Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches

Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream Base:

1. Add 1 pound of frozen cherries to a high-powered blender and pulse until small, pea-sized pieces begin to form. Add condensed milk, vanilla and salt and pulse to combine. Set aside.
2. Add heavy cream to a separate bowl and mix with a hand mixer for about 2-3 minutes until a firm peak begins to form. Fold gently in to cherry mixture with a spatula and mix until completely combined. Stir in dark chocolate chunk pieces. Add to a 9x5x3 baking pan that won’t crack when frozen.
3. Place in freezer for about 2 hours and remove from freezer, add fresh cherries and dark chocolate crumbles for garnish.
4. Add to freezer and allow to chill for 6-8 hours or overnight.

Cookie Sandwich:

1. Sift together dry ingredients first – flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
2. Using a hand or paddle mixer, mix together butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and egg for about 4 minutes or until soft and fluffy. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix well until a thick ball of dough forms.
3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and press dough until it spreads to about 1/4 thick. Chill dough on the cookie sheet for 45 min-1 hour.
4. Remove from refrigerator and form into a ball. Lightly dust your work surface with confectioners sugar and roll out once more into 1/4 thickness. Using a circular biscuit cutter (larger the better) begin to cut circles in the dough and line the parchment paper with the cut-outs.
5. Place cookies into oven and bake for 10 minutes or until cookies begin to feel firm.
6. Remove and allow cookies to cool completely. Once cooled, refrigerate cookies for about 1 hour before assembling ice cream sandwiches.
7. To assemble, just simply add 1-1/2 scoops of ice cream to the center of the cookies and press down gently. These may look slightly imperfect and ‘messy’ but all the more fun!
8. Enjoy!