Recipe: Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies and Ice Cream Sandwiches

WHOLE WHEAT CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES
AND CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM SANDWICHES
"Bake the cookies on a cool summer day and assemble them to freeze for the steamy days ahead. If time is limited, buy thin chocolate wafers or use your favorite cookies from the bakery."


FOR THE COOKIES:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
FOR THE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 pints vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry ice cream, or another flavor of your choice

TO MAKE THE COOKIES:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Position 2 oven racks in the center and upper third of the oven.

Stir the flour, wheat germ, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Put the butter and sugars in another medium bowl; use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla; beat on low speed until well combined, about 15 seconds. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until thoroughly combined.

Stir in the oats and chocolate chips. Use a small (2 tablespoon) ice cream scoop to make twenty 1 1/2-inch balls of the dough; place them about 2-inches apart on the baking sheets. Press down the tops of the balls just slightly.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking time for even browning; the cookies should be lightly browned and still slightly soft in the center. Place each baking sheet on a wire rack for about 3 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.

TO MAKE THE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES:
Let the ice cream soften slightly. (You can put it in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes.) Spoon ice cream into a 1/2-cup measuring cup. Turn it out onto the flat bottom of a cookie. Top with a second cookie, flat side down. Press gently. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Wrap in plastic and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.

TO MAKE AHEAD:
Ice cream sandwiches will keep for up to 2 weeks in the freezer; put the single-wrapped sandwiches in a freezer bag or freezer container or double-wrap them in plastic. The texture of the cookies softens after being frozen.

Makes: 10 sandwiches
Source: Vegetarian Sandwiches by Paulette Mitchell