Have you seen the cookie monster ice cream craze going on this summer? I’ve noticed a lot of “cookie monster” desserts in general on blogs the past year or so, and I’ve bookmarked tons of them. As a HUGE cookies and cream fan, I’m all over this trend, even with the shocking blue coloration. And in an effort to follow the trend with a little originality, I’ve added even more cookies to the cookie monster ice cream phenomenon – cookie monster ice cream sandwiches!
My version of cookie monster ice cream consists of a cookies and cream base with chopped chocolate chip cookies in addition to Oreos, and a healthy dose of blue food coloring. I made the ice cream from scratch, but you could also just soften a store-bought quart of vanilla ice cream and add the cookies and blue coloring yourself. In an effort to avoid turning on my oven, I cheated and used chewy Chips Ahoy for my ice cream sandwiches, but I would have made these super soft chocolate chip cookies on my own if I had more time (and central air)! I recommend using a crunchier chocolate chip cookie to mix into the actual ice cream though, it holds up better to the cream and doesn’t get mushy.
I wanted to share this recipe with you before the holiday weekend got here because I think these would be so perfect for a summer get together. The color is almost patriotic too! I love this combination of blue coloring with chopped cookies and think your friends and family will get a kick out of it as much as mine did. We all want cookie, om nom nom nom!!
Cookie Monster Ice Cream Sandwiches
Yield: 12 ice cream sandwiches
Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tbsp vanilla
10 Oreos, crushed
10 crunchy chocolate chip cookies, crushed (I used regular Chips Ahoy)
24 soft chocolate chip cookies (I used chewy Chips Ahoy)
Directions:
Make sure your ice cream maker is in the freezer for at least 24 hours before starting this recipe. Stir the milk and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream and vanilla, and mix until well combined.
Pour the mixture into the ice cream machine and let it run for the manufacturer’s recommended time. Add almost all of the crushed cookies in about 3 minutes before the time is up, reserving a handful or so to the side. Transfer the ice cream to a 9x13" pan and sprinkle with the remaining crushed cookies. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for a few hours to allow the ice cream to fully harden.
Grab a round cookie cutter that's about the same size of the cookies you'll be using for the ice cream sandwiches, and cut out rounds of ice cream from the pan of set ice cream. Place each ice cream round in between two soft chocolate chip cookies, and return to the freezer until ready to serve. I found it was helpful to leave the ice cream sandwiches out for about 5 minutes before enjoying so they could soften up a bit.
Okay, these are stinking adorable and they look stinking delicious! So perfect for a party dessert or just a fun weekend treat! Love!