Ice Cream Bars - total time 1.5 hours

After Lindsay at Pinch of Yum posted her Oreo Fudge Ice Cream Bars, I knew I had to make something similar because these are perfect for summer.  So I made these for my step brother's 30th birthday!  

Lindsay used and Oreo crust and made fudge sauce.  Now I'm not a big fan of Oreos... actually I don't like them at all unless their in something... and even then.  But I'm a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies!  So I used that as my base and dark chocolate ganache as my barrier between the melty ice cream and chewy cookie.

Although cookies and ice cream have really always gone together (ice cream sandwiches!)... it wasn't until I had my first BJ's Brewhouse Pizookie that I became obsessed with this combination (okay, maybe obsessed is a strong word).  So now I make my own quick pizookies at home when we have cookies and gelato on hand (which is pretty much always) by heating up the cookie for 15 seconds in the microwave.  Makes such a big difference!  (Note to self: stop making cookies and buying gelato, you can't help yourself.)

So back to these ice cream bars... sooo good!  Although you can't heat the cookie and ganache to make that warm and cold pizookie combo, this is still just as delicious.  The cookie is just a little under baked so is still tastes a little like cookie dough.  The dark chocolate provides a rich crunch.  And the ice cream is cool and creamy.  You could eat these bars by just biting into them... or... the less messy way (based on experience doing both), with a plate and fork.  
1.75 quarts of ice cream (your choice)
12 oz dark chocolate
.5 cup cream, warm

Cookie
1 cup butter
.75 cup sugar
.25 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
pinch of salt
1 tbsp baking soda
2 eggs
2 cup flour
8 oz dark chocolate chips

1.  Beat butter in mixer, then add in sugar.  Add vanilla, salt, and baking soda.  Mix in eggs.
2.  Mix in .5 cup of flour at a time until completely combined.  Hand mix in chocolate chips.
3.  Cover pan with parchment paper.  Spread cookie dough over bottom of pan, then bake for 15 minutes.  Let cool.
4.  Warm cream, pour over chocolate chips, and whisk together.  Pour over cookie and spread evenly.  Cool cookie and ganache in refrigerator.
5.  Set ice cream out to soften.  Spread ice cream over cookie and ganache.  Place in freezer for 20 minutes to re-freeze the ice cream.
6.  Cut ice cream into bars and wrap seperately with parchment paper.  Keep in freezer until it is time to enjoy!