Ice cream cookie sandwich

The ultimate sandwich — your favorite cookies sandwiched with your favorite ice cream. Vary the flavor combination as you wish and use cookie cutters to make different shapes.

* Serves 6

• 12 chocolate cookies
• 2 cups vanilla (or other flavor) ice cream, softened

Place the cookies on a tray in the freezer.

Spread the softened ice cream in a flat pan or container to about 1/2-inch thickness and refreeze. When firm again, but not hard, cut 6 circles of ice cream to fit the cookies. Carefully transfer the ice cream from the pan onto 6 cookies.

Top with a second cookie. Press down to seal well and freeze until ready to eat. If well frozen, remove from the freezer 10 to 15 minutes before you want to eat them otherwise they will be very hard.

Eat within a couple of days.

Variations:

• Mocha ice cream sandwich

Use circles of freshly cooked chocolate cake instead of cookies, and coffee ice cream instead of vanilla.

• Old-fashioned ice cream sandwich

Coat old-fashioned sugar wafer cookies with a layer of chocolate. Freeze, then sandwich with butter pecan or peanut butter ice cream.

• Fruit & nut ice cream sandwich

Prepare the basic recipe, using oatmeal cookies instead of chocolate. Spread them with strawberry jam and sandwich them with raspberry ripple gelato.

• Lemon shortbread ice cream sandwich

Prepare the basic recipe, using lemon shortbread cookies spread with marmalade or lemon curd. Use lemon gelato or vanilla ice cream.