Vanilla Bean Frappuccino Sandwich (Printable)

Creamy vanilla bean ice cream between soft coffee cookies creates a refreshing dessert.

# What Goes In:

→ Coffee Cookies

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup light brown sugar
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
07 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

10 - 2 cups heavy cream
11 - 1 cup whole milk
12 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
13 - 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
14 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make It:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine milk, sugar, vanilla bean seeds and pod, and salt. Warm over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture steams without boiling. Remove from heat, discard vanilla pod, and cool completely. Stir in heavy cream and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
02 - Pour chilled mixture into ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer instructions. Spread churned ice cream into a 9x13-inch pan lined with parchment paper to approximately 3/4-inch thickness. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.
03 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, espresso powder, and vanilla extract until well combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, flattening each to form 2.5-inch rounds. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are set but centers remain slightly soft. Cool completely on baking sheets.
06 - Using a round cutter matching cookie diameter, cut ice cream rounds from the frozen slab. Place one ice cream round between two cookies and press gently. Return assembled sandwiches to freezer for at least 30 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These taste like a fancy coffee shop treat but cost a fraction of the price and actually stay cold longer.
  • The soft cookies won't shatter your teeth when frozen, which is the whole point of doing this at home instead of buying them.
  • You can make a batch ahead and pull them straight from the freezer for instant dessert when friends show up unexpectedly.
02 -
  • The ice cream absolutely has to be frozen solid before you cut it into rounds, or you'll end up with a melting puddle and ruined dreams instead of perfect sandwiches.
  • Don't use hot cookies with ice cream, even if you're impatient—the heat melts everything and creates a soggy mess, so the cooling step genuinely matters despite seeming annoying.
03 -
  • If your espresso powder clumps up in the wet ingredients, bloom it in a tablespoon of hot water first, then add it to the batter—this prevents little espresso pockets from appearing in random places.
  • The vanilla bean paste is a shortcut that actually works beautifully here and is easier than scraping a pod, so don't feel bad using it instead.
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