Brown Butter Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream Sandwiches
Summer in Seattle is magical. I thought I would spend more time baking in my free weekends this summer, but instead have been traveling or entertaining every weekend. In between, Kev and I have been focusing on using all the amazing produce from the Pike Place and Capitol Hill Farmer’s Markets at which I have become a regular. I am trying very hard to prioritize healthy habits as we are starting new lives in a new city and balancing this with being residents. Maybe some day this blog will expand to include fresh meals, but for now I’ll keep up the appearance of the doctor on her way to giving everyone diabetes instead of preventing it.
My brothers are coming to visit this weekend and I am so excited! It has been a long long time since the three of us spent quality time together. They texted specifically asking what I am baking for the weekend… no pressure. Hence, I had an excuse to make these ice cream sandwiches I had been eyeing on Tutti Dolci for a while – I couldn’t make them because I didn’t trust myself to not eat all 12 on my own and they’re a little tough to take to work.
I have a few general recommendations for this recipe. These cookies are a bit of a time investment between browning the butter and several chilling steps, so I would recommend giving yourself two days unless you have a weekend day when you can start in the morning and intermittently pop back into the kitchen. I would also recommend refrigerating the chocolate covered caramels ahead of use so they chop easily. I used salted chocolate covered caramels from Ghirardelli, and I know I’ve seen something similar at Trader Joe’s. I made my ice cream sandwiches with Bourbon Butter Pecan ice cream and they are delicious, but they are SO rich. I will probably use a more subtle ice cream flavor next time. We’ll see what the boys think, though!
I baked my cookies for 9 minutes on a silicone mat (my first time using my silicone mats instead of parchment paper!). They were extremely soft when they came out of the oven but the edges looked set. The first cookie was too gooey (SO hard to not just eat it right then and there) to transfer to a wire rack so I decided to pop them in the freezer straight on the silicone mat to harden. Silicone mats encourage spreading more than parchment paper and also produce a softer bottom, whereas parchment paper produces a crispier edge. The texture came out perfectly for the ice cream sandwiches – the cookies freeze hard so construction is easy and they hold well when eating the sandwich. I worry that if baked until they looked “done”, the final product would be too crispy and might crumble. Also, my cookies totally melted together while baking and are not at all the picture-perfect round that Laura achieved, but they are so good it doesn’t matter. If you want a perfectly round cookie, maybe try parchment paper instead.
Make these. Now. While it is 1 million degrees outside. I promise it will be worth the 10 minutes that your oven is on! Everyone in Seattle seems to be melting, but the Central Californian in me is thoroughly enjoying the 88 degree weather. It helps that I am one of 10 people in Seattle that has central AC… Happy Summer!
- 10 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 2/3 cups flour
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Approx. 1 cup chocolate covered caramels, chopped
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chunks
- Flaky sea salt
- 3 cups bourbon butter pecan ice cream (or ice cream of your choice)
- Cook butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it foams, turns clear, and then turns a golden brown with a deep nutty smell. Pour browned butter into a glass measuring cup and chill in the freezer until solidified, about 45 minutes to an hour.
- Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, beat brown butter and sugars at medium speed until creamy. Add in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated. Fold in chopped chocolate covered caramels. Cover dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (If cookie dough has chilled overnight, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking). Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Form 1 1/2-inch balls of dough and place two inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Top cookies with chocolate chunks, pressing gently to adhere. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, for 9 - 11 minutes, until edges are set. Cool for 5-10 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack. Sprinkle cookies with flaky sea salt and let cool completely.
- Freeze cookies for 30 minutes to harden.
- To assemble sandwiches, place a scoop of ice cream between two chilled cookies and press lightly. Place assembled ice cream sandwiches on a baking sheet and cover with plastic; return to the freezer for another 30 minutes before serving.