I don’t know if you have heard but May 15th is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day! Not like we need a reason to enjoy chocolate chip cookies, but an extra excuse to celebrate is always welcomed!
To make this celebration extra special I decided to not just enjoy a chocolate chip cookie, but a chocolate chip cookie with chocolate chip ice cream sandwiched together for maximum decadent indulgence. And instead of any old chocolate I decided to make both recipes with my favorite Lindt Chocolate. I used three different chocolates to amplify the chocolate-y goodness. You can of course use just one of your favorite Lindt chocolate bars or many, this recipe is adaptable. I used the Lindt EXCELLENCE A Touch of Sea Salt bar for the cookies and left the sea salt topping off the cookies and I used the Lindt EXCELLENCE 70% Dark Chocolate bar for the ice cream. These bars are a pantry staple for me and I love how versatile they are. I can enjoy them when I want a piece of chocolate and they just as easily work in any dessert recipe. (keep reading to get the recipe!)
I used the New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe for these ice cream sandwiches. After testing different recipes for “the best” this one has proven to be my favorite. Over the years I have found that pre-scooping the dough into balls on a lined baking sheet and then refrigerating them is much easier than trying to scoop cold dough. Weighing the ingredients produces better results than when you use cups, but if you don’t have a scale don’t worry about it, they are just cookies! For these sandwiches I made my cookies a bit smaller. The biggest key to success, as with most baking recipes, do not over bake.
Make your ice cream the same day you make the dough and they can both chill for 24 hours before baking and assembly. For an added bonus I used a vegetable peeler to create ribbon flakes of the Lindt EXCELLENCE Chili bar. I rolled the assembled ice cream sandwiches in the chocolate flakes and coated the ice cream sides. This added a nice delicate heat that complimented all of the other chocolate flavors of this treat. This is definitely a perfect treat for any chocolate lover!
Happy National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day! How will you be celebrating?
Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe adapted from the NY Times
makes 1 ½ dozen cookies
Ingredients
- 2cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
- 1 ⅔cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
- 1 ¼teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½teaspoons coarse salt
- 2 ½sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
- 1 ¼cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
- 1cup (8 ounces) granulated sugar
- 2large eggs
- 3teaspoons natural vanilla extract
- 3 bars of Lindt EXCELLENCE A Touch of Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Bars chopped into ½ inch chunks
Directions
Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.
Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe
makes 1 quart of ice cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 bar Lindt EXCELLENCE 70% Dark Chocolate or Lindt CLASSIC RECIPE Milk Chocolate chopped into ½ or ¼ in chunks
Directions
Make sure you freeze the canister of your ice cream maker overnight before you make the icee cream.
In a large bowl combine cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for operating your ice cream machine and freezing the ice cream. Once the mixture has reached a soft serve consistency in your machine stir in chocolate.
Freeze until hardened and firm.
Scoop over one cookie and top with another cookie to make your ice cream sandwich.
* optional using a peeler shave curls of chocolate and roll ice cream sandwich in chocolate for more chocolate-y goodness!
Sweet Somethings: