Malted Milk Ice Cream and Double Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches with Cocoa Nibs

I’ve been obsessing over ice cream sandwiches for a few weeks now. I craved them after finding a food truck (Blu top Ice Cream Sandwiches) which made large cookie sandwiches filled with wonderful ice creams. Flavours such as; toast and jam, builders tea and bourbon whiskey feature on their menu. I’ve been dying to visit them at one of their weekly markets but for various reasons, I haven’t been able to go. A future post will pop up when I eventually go.

What does one do in these kind of dire situations? One recreates the desired treat at home!

Why not? Nothing better than a day spent in the warm hug of your kitchen; a treat like this waiting at the finish line.

One down side to having a blog is constantly attempting new recipes. Whenever I bake something, it’s always new. It’s very rare that I ever make something twice. Its my dream to have a cookie or pudding recipe that is my signature bake. I imagine my friends coming over and begging me to ‘make those cookies you make.’ Or I’d have that bread that I bake every week without fail. A constant supply of fresh bread in my house.

After considering this, I looked back through my cookie recipes and chose my rich, dark double chocolate cookie recipe. I remember not being able to resist these. Just pure unadulterated indulgence in cookie form. Both white chocolate chips and dark are required to make the perfect cookie. As is a hell of a lot of butter, dark brown sugar and a good sprinkling of sea salt.

Malt Ice cream is my number one choice for ice cream (honey coming in close second.) It was a no brainer that I’d recreate a Malteser in ice cream sandwich form. Malt ice cream squashed between chewy chocolate cookies, dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with roasted cocoa nibs. I’ll leave you to just sit, salivate and think about all that.

Ingredients – Makes 8 Ice Cream Sandwiches

Malted Milk Ice Cream

• 275ml whole milk
• 300ml single cream
• 6 egg yolks
• 165g caster sugar
• 150g malt extract

Double Chocolate Cookies

• 100g plain flour
• 45g cocoa powder
• pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 75g dark brown sugar
• 70g caster sugar
• 85g unsalted butter, room temperature
• dash of vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 100g good quality white chocolate, roughly chopped (or chips)
• 45g good quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped (or chips)

• 100g dark chocolate to dip the ice cream sandwiches (optional)
• cocoa nibs, to sprinkle (optional)

Method

Malted Milk Ice Cream (the night before):

Place the milk and cream into a saucepan over medium heat. Combine the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Bring the liquid to the boil. Pour the hot milk over the egg yolks  whilst whisking (make sure you whisk it or the egg yolks may scramble!) Once combined, pour back into the pan and place back over the heat. Continue to whisk and cook until the ice cream base comes to 82°C on a thermometer. Strain into a clean bowl and whisk in the malt extract. Place over an ice bath to cool. Once cold, churn in your ice cream machine following the manufacturers instructions. Freeze overnight.

Note: My ice cream machine is broken so I had to make this by hand. It’s so easy, and this ice cream still turns out creamy without the churning. Simply place in the freezer and whisk every twenty minutes to half an hour to break up the ice crystals as it freezes (switching to an electric whisk when it gets quite firm.)

Double Chocolate Cookies:

Pre-heat your oven to 175°C. Line two baking trays with baking parchment, ready to place your cookies onto.

Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, bicarb. of soda and baking powder into a medium bowl. Using the paddle attachment in a stand mixer, beat together the two sugars and butter until pale and fluffy.

Turn the mixer to low and add in the vanilla and eggs. Scrap down the bowl and briefly mix again. Add in the dry ingredients in two additions, beating well after each. Take the bowl off of the mixer and add in both the white and dark chocolates. Stir to combine using a spatula.

Using your hands, take your cookie dough and roll into 16 equal balls. Place about 2 inches apart on your pre-lined baking trays. Bake for 10-15 minutes until still soft in the centre.

Leave to cool on the tray before moving as they’re quite soft when hot.

Assembly:

Take your ice cream out of the freezer for 10 minutes to soften. Place one scoop of ice cream in-between two cookies. Put the ice cream sandwiches into the freezer on a plate to firm up slightly. Melt 100g of dark chocolate, either in a bain marie or in the microwave. Once melted, take your ice cream sandwiches and dip half into the chocolate. Sprinkle over some cocoa nibs and return to the plate. Serve!