Making a homemade ice cream sandwich sounds easy, right? What could be so difficult about putting a scoop of ice cream between two cookies and smashing them into the form of a sandwich? Turns out there's a lot of small things to consider in order to get the perfect firmness of ice cream with the toothsome texture of cookie (read: not rock solid). Luckily for us, Cook's Illustrated Senior Editor Lan Lam spent a lot of time in the test kitchen at America's Test Kitchen perfecting a cookie recipe that lays the foundation for the most wonderful homemade ice cream sandwich. She gave the scoop to our Managing Producer Sally Swift and shared the recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Listen to their conversation using the audio player above and read Lan Lam's full Cook's Illustrated article here. All photos: America's Test Kitchen


Lan Lam makes cookie dough for ice cream sandwiches Lan Lam makes cookie dough for ice cream sandwiches. She says her dough gets its rich color (and flavor) from plenty of browned butter, brown sugar, and vanilla.

Shaping cookieds Getting the size and shape of the cookie is key to a perfect ice cream sandwich. Lan tests ways to make the cookies thin and even, including pressing the dough mounds before baking.

Several batches of cookies in trays Lan and team taste the cookies on their own to focus on the texture and flavor of the crumb.

Shaping the ice cream sandwich 1/4-inch thick cookies and 1-inch of ice cream makes for a sandwich that is substantial but not too tall, the perfect 2:1 ratio of ice cream to cookies.

Ice Cream Sandwiches with chocolate chips on the side Adding more chocolate chips on the side of the ice cream sandwich. You can never have too many chocolate chips, right?
Sally Swift
Sally Swift is the managing producer and co-creator of The Splendid Table. Before developing the show, she worked in film, video and television, including stints at Twin Cities Public Television, Paisley Park, and Comic Relief with Billy Crystal. She also survived a stint as segment producer on The Jenny Jones Show.
America's Test Kitchen
The Splendid Table frequently visits with the test cooks at America’s Test Kitchen to discuss a wide range of topics including recipes, ingredients, techniques and kitchen equipment.