User post: 2 Cool Ice Cream Treats

Whip up these sweet, gooey, refreshing summer treats and show the ice cream man that he's got some competition.

By Susan Ott

Serves 8

What's better than a sweet slice of watermelon on a hot day? How about a trompe l'oeil slice made up of cool, creamy ice cream? Mini chocolate chips make for seeds you wouldn't dream of spitting out.

• 1 pint pistachio ice cream or frozen yogurt, slightly softened
• 1 pint raspberry or strawberry sorbet, slightly softened
• 3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

1. Using plastic wrap, line a 3-quart metal or plastic bowl, leaving long edges or wrap overhanging the bowl's sides. Freeze the lined bowl for least 10 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat pistachio ice cream at low speed until spreadable, about 20 seconds. Remove lined bowl from freezer. Using a rubber spatula, coat the inside of the bowl (about three-quarters of the way up the sides) with all the pistachio ice cream, making a 1/2-inch-thick layer. Return mold to the freezer until the ice cream hardens, about 45 minutes.
3. Beat the sorbet in a mixing bowl at low speed until it's spreadable, about 30 seconds. Beat in the chocolate chips. Remove the bowl from the freezer. Spoon the sorbet to completely fill the pistachio mold, using a rubber spatula to smooth the top. Return the bowl to the freezer until the sorbet has hardened, about 2 hours.
4. To serve, invert the frozen bombe onto a serving plate. Lift off the bowl. Carefully peel off the plastic wrap. Immediately before serving, cut the bombe into slices.

TIP: You can make this treat up to two days in advance. Store, well wrapped, in the freezer, but wait to slice until just before serving.

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Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Makes 10 sandwiches

Make the cookie dough in a big bowl and let the kids stir it with a wooden spoon for hands-on fun. We've made these cookies giant, but feel free to bake them in any size you like—just remember you will need to adjust the baking time.

• 6 ounces unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups, plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (one 12 ounce-bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt
• Mini peanut butter cups, chopped, for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. In a medium-size microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Stir the brown sugar into the melted butter until it's dissolved. Stir in the granulated sugar.
3. In large mixing bowl, whisk egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until blended. Stir in the butter mixture until it's combined. Fold in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in 2 cups of chocolate chips.
4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liners. Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop out dough and drop mounds of dough, about 2 inches apart, onto prepared sheets. (Aim for 20 cookies; the measuring cup should be only three-quarters full.) Slightly flatten the dough mounds on the sheet.
5. Bake for 12 minutes, one sheet at a time, until cookies are golden around the edges, yet still slightly soft in the center. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on the sheet; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Pour a mound of mini chocolate chips on a plate. Sandwich about 1/3 cup of ice cream between 2 cookies, bottoms facing in, and press gently. Roll the sides of each sandwich in mini chips. (If ice cream is too soft for the chips to stick, freeze briefly until hardened.) Place sandwiches on a platter or baking sheet; freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Store sandwiches in freezer, wrapped individually in plastic.

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