Ice Cream Sandwiches!

*Roasted Banana ice cream with a Coffee-Hazelnut cookie
*Strawberry Chocolate Chunk ice cream with Balsamic Chocolate Wafers.

I love making my own ice cream. It's so easy, relatively fast and tastes way better than anything you'd get at the store. I also get to create my own flavors and combinations like I did today with these two ice cream sandwiches.

Caramelized bananas, coconut milk, oat milk and brown sugar pureed until smooth and finished off in the ice cream machine; sandwiched between homemade ground hazelnut and coffee cookies.

Roasted Banana Ice Cream
4 bananas, sliced
1/4 cup organic light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbl earth balance butter, melted
2 cups oat milk**
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp banana extract
2 tbl arrowroot

Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Toss bananas with brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Lay on the baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 20 minutes, tossing once after 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
While the bananas are roasting, combine the oat milk, coconut milk, sugar and salt in a small pot. Bring to a slight simmer, just until the sugar has dissolved and remove from the heat. Chill until cold.
In a blender combine the milk mixture, bananas, extracts and arrowroot and process until smooth. Strain and pour into your ice cream machine. Churn for 30 minutes or until the consistency of soft serve. Seal tightly in a container and freeze until hard.

Hazelnut Coffee Cookies
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted
2 cups ap flour
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tsp ground coffee beans
3/4 cup plus 2 tbl earth balance, cold and cubed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract

In a food processor combine the nuts, flour, sugar, salt and ground coffee beans. Pulse to combine. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the dough forms large clumps. Dump out onto the counter and knead into a flat disc. Wrap and chill for 1 hour in the freezer or 2 in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment and grease with canola spray.
Unwrap the dough and roll out to a thin layer. Cut out circles and bake for 10 minutes until slightly under done. The cookies will crisp up more as they cool.

Fresh strawberries, a little sweetener, vanilla and shaved chocolate frozen until creamy in the ice cream machine, sandwiched between dark chocolate-balsamic wafers.

Fresh Strawberry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
10 oz sliced strawberries
2 tbl organic cane sugar
1 cup oat milk**
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
1-15oz can CHILLED coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbl arrowroot
2 oz shaved chocolate

Combine the sliced strawberries and 2 tbl sugar in a bowl, toss to combine. Let sit for exactly 30 minutes.
While the strawberries are macerating, combine the oat milk and 3/4 cup sugar in a pot. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat once the sugar has dissolved. Chill completely.
Combine the strawberries, oat milk, coconut milk, vanilla and arrowroot in a blender and blend until smooth.
Here you can choose to strain or not strain the mixture. I did not strain it and poured it right into the ice cream machine. Churn for 30 minutes. Once it is the consistency of soft serve, fold in the chocolate shavings and transfer to a sealed container. Freeze until solid.

Balsamic Chocolate Wafers
1 1/2 cups ap flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup plus 2 tbl organic cane sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt plus more to sprinkle
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup plus 2 tbl earth balance butter, cold and cubed
3 tbl oat milk
1 tbl balsamic vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a food processor combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt and baking soda. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse into small pea sized pieces. Add the milk, vinegar and vanilla and pulse until the dough forms large clumps. Dump out onto the counter and knead into a ball. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for 2 hours in the fridge or 1 in the freezer.
Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment and grease with cooking spray.
Roll out the dough into a thin layer and cut into circles. Bake for 10 minutes or until slightly underdone. The wafers will crisp up as they cool.

** I specifically use oat milk because it has a higher fat content then other non-dairy milks. Low fat non-dairy milk and rice milk will not work as good. I don't suggest using soy milk because personally I think it imparts a flavor that makes the ice cream taste a bit chemically. Oat milk has a slightly sweet and thick consistency that I believe work and tastes best for baking and ice cream making. If you cannot find oat milk, then use almond milk or all coconut milk.

To make the sandwiches perfectly cylindrical like I did, soften the ice cream a bit and put a piece of parchment on the counter. Use a circle molding ring or cookie cutter and pack a scoop of ice cream down into it and flatten the top. Pick it up with a little spatula and place it on one cookie and another on top pressing down slightly. Freeze.