GlutenFree DairyFree Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich

It's a hot summer day, you worked all day in the garden and you have worn out your limbs to a point of exhaustion. The sun has beamed on you all day and your body is warm with it's after rays. How about a treat for a long summer day's hard work!  I just made this treat today because it has been something I have been dreaming up for a while, but then after all the warm weather we have been getting it was a nice treat after a day in the sun. It truly is decadent and mouth watering. I will say that I was a bit worried if the cookies would hold up to the ice cream... and they did and it was perfect. Hm, so here you go... a summer treat that is dressed to impress. 

Cookies recipe:

1 16oz jar of raw unsalted cashew butter

2 organic cage free eggs

2 ts. of baking powder

1 1/2 cup of unrefined dehydrated cane juice sugar (sucanat) or other sweetener. If you use agave nectar you may need a few TB of a gluten-free flour to tighten up the batter.

3/4 cup of allergen-free dark chocolate chips (add in last)

Mix all the ingredients together and don't be worried if the batter is a bit more gooey than what you are used to in a cookies recipe because they will back up just fine. Use a table spoon to spoon onto a parchment-papered cookie sheet. 

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes or until it is crispy brown on the edges and the center looks cooked. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before taking a spatula too them. They work best when they are cooled and not warm enough to crumble. Then you can continue to let cool on a cooling rack or paper towel. This cookie recipe makes about 24 medium sized cookies. So 2 batches in the oven. 

The cookies are really great gluten-free dairy-free cookie treat by itself. I have tried all kinds of nut butters and they all have a unique taste, remember using the raw form of the nut butter is best for these cookies because the oils help the batter mix better and bake up better. This is also a great cookie for someone who is trying to avoid all grains, and if you want to avoid eggs, try using an egg substitute for 2 eggs and I am sure it will come up just fine.  Enjoy. But wait... the ice cream is the best part...

Coconut Ice Cream Filling:

3 frozen banana chopped in chunks

1 can of full fat coconut milk

1 TB of agave nectar sweetener

1 TB of pure vanilla extract

Blend all the ingredients in your food processor or blender.

Blend until whipped up (minute at the most) and then pour into a bowl and stick in the freezer until chilled enough (15-20 minutes) that you can spoon out a dollop of cream to put on top of the shortcake. Or you can place all the ingredients in an ice cream maker (link to my ice cream maker) and follow the directions to make a quick 20 minute ice cream and when finished you can use as the topping. That is what I used, but both work fine. It is going to taste good either way, so  be flexible with if you want it more runny or solid. 

If you want the cookies to be stiff when you are putting the ice cream between them, then freeze the cookies for about 10-15 minutes until totally stiff. Then put a scoop of ice cream between two cookies, and viola you have a cookie ice cream sandwich that is gluten-free and dairy-free. You could share this with friends as an impressive dessert you could make up 12 of these cookies with this recipe and then put them in a container in the freezer and pull them out when you are ready to serve. They are a delicious summer desert that cannot be avoided. You must try these and trust me you will be sharing them, and you will be making them again. The flavors of the cashews and the coconut are really rich, but not too much that you don't want to finish the whole thing and then lick your fingers for anything you might have missed. 

Enjoy...  and celebrate life and health today!