has been fairly decent. It has consisted of me sitting at home, eating my mom’s cooking and binge-watching Parks and Recreation. I used to be a die-hard fan of The Office, but now I am thinking maybe P&R is slightly better than The Office comedy-wise. Is this a sacrilegious statement? LOL. However, my days of binge-watching are over. Or rather, I need to take a brief hiatus on relaxation so I can get some work done. I have this recipe and another recipe to share with you guys and I also need to get cracking on my Jordan travel guide. In the meantime, you can take a look at some of my experiences in Jordan here.
SUMMER IS FOR RELAXING
I have made ice cream sandwiches in the past with homemade ice cream. You can check out my recipe for Olive Oil Straciatella Ice Cream Sandwiches here. These are tasty. The base for the sandwich is a blondie. My only recommendation is that you flatten the blondie dough before spreading the ice cream so that there is a thinner base. A thinner base means it will still be soft enough to bite when you take them out of the freezer.
For my chocolate ice cream sandwiches, the brownie portion already bakes flat (because there is barely any rising agents and only one egg). The added melted chocolate results in a gooey interior so even when they are frozen, they are still soft and crumbly. Just like the brownie ice cream sandwiches of my childhood.
This recipe uses store-bought ice cream which makes it easier to assemble. As for the brownie portion, everything can be made in one bowl! How easy is that? Fast to assemble, limited tools, easier cleanup. You can thank me later!
CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES
brownie. vanilla ice cream.
Homemade Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
a soft brownie based sandwich with creamy vanilla ice cream. Using storebought ice cream makes this faster to assemble!
Ingredients
Brownie Sandwich
- 1/2 cup grams almond flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder sifted
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/2 tsp fleur de sel
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin organic olive oil
- 1/4 cup coffee I use espresso*
- 1/2 g dark chocolate roughly chopped
- 1 room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste optional
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Ice Cream
- 1 pint store-bought vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Brownie Base (Flourless Cake)
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Preheat the oven to 350 f. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 or whatever small brownie pan/sheet you may have with parchment paper.
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In a medium mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar and olive oil. Whisk until just combined. Add in the egg, and mix.
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Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Add the tempered chocolate to the egg mixture.
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Sift in the almond meal, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom powder. Fold in freshly brewed espresso until the batter is smooth and glossy. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. The batter will be liquidy it is ok.
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Bake, for 20 or until a cake skewer inserted into the middle comes out with few moist crumbs attached to it. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in its tin for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the sheet pan, and let it cool completely. About 15 minutes.
Assembling the Sandwiches
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Take the ice cream out of the freezer 10-15 minutes in advance depending on how frozen the ice cream is. You want it to thaw enough that it is scoopable and malleable but not melted.
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Scoop out ice cream onto the cooled brownie. Using a small offset spatula begin to spread the ice cream to the edges and evenly across the brownie. You should have a 1-2 inch thick level of ice cream. You can also use your (clean hand or dip the spatula in hot water to help smooth the ice cream over.
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Pop the ice cream sandwiches back into the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove and cut into 9 equal pieces. Store in a freezer safe container with layers of wax paper in between to prevent them from sticking to each other.
Recipe Notes
Preheat the oven to 350 f. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 or whatever small brownie pan/sheet you may have with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar and olive oil. Whisk until just combined. Add in the egg, and mix.
Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Add the tempered chocolate to the egg mixture.
Sift in the almond meal, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom powder. Fold in freshly brewed espresso until the batter is smooth and glossy. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. The batter will be liquidy it is ok.
Bake, for 20 or until a cake skewer inserted into the middle comes out with few moist crumbs attached to it. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in its tin for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the sheet pan, and let it cool completely. About 15 minutes.
Take the ice cream out of the freezer 10-15 minutes in advance depending on how frozen the ice cream is. You want it to thaw enough that it is scoopable and malleable but not melted.
Scoop out ice cream onto the cooled brownie. Using a small offset spatula begin to spread the ice cream to the edges and evenly across the brownie. You should have a 1-2 inch thick level of ice cream. You can also use your (clean hands) or dip the spatula in hot water to help smooth the ice cream over.
Pop the ice cream sandwiches back into the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove and cut into 9 equal pieces. Store in a freezer safe container with layers of wax paper in between to prevent them from sticking to each other.
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AND THERE YOU HAVE IT. THE EASIEST (AND TASTIEST) HOMEMADE BROWNIE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES THAT TASTE LIKE THE KIND YOU GET FROM THE STORE. HONESTLY, NOW THAT I CAN MAKE THESE… I HAVE TO START CONTROLLING MYSELF. SUMMER IS BASICALLY OVER BUT I CANNOT GET INTO WINTER HIBERNATION MODE AS YET 😛
