Chewy Oatmeal-Raisin Cookie Sandwiches with Roasted Cinnamon Ice Cream

Recipe by: Regan Daley | from In the Sweet Kitchen: The Definitive Baker's Companion

Cookstr

Course: Dessert, Snack

Total Time: Half Day

Skill Level: Moderate

Cost: Inexpensive

chewy-oatmeal-raisin-cookie-sandwiches-with-roasted-cinnamon-ice-cream

Photo by: Joseph De Leo

Intensely toffee-flavoured cookies with a lovely, crisp-chewy texture and a good oatmeal taste are sandwiched with a gorgeously rich cinnamon ice cream. An indulgently nostalgic dessert!

Yield: 30 large cookies, or 15 sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

Oatmeal raisin cookies:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups tightly packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
1½ cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups flavourful dark raisins, such as Lexia or Muscat

Roasted Cinnamon Ice Cream, softened slightly at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper, or butter the sheets, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer or a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and both sugars. Cream with the paddle attachment or a wooden spoon until fluffy and light, about 2 minutes with the mixer or 3 to 4 minutes by hand. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and honey and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

2. Into a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Add this mixture to the creamed mixture and fold in until the dry ingredients are well incorporated. Fold in the oats and raisins. At this point, if you have been using an electric mixer, take the bowl off the frame and work the oats and raisins in by hand. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.

3. Bake, one sheet at a time, in the centre of the oven for 15 to 18 minutes, turning the sheet two or three times during that time. The cookies are done when they are a deep golden brown and set around the edges but still puffy and soft in the centre. Cool the cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat until all the cookies are baked and cooled. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. To make the ice cream sandwiches, return the cooled cookies to the baking sheets and place the trays in the freezer until the cookies are frozen. Transfer them to a freezer bag or container until ready to assemble the sandwiches, up to 1 month.

4. To assemble sandwiches, place a generous scoop of the slightly softened ice cream onto the underside of a frozen cookie. Use the back of a spoon to flatten the mound a little before topping with a second cookie, underside down, and press gently to ensure a good seal. Try to make the scoops large enough, and let the ice cream soften enough to have it squoosh out to the edges of the cookies. You can then wipe off the excess with a butter knife, giving the sandwiches a neat edge. Wrap each sandwich securely in plastic wrap or waxed paper, pressing the ice cream gently into shape, and freeze until firm. The sandwiches can be made up to 1 week ahead of time and unwrapped just before serving.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Nutrients per serving (% daily value)

Servings size is 1 large cookie, but does not include Roasted Cinnamon Ice Cream. For nutritional information on Roasted Cinnamon Ice Cream, please follow the link above.

Calories 229kcal (11%)

Calcium 27mg (3%)

Vitamin C 0mg (0%)

Vitamin A 56mcg RAE (2%)

Potassium 168mg

Magnesium 34mg

Protein 4g

Sugar 20g

Fiber 2g

Total Carbohydrate 38g

Cholesterol 30mg (10%)

Sodium 61mg (3%)