Chocolate, Candy, And Caramel Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe

Summer means ice cream, but a plain old bowl of chocolate or vanilla can get a little boring after awhile. Homemade ice cream sandwiches might take a little bit more work than simply picking up a box of those chocolate cakey, store-bought sandwiches, but they're way more delicious and definitely more of a showstopper. 

Most of the time involved in making your own ice cream sandwiches at home has to do with waiting around and letting things freeze, so if you can plan ahead and make them over the course of several days, I definitely recommend that. Oozy caramel sauce and creamy vanilla ice cream studded with candy, and sandwiched between two homemade chocolate cookie layers takes whatever you're picturing in your head when you hear "ice cream sandwich" to the next level. With temperatures climbing and long, lazy days spent outside in the sunshine, you'll definitely be ready for a frozen, creamy, sweet treat — and this version pushes the limits just enough.

It might seem like a lot of ingredients for an ice cream sandwich, but this is no ordinary, run-of-the-mill ice cream sandwich. There are a lot of components involved. The cookie is relatively straightforward, but homemade. The caramel sauce can be a bit finicky, so if the idea of making your own makes you a little nervous, it's 100 percent OK to use a store-bought version. I give you permission — no one needs to know. Store-bought candy and ice cream round it all out. Feel free to make these ice cream sammies with homemade ice cream if you please, but there's no need to feel pressured to do so. A delicious store-bought vanilla (or chocolate or salted caramel — why not?) will work just fine.

Let the ice cream sit out on your counter for a bit to soften. It should still be solid, but also soft enough to spread after you scoop it out. Line an 8-inch by 8-inch pan with parchment paper. Scoop the ice cream and drop it into the lined pan, one scoop next to another. Spread the ice cream into an even, smooth layer, and pop it into the freezer to firm it up. You can't add anything to the ice cream until it's frozen solid once again.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cream the melted butter and sugars together. Add two eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla. Make sure it all gets incorporated well. The sugars tend to stick to the sides of the bowl even more than normal with this recipe, so grab that rubber spatula and scrape down the sides whenever you think you may need to. In a small, separate bowl, mix the remainder of the ingredients together. Give it a whisk to try to get any lumps out of the cocoa and to make sure everything is evenly distributed. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer carefully, and mix until it's all combined, then you're done. 

Spread the batter into a sheet pan lined with parchment paper — you want these layers to be relatively thin and baking them in a sheet pan will help with that. Put the pan in the oven and bake for roughly 15 minutes, or until a toothpick (or knife) inserted into the center comes out clean. Take it out of the oven and let it cool entirely. 

Making caramel can be fun, but it can also be really, really frustrating if it doesn't work out just right. Pour the granulated sugar for the caramel into a clean, dry saucepan. Cook it over medium-low heat until it's completely caramelized. Swirl the pan to stir rather than poking at it with a spoon. Take it off the heat, and swirl in the butter piece by piece, then do the same with the cream and salt. Let it cool. All the way. Seriously, all the way. The first time I made these, I didn't let the caramel cool enough and disaster struck — it melted the ice cream. If you need to let it take a sit in the fridge for a bit, that's just fine.

Take the ice cream layer out of the freezer. Pour the completely cooled caramel sauce over the top (or use the store-bought kind). Place Milky Way bars (or Snickers — yum) over the top and press them into the caramel. I used Milky Way to double-up on the caramel and chocolate, but, beyond Snickers, let your creativity take over a bit and use whatever candy is your favorite. Work quickly so that the ice cream doesn't melt too much.

This second trip to the freezer is super important, because it makes sure your stuffed ice cream layer is fully frozen before you try to put it all together. It needs to be in the freezer for at least two full hours, but longer is better, especially in the summer, when, as soon as you take it out of your freezer, it'll all start to melt. If you're worried about it, freeze that stuffed ice cream layer overnight, just to be safe.

Pull the ice cream layer out of the freezer and lift it out of the pan. Put a new piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, and then, using the bottom of the pan to measure, trim the cookie/cake into two pieces. Put one on top of the parchment in the bottom of the pan. Using two spatulas if need be (I needed both of them), lift the ice cream layer and peel off the old parchment. Put it in the pan on top of the cookie. Top it all off with the other cookie layer and press down gently on the top.

You're almost there! The final freeze makes the ice cream sandwiches into a cohesive unit. It doesn't have to be quite as long as some of the other trips to the freezer, but it's just as important because if it doesn't freeze enough, you'll end up with an ice cream layer that spills out the sides of the cookie and be left with only candy between the cookie bars. Still delicious, but not what we're going for. Freeze for at least one full hour, but several hours is best.

Finally, cut it into squares and serve. Yum!