Gluten-Free, Vegan Lemon Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Caroline Shannon-Karasik


I. KNOW.

Holy crap, I am in love with these tasty treats.

With the holiday weekend and family cooking, I almost plump forgot about the last few days of the Gluten-Free with Rachael Ray Challenge! That is, until I spotted this recipe while sorting through ideas for last night's dessert possibilities.

Something about Lemon Cookies just sounded wonderful in this little baker's heart.

So, I settled on (that's an understatement!) these beauties, but not before I noticed Rachael's suggestion to consider adding ice cream between two cookies. Well, Rachael, I think I will!

Here they are in all of their glory for Day 28 of the Gluten-Free with Rachael Ray Challenge:


Lemon Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches (Makes 24 cookies, 12 ice cream sandwiches)

(Print me!)

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup safflower oil

  • 1-1/2 cups vegan sugar

  • Grated peel of 2 lemons, plus 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened natural applesauce

  • 1/4 cup arrowroot

  • 1-3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill flour

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 quart vegan, gluten-free "ice cream" (there will be leftovers!)



NOTES: I used Bob's Red Mill arrowroot, Whole Foods brand vegan sugar, Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour and So Delicious Creamy Vanilla Frozen Dessert.


Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Using an electric mixer, combine the safflower oil, 1 cup sugar, the lemon peel and juice until fluffy. Mix in the applesauce and arrowroot.

  2. In a separate bowl, sift the gluten-free flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, then slowly add to the wet ingredients until well-combined.

  3. Place the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Roll heaping Tablespoons of dough into balls, then roll in the sugar. Place on the prepared cookie sheets a few inches apart (12 cookies per sheet). Bake until golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Rotate tray halfway through bake time to ensure even baking. Allow cookies to cool on tray for 10 minutes, and then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

  4. When the cookies have completely cooled, scoop 1/4 to 1/2 cup of "ice cream" between two cookies. Repeat process until you have 12 sandwiches. You will have some left over ice cream, but that's OK!


These ice cream sandwiches scream "Summer is just around the corner!!" They would be a wonderful treat any day, but I am looking forward to whipping them up after a long day and kicking back to enjoy them while basking in the glow of sunshine. Oh, and the cookies would be wonderful all on their own! They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Perfection!


Note: This recipe is gluten-free and vegan. (If you have allergies or food sensitivities, always check specific manufacturer's products for allergens and/or cross-contamination issues.)

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I'm curious: What summer treat do you look forward to seeing make its reappearance?

Find more recipes, gluten-free information and healthy living tips at The G-Spot.