Easy Cookies and Jam Ice Cream Sandwiches

This recipe for easy cookies and jam ice cream sandwiches is almost not a recipe…that’s how ridiculously easy it is.  But since it involves three ingredients (cookies, jam and ice cream) and they have to be assembled into an ice cream sandwich, and because this pipsqueak of a recipe is going to be my go-to dessert of the summer because of that magical combo of easy and delicious, I need to share it with you.  It’s also endlessly customizable (more on that later), and I’m hoping at this point you are convinced and would just like me to get on with telling you the details. Which you have probably already guessed, but just in case…

I probably don’t have to tell you that the bottom line is cookie, spread with jam, then spread with ice cream, then topped with another cookie.  But I have put much time and effort into researching the ins and outs of what kind of cookie and various jam and ice cream combos, and if you are still reading and not off making cookie and jam ice cream sandwiches, here’s what I found out.

While I am all for having as much chocolate as humanly possible, including in cookie ice cream sandwiches (and please see my molasses and chocolate ice cream cookie sandwiches as proof), summer seems to call for working in some of the more tropical and fruity flavors.  You’ll get the biggest fruit flavor from the jam part.  My all-time favorite jams are the ones from Stonewall Kitchen...I used their sour cherry jam for that cookie sandwich in the picture, but their blueberry jam, their rhubarb jam…you pretty much can’t go wrong with any of them.

And while vanilla ice cream would of course be totally compatible with whatever jam you decide on, I went with coconut gelato with my cherry jam.  It added just a little more summertime flair.  Lemon gelato would also have been AMAZING.  Mix it up and see what your favorite is.

The cookie is extremely important to the whole thing.  You want a gentle, humble cookie that won’t take over the flavors here, and one that is thin enough to make the sandwich manageable, but sturdy enough to hold all that jam and ice cream goodness.  Those are packaged shortbread cookies up there, but good old Nilla Wafers would be perfect.

You want your ice cream or gelato soft enough to scoop out, but as you can see from that picture up there, meltage is going to set in pretty quickly, which makes for messy deliciousness (and did not stop the Southern husband from nabbing these as soon as the picture session was over).  I like to pop my cookie sandwiches into the freezer for an hour or two after making them just to let things firm up a little.  But they are magically delicious either way.

So…cookies, jam, ice cream….GO!!!  Mix and match and lick your fingers and please tell me the great flavor combos you come up with.  Since I plan to be making these until the snow flies again…

Easy Cookies and Jam Ice Cream Sandwiches

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• Author: Kate Jackson
• Yield: 4

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Description

Cookies, jam, ice cream and a good imagination are all you need to make this easy cookies and jam ice cream sandwich recipe your go-to summer dessert!

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Ingredients

• 8 vanilla cookies (Nilla wafers or thin shortbread cookies work wonderfully)
• 4 teaspoons of your favorite fruit jam (cherry, blueberry, strawberry, etc)
• 4 tablespoons of vanilla, coconut or other flavored ice cream or gelato, slightly softened

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Instructions

1. Spread 1 teaspoon of jam on each of four cookies. You can use a little more or less based on the size of your cookie.
2. Top the jam with a tablespoon or so of ice cream – again, more or less depending on the size of your cookie.
3. Top with remaining cookie.
4. You can serve right away – because the ice cream was a little soft, this way is delicious but a little messy. If you prefer, you can pop these back in the freezer for an hour or two to let them firm up. They are scrumptious either way!

Notes

You can customize this recipe to your heart’s content with different jams and ice creams – get creative!