Recipe: Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Ice Cream, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream for

Hi Bridget :-) About all I could think of was cookie dough ice cream which leaves you in the same place you started - a full freezer. Maybe you could make a trifle??!? I think I have seen a trifle recipe using brownies maybe. I'll look and post it when and if I find such a recipe. Anyway, here are 2 recipes that I found for you in case this idea appeals to you. Maybe some others will have some other ideas and post them too.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Base Recipe with a Peanut Butter Cookie Dough variation
courtesy Tyler Florence
Yield: 1 gallon total

10 cups heavy cream
5 cups whole milk
Pinch salt
3 cups sugar
3 vanilla beans
24 large egg yolks
Variations:
Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream:
3/4 cup whole milk
16 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped in chunks

Strawberry Cheese Cake Ice Cream:
1 1/2 cups strawberry preserves, no sugar added
1/2 frozen strawberry cheesecake, cut in large chunks
10 large fresh strawberries, halved

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Ice Cream:
1 tube ready to bake peanut butter cookie dough, cut in large pieces

To make the vanilla ice cream: Combine the cream, milk, salt, and 2 cups of the sugar in a large pot. Split the vanilla beans down the middle lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a paring knife; add them to the pot and toss in the pods for added flavor. Place the cream mixture over medium heat, and bring up to a simmer; stirring with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. Ideally, the temperature should reach 175 degrees F (just below scalding) for a smooth-textured ice cream; this should take about 15 minutes. Shut off the heat, cover the pot, and allow the cream mixture to steep for 15 minutes to further infuse the vanilla flavor.

In the meantime, combine the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and blend them lightly with a wire whisk. Gradually add the remaining 1 cup of sugar and continue to whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved and the eggs are thick and pale yellow; about 6 minutes.

Using a large ladle or measuring cup, temper the eggs by gradually whisking in about 4 cups of the hot cream mixture. Return this back to the rest of the cream in the saucepan and turn the heat to medium-low. Stir constantly until the custard thickens and leaves a path on the back of a spoon when you run your finger across it, about 10 to 12 minutes (do not let boil.)

Pour the vanilla custard through a fine strainer into another pot* and chill completely in a sink full of ice, stirring here and there; this should take about 1 hour. Ideally, let the ice cream base "age" overnight in the refrigerator before churning in an ice cream maker to improve the flavor and texture of the final product " but it is still good if you decide to process it right away. Divide the ice cream into quarts** and churn each in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. When done, the ice cream will be the consistency of "soft serve."

***To harden the ice cream fully, freeze in plastic covered containers.

Flavor Variations:
*To make the Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream: Heat 3/4 up of milk in a pot over medium-low heat. Add 12 ounces of the chopped chocolate and stir until completely melted. Pour 1 quart of the strained hot vanilla ice cream base into the melted chocolate and stir until very well incorporated. Chill and process as directed in the master recipe. Fold in the remaining 4 ounces of chopped chocolate after churning while the ice cream is in the "soft-serve" stage. Churn another 1 to 2 minutes just until combined.

**To make the Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream: Mix the strawberry preserves into the vanilla custard just before you start churning in the ice cream maker. Add the pieces of strawberry cheesecake and fresh strawberries after churning while the ice cream is in the "soft-serve" stage. Continue to churn for an additional 5 minutes or until combined but still chunky.

***To make the Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Ice Cream: Add the pieces of cookie dough after churning while the ice cream is in the "soft-serve" stage. Continue to churn for an additional 1 to 2 minutes until combined but still chunky.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Recipe
courtesy Gale Gand
Yield: 1 quart

Cookie Dough:
8 ounces (2 sticks) cool unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Ice Cream Base:
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
9 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar

Make the Cookie Dough:
Cream the butter in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand-held beater) until soft and fluffy. Add both sugars and mix. Add the vanilla and 1 egg and mix. Add the remaining egg and mix. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix. Add the chips and mix just until just combined.
Using your hands, roll the dough into a long thin rope; then cut into small bits. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the Ice Cream Base:
In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the half-and-half, cream, and vanilla, whisking occasionally, to make sure the mixture doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. When the cream mixture reaches a fast simmer (do not let it boil), turn off the heat and let the flavors infuse for 10 minutes. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. In a thin stream, whisk half of the cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Then pour the egg-cream mixture back into the saucepan containing the rest of the cream mixture.

Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. At 160 degrees F., the mixture will give off a puff of steam. When the mixture reaches 180 degrees F, it will be thickened and creamy, like eggnog. (If you don't have a thermometer, test it by dipping a wooden spoon into the mixture. Run your finger down the back of the spoon. If the stripe remains clear, the mixture is ready; if the edges blur, the mixture is not quite thick enough.) When it is ready, quickly remove it from the heat.

Meanwhile, put 2 handfuls of ice cubes in the bottom of a bowl, and add cold water to cover. Rest a smaller bowl in the ice water. Pour the cream mixture through a fine sieve (to remove the vanilla bean pieces and cinnamon sticks) into the smaller bowl. Chill for 3 hours.

Freeze the cream mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Meanwhile, put a bowl in the freezer. When the ice cream is frozen, remove the bowl from the freezer, and transfer the ice cream to it. Fold in the chocolate chip cookie dough (you may not need all of it). Pack the ice cream into sealable containers and return to the freezer. (Make cookies: bake any leftover dough in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for about 10 to 12 minutes.)