The BEST ice cream sandwiches in the world

This ice cream sandwich recipe came by a 'test kitchen' method.  I was catering a wedding last September in which the bride and groom wanted a dessert buffet instead of a cake.  They were foodies from L.A. and had fantastic taste, so I knew I had to come up with something special.  I started with Barbara Bush's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.  It was good, but needed some depth.  My dear foodie test-kitchen friend Barbe Cervantes told me to add graham cracker crumbs.  The second change came from a recipe I love for peanut butter shortbread cookies which sautees the oats in butter until toasted.  I combined the different ingredients and came up with a thin, crispy, salty-sweet delight!  I bake them in different sizes depending on who my guests are.  For the wedding, I used a tablespoon measure, to create a small sandwich that could be eaten in two bites.  I use a small ice cream scoop to measure the dough for larger cookies.  In our house, we  love to have frozen cookie dough ready to bake any time, or just eat.  I double this recipe, make the balls and freeze half of them.  I named these sandwiches after the couple who inspired them, the DeSotos~

The DeSoto Sandwich

1 1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups quick cooking rolled oats

2 tsp vanilla

1, 12 ounce bag mini chocolate chips

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Sautee oats in 1/4 cup butter until toasted

3. In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugars

4. In another bowl, sift flour, soda, and salt. add graham cracker crumbs then stir into butter mixture

5.Add oats, vanilla, and chocolate chips

6. Mix together well and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour

7. Drop by spoonful size of your choice onto ungreased cookie sheet.

8. Bake for 10 minutes

Let cookies cool.  Freeze for 1 hour. 

Set ice cream out at room temperature for 15 minutes, then scoop into frozen cookies, sandwich them together, and freeze on cookie sheet until firm.  Store in the freezer in an air tight container for up to 1 week.