Naughty Ice Cream Sandwiches

For an extra special Valentines Day treat, create these decadent and elegant ice cream sandwiches for the one you love. Combining Kahlua-flavored dark chocolate chunk brownies and ice cream spiked with Bailey’s, these aren’t your children’s ice cream sandwiches!

I created this dessert especially for a Four Weeks Magazine article that highlights five proven aphrodisiacs and includes five aphrodisiac recipes. I managed to squeeze three of the five listed aphrodisiacs into this dessert: coffee, dark chocolate, and alcohol; so beware of this one ;-) There are four other recipes featured in the article from some of my favorite foodbloggers. Two that look very promising are a Double Chocolate Tiramisu for Two created by the lovely Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice and a Dark Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Rum Cream Cheese Frosting from Rachel of Coconute & Lime fame. Wow! Read the article here to see the recipes for yourself.

This recipe is far from difficult but it does require a little planning and preparation. For best results (and no stress), prepare the ice cream and bake the brownies the night before, assemble sandwiches in the morning, and serve as a surprise to your sweetheart after a romantic Valentine’s day dinner.

Naughty Ice Cream Sandwiches

Prepare the filling:
½ Gallon of premium vanilla ice cream, softened but not melted
¼ C. Irish Cream liquor (I used Baileys)

1. Line a jellyroll pan with plastic wrap.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the softened ice cream and Irish Cream until well combined.
3. Spread ice cream evenly in the jellyroll pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for several hours or overnight.

Prepare the brownies:
1 full-size box of brownie mix
2 eggs
½ C. oil
¼ C. coffee-flavored liquor (I used Kahlua)
2 T. instant espresso
1 t. vanilla
4 oz. dark chocolate, cut into small chunks

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 18”x13” jellyroll pan then line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, combine Kahlua, instant espresso and vanilla; stir until coffee is dissolved.
3. In a large bowl, combine brownie mix, eggs, oil, and Kahlua mixture; stir together until well combined.
4. Stir in chocolate pieces.
5. Pour mixture into the jellyroll pan and, using a spatula, gently coax the mixture out to the edges of the pan. Once the mixture has been spread as evenly as possible, smooth the top with a spatula.
6. Place pan in a preheated, 350 degree oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
7. When brownies are done to your liking (12 minutes for gooey, 15 for well-done), remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Assemble the sandwiches:
Cut brownies into heart shapes using a cookie cutter. Use a spatula to carefully lift and remove the cut brownies to a separate platter. After all the hearts have been cut, cut the remaining pieces of brownie into bite-size pieces and store in a plastic bag for nibbling later. Wash and dry jelly roll pan then spread the brownie hearts out in a single layer in the pan.
Next, clear a large area on the counter and remove ice cream sheet from freezer. Place the tray of brownies within easy reach. Remove top layer of plastic wrap from ice cream. Working quickly, cut ice cream into shapes using the same cookie cutter you used for the brownies. As soon as you cut a piece of ice cream, quickly remove it by pushing up from the bottom with your fingers. This will get messy. Place the ice cream shape on top of one brownie and cover with another brownie. If desired, repeat this process to create a double decker sandwich. Continue until all brownie pieces have been used up.
Cover pan of sandwiches with plastic wrap and immediately place in the freezer. Scoop remaining bits of ice cream into a plastic container and freeze for later (you can eat it with the extra brownie pieces). After about an hour, the sandwiches can be individually wrapped in plastic if desired.
Ice cream sandwiches can be eaten by hand straight out of the freezer or for a special occasion, mix a little Kahlua with store-bought chocolate syrup, drizzle on a plate and top with the ice cream sandwich. You could even add a dollop of whipped cream!