You know what is super exciting? Going after your dreams. This year has been kind of a downer, but even so, in the midst of a lot of come-aparts and letdowns, there’s been a number of little bright spots that remind me the world is still turning out beautiful, wonderful things. A friend of mine fulfilled a dream by writing an incredible cookbook full of recipes that are right up your alley, and today I get to be one of the first to brag on it with these sugar cookie ice cream sandwiches. More on that ASAP.

I don’t know about you, but I spend a lot of time plotting “what if’s,” spinning stories and webs of whimsy in mind that I’ll never come to realize. Sometimes it’s lack of time and know-how, limited funds or energy, but more often than not, it’s fear. I sideline a lot of my hopes because they feel too big to pursue- what if I’m not the the woman for the job? Maybe my ambitions would be better served by someone smarter or more brave, someone not bound by children or location or a limited skillset. Maybe it’s not the right time for these ambitions, or maybe there’s just not enough room in the world for whatever I bring to the table.

When faced with our dreams and all the fear that comes packed onto them, I think we have to say “yes” anyways. There are so many beautiful and inspiring things waiting to be uncovered just on the other side of our fear, and we’ll never regret crossing over to at least sniff them out. Whatever hopes or ambitions you’ve got in your back pocket, the one that you’re saving for a rainy day, for another year, or for some distant future version of yourself to uncover, I want to encourage you to at least check them out. If fear and “what if’s” are the only thing nudging you back to the quiet comforts of your present reality, I hope you’ll shake them off and decide to be a person who goes after their big, loud ambitions anyways. There’s room in the world for your gifts, ideas, and ambitions, and today can be the day, maybe even the first, that you break out of fear long enough to catch of glimpse of them.

So these sugar cookie ice cream sandwiches. I met Sarah at an event this time last year and found out she was working on this book. Her first book was already in my library, a well-read and referenced set of pages on my shelf, so I was excited to hear about this newest addition. Y’all- it is worth the hype and then some. Her book, “100 Cookies,” is a beautiful offering, full of inspired recipes, detailed instructions, and yummy photos that make you want to dive in and grab them. As someone who has always dreamed of writing a cookbook, this book is one of those reads that made me think, “This is what I want to write!” It’s just terrific.

Aimee dog-eared a number of recipes she wanted to make (hello, macarons! red velvet brownies! all the sprinkle things!), and these sugar cookie ice cream sandwiches were her pick that seemed the most seasonally appropriate. I’m so glad we made them. The cookies are perfectly sweetened and freeze nicely, but the biggest surprise was the ice cream. Sarah’s no-churn ice cream includes cream cheese (a thing I’ve done in the past but not recently), and I was reminded of how seriously delicious it makes those no-churn varieties. I’ll probably be going back to that soon enough.

Anyways, we still have a little summer left in us, so I hope you’ll make these sugar cookie ice cream sandwiches with raspberry ripple ice cream soon enough. And whatever that ambition it is you’re housing, don’t be afraid to go after it. Now, in this weird transition and blip in history, is a great time to reinvent and choose something you wouldn’t normally go after, and I really believe it’s worth the risk. Happy Wednesday to you all and Happy Baking!

If you like these sugar cookie ice cream sandwiches you should check out:

No-Churn Sugar Cookie Ice Cream
Oatmeal Cream Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches with Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream

These sugar cookie ice cream sandwiches feature a delicious no-churn raspberry ripple ice cream that make for a yummy frozen dessert!

• Author: Sarah Kieffer, recipe from “100 Cookies”
• Prep Time: 60
• Cook Time: 45
• Total Time: 360
• Yield: 10
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the ice cream:

• 1 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
• ½ cup sugar
• Pinch plus ¼ teaspoon of salt
• One 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (optional)
• 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream

For the cookies:

• 2–1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1–3/4 cups sugar, plus ½ cup more for rolling
• 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

To prepare the ice cream:

1. Bring the raspberries, sugar and pinch of salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring and pressing down on the berries occasionally until they have released their juices, about 5 minutes. Strain the berry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids. Let the juice cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge to chill.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, vanilla bean seeds, and ¼ teaspoon salt until completely smooth. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the heavy cream in a slow, steady steam, mixing until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and whisk until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Add half of the whipped cream mixture to the sweetened condensed milk mixture and whisk until completely combined. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining whipped cream mixture until no streak remain. Pour into a 9×13” metal pan lined with foil and swirl in dollops of the raspberry mixtures, swirling with a butter knife. Freeze until firm, about 6 hours.

To prepare the cookies:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line three sheet pans with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until cream, about 1 minute. Add 1-3/4 cups of the sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and eat on low speed until just combined. Place the remaining ½ cup of sugar in a small bowl.
2. Form the cookies into 1-1/2 ounce (2 tablespoon) balls. Roll each ball in the sugar and place 8 cookies on each pan. Bake one pan at a time, rotating halfway through baking. Bake until the sides are set and the bottoms are light golden brown 12-14 minutes. Transfer the sheet pan t a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 5 to 10 minutes on the pan, the remove them and let them cool completely on the wire rack. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
3. When the ice cream is frozen and cookies are cooled, use a 2-1/2 inch round cutter to trim our rounds of ice cream and sandwich in between two cookies. Freeze until ready to enjoy!