Strawberry Crunch Ice Cream Sandwiches

Directions

• Step 1

  Strawberry Sheet Pan Cookie
  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a half sheet pan (13x18-inches) with baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides. Then, whisk the flour, baking soda, & Kosher salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.
  
  Add the butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Then, add the freeze dried strawberry powder and mix until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract.
  
  Mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, just until the dough comes together and there are no more streaks of flour. Don’t over-mix.
  
  Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared sheet pan. Using a greased rubber spatula or clean hands, pat the cookie dough into an even layer, making sure to get the cookie dough into all the corners and sides. Chill while you make the strawberry crunch.

• Step 2

  Strawberry Crunch
  Place the vanilla cream cookies into the bowl of a food processor. Blend until you have fine crumbs. (Alternatively, you can place the cookies in a zipper bag and crush them with a rolling pin.) You should have about 1 ½ cups (140 grams) of cookie crumbs. Transfer half of the cookie crumbs to a small bowl.

  Add the strawberry powder and melted butter to the bowl of cookie crumbs. Stir until well-combined. Then, add the remaining half of the cookie crumbs and stir well.
  

• Step 3

  Bake & Chill
  When the strawberry crunch is done, place the sheet pan of cookie dough in the oven. Bake for 15-16 minutes.
  
  Remove the sheet pan from the oven and evenly sprinkle the strawberry crunch over the top. Gently press the strawberry crunch into the cookie dough with a rubber spatula. Bake for another 2-3 minutes, until the edges are set and the center is still a tad under-baked. (The cookie will continue to cook in the pan.)
  
  Let the sheet pan cookie cool completely. Using a sharp knife, cut the raised edges off of the cookie until you have a big rectangle, about 12x17-inches. Cut the rectangle in half vertically so you have 2 evenly-sized cookie slabs that are about 8.5x12-inches each.

• Step 4

  Assemble
  Let the ice cream warm up for about 10 minutes on the counter, until spreadable. Then, place one cookie slab bottom-side up. Spread the ice cream into an even layer on top.
  
  Gently sandwich the other cookie slab on top of the ice cream. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid, 1-2 hours. When you’re ready to serve, slice into 12 ice cream sandwiches. If any crumble comes off of the cookies, press the sides of the ice cream in the leftover strawberry crunch. Enjoy immediately or wrap each ice cream sandwich in parchment paper and place in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 1 month.
  
  *Note: You can buy freeze dried strawberry powder online or at well-stocked health food stores. To make your own strawberry powder, blend 3 ounces of freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor until it’s finely-ground. Sift the powder through a fine mesh sieve to remove any seeds or large chunks. Freeze dried strawberries can be found in the dried fruit aisle of the grocery store.