finally! some strawberry ice cream

I had to wait for it, but I finally got that strawberry ice cream I was yearning for.

I fixed it up in the form of ice cream sandwiches, made with these lovely little triple (triple!) chocolate cookies.

Oh my goodness, were these ever good.

I bought some ice cream rather than making it, as the recipe directed. I just can't make the leap into ice-cream-making. Like I don't have enough junk in my kitchen -- I'm supposed to store an ice cream maker, too? Plus, we had an ice cream maker when I was a kid. I remember there was lots of cranking involved.

Cranking, when I would have rather been sliding and swinging at the picnic in the park.

I have issues with home ice cream makers.

I'm sure they've advanced by leaps and bounds and all but...back to the cookies.

Those are some good cookies. But next time I make them (and I will), I'm going to make them much smaller than the recipe suggests. They were so rich and chocolate-y I had a hard time making it through one. And ordinarily, I'm one who scoffs at other people who set down their spoon and protest that something's too rich. Hand it over, then. I'll finish it off.

Thank goodness I bought no-sugar-added strawberry ice cream. It was just the thing to fend off the richness. Although I still couldn't polish off a whole ice cream sandwich. I had to put the last few bites back in the freezer for later.

So. Next time. Smaller cookies. If you can handle the richness, you can eat more than one.

Triple Chocolate Cookies (for ice cream sandwiches or for the hell of it, you decide)

Makes about 16

10 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ounces (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir chopped chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth; remove from over water. Cool melted chocolate 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in another medium bowl until crumbly. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue to beat until mixture is light, pale, and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add lukewarm melted chocolate and vanilla and beat just until blended. Fold in dry ingredients, then chocolate chips.

Drop chocolate cookie batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, 1 baking sheet at a time, until tops are evenly cracked but cookies are not yet firm to touch, about 16 minutes. Cool cookies completely on baking sheets. Using metal spatula, carefully transfer 4 cookies to each of 4 large resealable plastic bags, arranging in single layer. Freeze cookies overnight. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep frozen.)

Comments

[Amanda]

these are the kinds of cookies that totally hit the spot. dark and rich, they are more brownie-like but thats why I love them. I made ones from Jill O Connos Sticky Chewy Messy Gooey and they totally lived up to the books title.

[mari]

Those look so good, I wish I had one right now. On the home ice cream maker tip, I hear what you're saying about more clutter in your kitchen, but I want to convince you by saying that my ice cream bowl lives in the freezer, as to be ready to churn ice cream at all time. Homemade ice cream is so good and so addictive that you'd to have to restrain yourself to making it only for company, like I do, as to avoid getting big as a house!

I'm not selling this very well, am I?

[Patricia Scarpin]

They really look super rich. And super yummy, too!

[Mary]

Wow. I could so totally go for one of those sandwiches right now!

[heather]

Cooks Illustrated says that the ice cream maker for the Kitchen Aid mixer is really good, if you've already got the mixer. Like you, I haven't gotten around to learning how to make ice cream. Homemade ice cream that I've tasted just hasn't been "better enough" to be worth the effort, in my opinion. When I have enough counter & pantry space, maybe I'll give it a go--after all, it is nice to know what's going into your food.

[Mari]

Btw...I have an award for you, so if you care to stop by, I'd be honored.

[grace]

too rich? i laugh when fellow tasters say that to me. i don't yet know the meaning of the phrase, so i'll gladly try these cookies to see if they qualify. :)

[kat]

1 cup is 8 ounces not 6

[Molly]

Kat, there are 8 liquid ounces in a cup. Chocolate chips are not liquid. I think Epicurious mentioned the 6 ounces because that would be half a bag (or 1 cup) of chocolate chips.

[Kat]

my bad

[Gigi]

I need one those ice cream sandwiches! Oh man they look so good! I think I'm going to take my ice cream maker out of the freezer and whip some up! :)

[Val]

I would never eat something like this.

[molly]

No foolin', Val?

[Val]

Almost always foolin'.

I would devour them.