Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Or more precisely....

Oatmeal Raisin & Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches with Vanilla-Cinnamon Ice Cream.

whew.

My dad's favorite cookie is Oatmeal Raisin. He doesn't want Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies or Oatmeal Cranberry cookies or Oatmeal Toffee cookies or Oatmeal Chocolate Cranberry Toffee cookies.

You may have guessed that I have tried.

I can't help myself...I like to mix it up a little. So, when he came to visit a few weeks ago, I made Oatmeal Raisin cookies. I also made a few Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies and set a few of each kind of cookie aside to make ice cream sandwiches.

First, I needed ice cream. I thought Vanilla Cinnamon would go really well with the Oatmeal Cookies. This recipe is a modified version of French Vanilla from the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream & Dessert Book.

Vanilla-Cinnamon Ice Cream

2 pasteurized eggs
3/4 c. sugar
2 c. heavy cream
1 c. whole milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 TBSP cinnamon

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl for 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Gradually whisk in the sugar. Whisk 1 minute more after adding all of the sugar.

Add the cream, milk, vanilla and cinnamon; whisk until blended.

Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions. The ice cream will be quite soft after mixing.

Scoop into a freezer-safe container and freeze several hours until firm.

The cookie recipe is from The King Arthur Flour's Cookie Companion (this book is a goldmine of cookie recipes!). I made the full recipe, omitting the nuts...then halved the dough, added raisins to one half and chocolate chips to the other.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
{adapted from the King Arthur Flour's Cookie Companion}

1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
6 TBSP light corn syrup
2 TBSP milk
3 c. old-fashioned oats
1 & 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a food processor, pulse the oats to make them smaller and thinner, but don't grind them to bits. :) Set aside.

Cream together the butter, shortening, sugars, extracts, spices, salt & baking soda until smooth. Beat in the egg, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the corn syrup and milk. Stir in the oats and flour.

Remove half the dough to another bowl. Stir in raisins to one bowl of dough and chocolate chip to the other.

Drop the dough by the rounded tablespoon onto the prepared sheets. Bake for 11 minutes, until they are a light golden brown. Let sit on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Making the ice cream sandwiches is pretty self-explanatory. :)

{If you are a good blogger, you will iron the dishtowel for the picture. I am not a good blogger.}

After a few hours in the freezer, the ice cream has hardened up enough to scoop...

Scoop out the hardened ice cream on the flat side of one cookie, top with another and press.

If desired, and you know it is around here, roll the sides of the oatmeal chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches in mini chocolate chips.

Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.

{Want to know a secret? My dad didn't eat ONE ice cream sandwich...only the plain ol' Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. I told you, he only wants the cookies. One of these days, I'll learn.}

What is your dad's favorite dessert?