Peach Bourbon Ice Cream Sandwiches with Lemon Cornbread Cookies {vegan/gf}
/How can this be the first time I’ve ever made ice cream sandwiches?
I love cookies.
I love ice cream.
This makes no sense.
I decided it was finally time.
It started last week with the lemon cornbread cookies but it took awhile to decide on the ice cream flavor. I wanted the ice cream to have a kick of summer so peaches seemed like the right choice. I’m also now thinking cherries would be excellent with the lemon cookies as well.
I wanted to bring out the sweetness and flavor in the peaches even more, so naturally, I grilled them.
And then it seemed only right to liven up this ice cream with a little booze. Bourbon to be exact. The kick of flavor isn’t the only reason to add a little booze, though. The alcohol will keep the ice cream soft and creamy after you freeze it. No ice crystals or rock hard ice cream here! Nope! The very low freezing point of liquor helps prevent the ice cream from freezing into a brick. This means you don’t have to wait for it to defrost. Just scoop + eat.
Look at those peach flecks!!!
If for some [crazy] reason you’re not going to make the Lemon Cornbread Cookies I still highly recommend making this ice cream. It’s not quite as heavy as most coconut milk vegan ice creams because it uses just 1 can of coconut milk and a LOT of peaches. This helps to lighten things up while still resulting in an ultra creamy texture.
I’m not sure what the typical method for wrapping ice cream sandwiches is but what you see below worked perfectly. I tore pieces of parchment, rolled the sandwich on its edge, and twisted the ends.
I’m pretty sure our freezer is going to have ice cream sandwiches stocked at all times.
And these are mini-sized so it’s totally justifiable.
It’s like taking a bite right into summer.
Peach Bourbon Ice Cream Sandwiches with Lemon Cornbread Cookies
gluten-free, vegan // yields
- 5-6 medium peaches, ripe
- high-heat oil + muscovado sugar for grilling
- 1, 13.5oz can full-fat coconut milk
- 1/3 cup brown rice syrup, or coconut nectar or honey
- 2-4 tablespoons muscovado sugar, or sucanat/coconut sugar/pure cane sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons bourbon, source gluten-free bourbon if needed
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 batch Lemon Cornbread Cookies
Freeze your ice cream bowl according to your manufacturer’s specifications.
Preheat your grill to 400* F. Cut 5 peaches in half or slice in large pieces and discard pits. Lightly brush with oil and sprinkle the cut sides with muscovado sugar.
Grease your grill grates and grill the peaches until deep grill marks appear. About 3-5 minutes. Flip and grill for another 3-5 minutes. Place on a plate and let fully cool in the fridge.
Place the peaches, coconut milk, brown rice syrup, 2 tablespoons muscovado sugar, 2 tablespoons bourbon, and 2 teaspoons vanilla in a high powered blender. Blend until smooth. Taste the mixture and add more sugar or bourbon if desired. If it’s not peachy enough for your liking slice a 6th peach and blend that in as well [it’s fine that it wasn’t grilled]. Blend again until smooth.
Pour into a large sealable bag and squeeze excess air out. Submerge in an ice bath until fully chilled. Or, pour into a bowl and place in the fridge until fully chilled. Once chilled, pour into your ice cream maker and churn until the ice cream collects on the sides and blade and resembles a thick, soft serve texture. [Refer to manual for appx. time.]
Scoop into a freezer safe container and pack down. Place plastic wrap or parchment directly on top of the ice cream, close with a lid, and freeze for about 3-4 hours. Place cookies in the freezer on a baking sheet for 1 hour before preparing [not mandatory but helpful to firm them up a bit].
Tear pieces of parchment for each cookie sandwich you’re going to make [or wax paper]. Scoop about 1/4 cup onto each cookie, place the other cookie on top, then lightly squeeze. Scrape excess with a small spatula around the edges. Place the sandwich on it’s side at one end of the parchment, roll up, then twist the ends together. Place in the freezer. Repeat with remaining cookies. Freeze for a few hours [or longer] before serving. Eat within 2-3 weeks.
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Notes: If you want the peach and bourbon to stand out more with the lemon cookies be sure to pack in as much ice cream as you can. You can also cut down the lemon zest in the cookies by half. I used 2 tablespoons bourbon in this ice cream and it did harden some in the freezer but was still immediately scoopable. Adding 1 more tablespoon would soften the ice cream a bit more and add more bourbon flavor.
Currently thinking of a plan to make summer last forever. Idea #1: Keep these in the freezer all year long.
Ashley
