Nutella and Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches

If you’re a regular reader of food blogs then you’ve likely noticed that the whole world seems mad for Nutella™. For those of you who’ve been living in a cave or otherwise missed this trend, let me explain. Nutella™ is an alluring, proprietary spread that combines ground roasted hazelnuts, skim milk, and cocoa. Available almost everywhere, it has a comfort food appeal similar to that of peanut butter and is eaten in much the same way: on bread, in desserts of virtually every type, and (best of all for some) spooned directly from the jar into one’s mouth.

The weather is heating up where I live, and it occurred to me that Nutella™ would be a perfect flavor for ice cream sandwiches, one of my favorite childhood desserts. I’ve added both Nutella™ and extra chocolate to the shortbread layers in these sandwiches. And both ingredients are also included in the ice cream filling used here for even more deliciousness. ‘Nuff said, I think.

Ingredients

For the ice cream filling:

1 1/2 pints (3 cups) chocolate ice cream
1/4 cup Nutella™

For the shortbread:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached, all-purpose white flour
1/2 cup brown or white sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup Nutella™
1/4 cup chilled butter, cubed

Preparation

1. Prepare the ice cream filling: The day before serving, soften the ice cream for five minutes at room temperature. Spoon the ice cream and 1/4 cup Nutella™ into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well blended. Quickly transfer the ice cream mixture to a straight-sided, rectangular pan lined with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic over the top of the ice cream, press the mixture into a level 6-inch by 9-inch rectangle, and freeze until it is very firm and you are ready to assemble the ice cream sandwiches.



2. Combine the flour, sugar, and cocoa in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well blended. Add 1/2 cup Nutella™ and the cubed butter. Process the dough until it is well blended, smooth, and begins to form a ball. Transfer the dough to a large sheet of plastic wrap, shape the dough into a thick rectangle, fold the plastic wrap over the dough, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. with the rack in the middle position. Line one large or two small baking sheets with parchment paper.



4. Roll the shortbread dough out on a sheet of parchment paper to a level 1/4-inch thickness. Press a 3-inch round or square cookie cutter into the dough to make 12 cookies (any excess dough scraps can be assembled and re-rolled to make more shortbread cookies). Transfer these to the prepared baking sheet(s) and refrigerate for 10 minutes or until the oven is preheated. Bake for 10-12 minutes, remove from the oven, and cool the shortbread to room temperature on cake racks.
5. When the shortbread has fully cooled, remove the ice cream from the freezer and, using the same cookie cutter, quickly press six rounds or squares.
6. Quickly assemble the sandwiches by layering the ice cream between two shortbread cookies to make six ice cream sandwiches. Makes 6 servings.

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