Salted Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

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No, these don’t require a grill to make. But they’re a delightful treat after anything that does!

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Makes 12 sandwiches

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1¾ sticks)
1 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2½  cups old-fashioned rolled oats
½ to ¾ tsp coarse sea salt
1 quart vanilla ice cream

Instructions

  1. Set the butter out until softened and at room temperature. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Line 3 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.
  3. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy.
  4. Scrape down bowl. Add egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds.
  5. Scrape down bowl again. With mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated and smooth, 10 seconds.
  6. With mixer still running on low, gradually add oats and mix until well incorporated, 20 seconds. Give dough a final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.
  7. For each cookie, take about 2 tablespoons of dough, and roll between palms to golf-ball size. Place dough balls on prepared baking sheets, about 2 1/2 inches apart, 8 per sheet, in a 3-2-3 pattern, lengthwise.
  8. Using fingertips, gently press each dough ball to ¾ inch thickness, with a flat top. Lightly sprinkle a pinch or two of coarse sea salt evenly over flattened dough balls.
  9. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are deep golden brown and edges are crisp, 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through.
  10. Transfer baking sheet to cooling rack; cool cookies completely on sheet.
  11. In a microwave, or on the counter top, warm the ice cream warm until softened and malleable, but not liquid.
  12. To make the sandwiches, take one cookie and place it on a sheet of wax paper, upside-down. Spoon softened ice cream onto the cookie, enough to fill it ¾ to 1 inch thick. With your fingers, pack and shape the ice cream to cover the cookie completely then place another cookie on top, right side up. As you complete each sandwich, place on a small baking sheet or plate, in the freezer.
  13. Serve when ice cream has completely re-frozen.

My husband says: Regular salt should not be used in place of the coarse sea salt, as it blends into the dough too much, and doesn’t provide that necessary “pop” of saltiness.