Summer is here (except for the days when it feels like it’s not?) so it’s time for ice cream! The ice cream recipe itself allows for a lot of variations for personal preference, and then once frozen it stays soft enough to scoop into ice cream sandwiches without much effort, without being so soft it just runs down your wrist, so you’ll still have one clean hand to donate to bail funds for protesters while you eat.

Ingredients:

Ice Cream:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
• 1 1/2 cups chopped/broken peanut butter shortbread cookies, Oreos, or other cookies
• 1 4 ounce box Reese’s Pieces
• several heaping tablespoons of hot fudge sauce, roughly 6 ounces

Cookies:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoons salt

*It’s not mandatory, but it never hurts to put the bowl and beaters you’re planning to use in the freezer a while before trying to beat up whipped cream.

To make the ice cream, combine the cream and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the condensed milk.

Use a spatula to stir in the crushed cookies and Reese’s Pieces by hand.

Pour half of the ice cream mixture into a large storage container.

Microwave the hot fudge sauce 30 seconds, or until it is smooth and pourable. Drizzle a large, heaping tablespoon of fudge sauce over the ice cream.

Repeat with the other half of the ice cream, and additional fudge sauce.

Run a butter knife or bbq skewer through the mixture to swirl the fudge sauce a bit.

*You can beat the hot fudge sauce in while mixing together the base, but this way it’s just swirls, and each bite is a bit different.

*Remember that ice cream expands a bit as it freezes, so if your container is already filled all the way to the top, split it up so it doesn’t explode out of the lid and make a mess in your freezer.

Cover, and freeze at least 4 hours.

To make the cookies, first cream together the butter and sugars in a large bowl.

Beat in the vanilla and egg yolk.

Sift together the flour and salt and beat it in in two batches.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment.

Roll the cookies out on a lightly floured surface to somewhere between 1/2 and 1/4 in thick.

Cut out cookies with a sharp cookie cutter and place the cutouts on the prepared sheets.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden and crispy.

Remove to a wire rack to cool, then pair up and fill with ice cream to make ice cream sandwiches!

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ice Cream:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
• 1 1/2 cups chopped/broken peanut butter shortbread cookies, Oreos, or other cookies
• 1 4 ounce box Reese’s Pieces
• several heaping tablespoons of hot fudge sauce, roughly 6 ounces

Cookies:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoons salt

To make the ice cream, combine the cream and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat until stiff peaks form, then reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the condensed milk. Use a spatula to stir in the crushed cookies and Reese’s Pieces by hand. Pour half of the ice cream mixture into a large storage container.

Microwave the hot fudge sauce 30 seconds, or until it is smooth and pourable. Drizzle a large, heaping tablespoon of fudge sauce over the ice cream. Repeat with the other half of the ice cream, and additional fudge sauce. Run a butter knife or bbq skewer through the mixture to swirl the fudge sauce a bit. Cover, and freeze at least 4 hours.

To make the cookies, first cream together the butter and sugars in a large bowl. Beat in the vanilla and egg yolk. Sift together the flour and salt and beat it in in two batches.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment.

Roll the cookies out on a lightly floured surface to somewhere between 1/2 and 1/4 in thick. Cut out cookies with a sharp cookie cutter and place the cutouts on the prepared sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden and crispy. Remove to a wire rack to cool, then pair up and fill with ice cream to make ice cream sandwiches!