Peppermint Ice Cream Sandwich (Printable version)

Creamy peppermint ice cream nestled between chewy chocolate cookies for a refreshing treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chocolate Cookies

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Peppermint Ice Cream

09 - 2 cups heavy cream
10 - 1 cup whole milk
11 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
12 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
13 - 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
14 - 3-4 drops red food coloring (optional)
15 - 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

# Directions:

01 - Whisk heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, salt, and peppermint extract in a bowl until sugar dissolves. Add red food coloring if desired. Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and churn following manufacturer’s instructions. Fold in crushed peppermint candies during the last two minutes of churning. Transfer to a container and freeze for at least 2 hours until firm.
02 - Set oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
03 - In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly mixed.
04 - In a large bowl, beat softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract, then mix until fully incorporated.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients into the butter mixture, stirring just until combined to form the cookie dough.
06 - Drop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto prepared sheets, slightly flatten each. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until cookies are set. Cool completely on a wire rack.
07 - Soften ice cream slightly. Place a scoop between two cookies and gently press to form a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and ice cream.
08 - Wrap each sandwich in parchment paper and freeze for at least 30 minutes before serving.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The combination of rich chocolate cookies and refreshing peppermint ice cream feels like a luxury dessert, but it's surprisingly achievable at home
  • These sandwiches are the perfect make-ahead treat that actually gets better as they sit in the freezer, letting you skip last-minute stress
  • Once you nail this recipe, you'll find yourself making variations all year long, not just during the holidays
02 -
  • Don't skip the complete cooling of your cookies before assembling—warm cookies will melt your ice cream before you can even get them stacked
  • If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can still make this work by freezing the peppermint mixture in a shallow pan, stirring it every 30 minutes for about 2–3 hours until it's scoopable
  • Room temperature ingredients really do matter for creaming the butter and sugar properly, so I've learned to pull everything out about 30 minutes before I start
03 -
  • The secret to consistently chewy cookies is pulling them from the oven when they still look slightly underbaked in the very center—they'll continue to set as they cool on the rack
  • If your ice cream is too hard to scoop after freezing, let it sit out for 5–10 minutes and it becomes infinitely more manageable without getting soupy
  • Make a double batch of just the cookies and freeze them plain—you can assemble sandwiches with different ice cream flavors whenever you want, making this recipe endlessly versatile

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