Tin Roof Ice Cream Sandwiches

It has been really hot here lately, so yesterday I kept thinking of how good ice cream sounded.  I wanted the peanut-chocolate treats that they have at Dairy Queen, but I also wanted an ice cream sandwich.  I decided to try ice cream sandwiches that were based on chocolate and peanuts.  The cookies themselves have a good peanut flavor, which gos well with the layers of chocolate fudge sauce.  (A note on making the sandwiches: working with the cookies is a lot easier with an ice cream sandwich maker.  The cookies are pretty sturdy here, but they can still break while making the sandwiches.  I used a sandwich maker that is a lot like this: Kitchen Art Ice Cream Sandwich Maker Set.)


Makes 14 sandwiches

3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup whole salted spanish peanuts
1 quart vanilla ice cream
1 cup hot fudge sauce

1. Combine butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar together in a mixing bowl.  Beat until fluffy.  Add baking powder, baking soda, eggs and vanilla.  Beat until incorporated, scraping bowl as needed.  Beat in oatmeal and flour until a somewhat sticky dough is formed.  Add peanuts and stir to combine.
2. Prepare baking sheets by greasing them or lining them with parchment paper.  Spoon dough onto baking sheets 2 inches apart (my cookies were about 2-3 tablespoons of dough each).  Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until edges and tops are golden brown.  Remove to cooling rack and cool completely.  You should have about 28 cookies.
3. Pair cookies together, matching cookies for size.
4. Once cookies are cool, allow ice cream to sit at room temperature for 2-5 minutes or until softened.
5. Pull a 6-inch piece of plastic wrap off roll.  Line ice cream sandwich maker with plastic wrap or place plastic wrap flat on counter. 
6. Spoon a teaspoon of hot fudge sauce onto the backs of each cookie in the pair.  Place cookie, fudge side up, in sandwich maker or on counter.  Scoop about 1/3-1/2 cup ice cream on top of hot fudge sauce on cookie.  Top with other cookie, fudge side down.  Gently press top cookie downward to sandwich.  Bring plastic wrap up around sandwich and place sandwich in a larger air-tight container.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until all sandwiches are made.
8. Once all sandwiches are made, store them in the larger air-tight container in a freezer.  They are better if you store them for 12 hours before eating and if eaten within 10 days of sandwiches being made.