Ina Garten Ice Cream Sandwiches Are Perfect for the Hottest Days of Summer
Ina Garten makes easy ice cream sandwiches that are perfect for hot summer days. There’s no baking required — the Barefoot Contessa star simply assembles store-bought cookies and ice cream and gives the dessert a delicious finishing touch.
Ina Garten ice cream sandwiches are a perfect dessert when it’s too hot to cook
Garten shared her easy dessert idea in a July 30 Instagram post as part of a lineup of recipes perfect for the hottest days of summer.
“It’s too hot to cook,” Garten wrote in the caption. “For my coffee chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches, I take two store-bought chocolate chip cookies, put a scoop of coffee ice cream in between, and roll them in toffee bits.”
She added, “Or you can make up your own combination! Seriously — how easy is that??? Recipe link in profile.”
How to make Ina Garten’s ice cream sandwiches
As promised, Garten’s recipe is super easy, using all store-bought ingredients so it’s quick to assemble the ice cream sandwiches.
The Food Network host’s recipe calls for a pint of coffee chocolate chip gelato or ice cream, Tate’s chocolate chip cookies, and Heath toffee bits.
The Barefoot Contessa star recommends allowing the ice cream to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes so that it’s soft enough to scoop easily. She places four cookies with the flat sides up on a counter and places a scoop of ice cream on each. Garten tops them with four cookies, flat sides down, and presses until the ice cream reaches the edges of the cookies.
For an extra finishing touch, Garten rolls the edge of each ice cream sandwich in a plate filled with toffee bits. She freezes the sandwiches until firm then wraps each and keeps them in the freezer.
You can find the full recipe on the Barefoot Contessa website.
Garten makes another variety of ice cream sandwiches
Of course, there are plenty of variations for the easy dessert, using different ice cream or cookie flavors and rolling the dessert in any number of candies or sprinkles.
Garten made her peanut butter version on an episode of Barefoot Contessa. “I love when you can take a few great ingredients from the store and make something really amazing for dessert,” she said. “Which is exactly what I’m going to do with my peanut butter and fudge ice cream sandwiches.”
Garten added, “It’s kind of an American classic with the volume turned up.”
The Barefoot Contessa star softened peanut butter and fudge ice cream in the microwave for 15 seconds.
Then she placed a scoop of ice cream on “really good peanut butter cookies. She pressed another cookie on top of the ice cream, noting to “squish it a little bit so that it goes to the edges, without breaking the cookie.”
Garten said, “That’s why you need the ice cream a little bit softened, but not melted.”
To finish off the easy dessert, she rolled each sandwich in a crunchy layer of toasted peanuts. Garten toasted the nuts in a pan over medium-low heat, sprinkled them with salt, and allowed the nuts to cool.
She chopped the peanuts in a food processor, then rolled the side of each ice cream sandwich in the topping. She put the dessert in the freezer for an hour. “This is the fastest dessert ever, right?,” she said.
You can find the full recipe on the Food Network website.
