I always liked ice cream sandwiches as a kid. I just wished the chocolate-y, oreo-y part was more substantial. More chocolate cookie, less ice cream! By my own hands, my wish came true. With a full on, 30C summer day no less! Not to forget my new early birthday present – a beautiful Nikon3000 – to help me lead you down the path to icy cool chocolate-vanilla-raspberry goodness.

I found a recipe for brownie ice cream sandwiches by Rachel Ray (sorry food Gods, please forgive me) and thought I would tweak it for optimum brownie thickness. Basically Rachel Ray puts the brownie batter on a large, 12×16 jelly roll sheet to bake, but because I was looking for a thicker sandwich layer I put the same amount of batter in a greased and foil lined 9×13 inch pan.

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1½ quarts ice cream (any flavor), softened
• 1½ sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9×13 pan with aluminum foil, tucking the foil around the edges of the pan. Butter the foil.In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, stirring after each addition. Add the flour and salt and stir until smooth. Smooth batter into pan and bake for about 15 minutes. Cool on counter.

I cut the giant brownie in half and cooled it even further in the freezer until the ice cream was ready. Leave the foil in the 9×13 pan for wrapping up the sandwich at the end!

To mix into the ice cream I pureed 3 cups of thawed (from the farm) raspberries with 1 tsp of lemon rind, 1/4 c of sugar and the juice of half a lemon.

Press the puree through a fine sieve and stir the smooth coulis into the softened vanilla ice cream. Keeping one half of the brownie still in the pan, spread the ice cream mixture over top and then press down with the remaining other half of brownie. Don’t press too hard or the ice cream will squish out too much. Wrap the foil around it tightly and put it back in the freezer for several hours to freeze for cutting. When ready to serve cut into bars and enjoy!

Verdict: this was definitely a chocolate treat. Perhaps the brownie part was a little too thick for most people’s liking (there was more brownie than ice cream!) but I didn’t hear any complaints! Who complains about home made ice cream sandwiches? Next time I might have to make home made ice cream as well for a truly decadent summer dessert . . .

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

If chocolate brownie ice cream sandwiches don’t leave you drooling on a hot summer’s day there are plenty more great recipes out there. I have made this “blondie” cookie and lemon/Saskatoon berry ice cream combo last summer and it did not disappoint. Just this afternoon a friend and I were discussing the more than likely deliciousness of this particular gingery recipe.

Happy August Long Weekend everyone!

via Saskatchewan,
J