Vanilla Bean Coffee Sandwich (Printable Version)

Soft coffee-flavored cookies encasing creamy vanilla bean ice cream create a cool, indulgent dessert.

# What You'll Need:

→ Coffee Cookies

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup light brown sugar
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
07 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

10 - 2 cups heavy cream
11 - 1 cup whole milk
12 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
13 - 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped, or 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
14 - Pinch of salt

# How to Prepare:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine milk, sugar, vanilla bean seeds with pod if using, and salt. Warm over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture steams, without boiling. Remove from heat, discard vanilla pod, and let cool to room temperature. Stir in heavy cream.
02 - Transfer the ice cream base to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours until completely cold.
03 - Pour chilled mixture into ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer instructions. Spread churned ice cream in a 9 by 13 inch pan lined with parchment paper to approximately 3/4 inch thickness. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.
04 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, espresso powder, and vanilla extract until well combined.
05 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined without overmixing.
06 - Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, flattening each slightly to form 2.5 inch rounds. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are set but centers remain soft. Cool completely on baking sheets before removing.
07 - Using a round cutter matching cookie diameter, cut out ice cream rounds from the frozen slab.
08 - Place one ice cream round between two cooled coffee cookies and press gently to secure. Return assembled sandwiches to freezer for at least 30 minutes before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The espresso powder in the cookies creates a gentle coffee flavor that doesn't overpower—it whispers rather than shouts.
  • Homemade vanilla bean ice cream tastes nothing like the store version, with those tiny seeds reminding you that real food actually looks like this.
  • They're impressive enough to serve at dinner parties but simple enough that a first-time baker won't panic halfway through.
02 -
  • Room-temperature butter creams properly, but cold ice cream melts too fast during assembly—the temperature contrast matters more than most recipes admit.
  • Vanilla bean paste works just as well as fresh beans if you're budget-conscious, and you'll skip the frustration of scraping a pod that doesn't want to cooperate.
03 -
  • A round cutter that matches your cookie diameter is worth buying—it makes assembly cleaner and faster, and the visual symmetry actually tastes better somehow.
  • Churn the ice cream base overnight in the refrigerator if your schedule allows; cold custard churns to better texture than warm custard.
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