Cookies ‘n Cream Ice Cream Cupcakes

I made these Cookies ‘n Cream Ice Cream Cupcakes with Oreo cookies but they can be made with whatever cookies you choose.

Cookies ‘n Cream Ice Cream Cupcakes are so very easy to put together – and you’re going to make every Ice Cream Lover in your life very happy!  (I can’t wait to make these with my grandchildren – speaking of Ice Cream Lovers.)

The east coast of the United States is bracing for a BIG snow storm, arriving here in Massachusetts in a few hours.  I plan to take advantage of being socked in by working on a few new recipes!  I’ve been attempting to perfect a recipe I’m calling Shake, Pour and Bake Pizza Crust.  I’ve prepared it twice so far and the crust is almost right.  Another one or two tweaks and I think I’ll have the results I’m looking for.  In the meantime, both myself and my neighbors are enjoying the results of my ‘pizza crust experiments’.  ; o )

Here’s photos of the two Shake, Pour and Bake Pizzas I’ve prepared so far.  On the left – black and green olives topped with 5-cheese Italian mix.  The 2nd – a Margherita pizza with slices of fresh mozzarella and Parmesan.  (Didn’t have any basil leaves – sprinkled on a bit of fresh Italian parsley.)

Here’s how to put-together today’s recipe – Cookies ‘n Cream Ice Cream Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

• 1  (1.5 quart container ice cream  (Don’t they sell ‘gallons’ anymore?? )    ++  I used French Vanilla
• 3 Tbs. chocolate syrup     ++  Optional 
• 2  (7.5 oz)  containers chocolate shell topping  ++ There’ll be some left over.
• 3/4 cup Oreo cookies, broken into small pieces   ++  You can use any cookie you chose

METHOD         Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners

First Layer – Half the ice cream 

Cut the ice cream in half.  Place HALF in a medium bowl.  (Return the rest of the ice cream to the freezer.)  Optional – add 3 Tbs. chocolate syrup and mix to combine.  Drop  1 1/2 Tbs. into each section of the cupcake pan.  ++ Don’t forget to line with paper liners.   ++  Allow ice cream to soften just a bit – it makes it easier to fill the sections.  Freeze ice cream cupcakes for at least 30 minutes.

Second Layer – Warmed chocolate shell topping

Place VERY HOT water in a small bowl.  Stand the 7.5 oz container of chocolate shell topping in the hot water for about 4 minutes.  Squeeze chocolate shell topping over each ice cream cupcake until you have a layer of chocolate topping.  Freeze for at least 30 minutes.  ++  I didn’t warm the chocolate shell topping for this layer – it didn’t spread out very well, as you can see in the photo below.

Third Layer – 1/4 of the rest of the ice cream and 3/4 cup broken up cookies

Briefly chop 6 Oreo cookies in a food processo.  Or – put 6 Oreo cookies in a small baggy and ‘smack up’ up the cookies to break them into small pieces.  You should have about 3/4 cup small cookie bits.   ++  You don’t want ‘cookie dust’, so don’t over do it.

Take out the remaining ice cream.  Remove half the ice cream… in other words,  you only need 1/4 of the 1.5 quart container for this layer. Place ice cream in a bowl, mix in 3/4 cup cookie bits.  Again, the softer the ice cream, the easier it will be to fill each section.  You should have enough for 1 Tbs. in each section.  Smooth ice cream a bit using a spoon. Freeze for at least another 30 minutes.

Fourth and Final Layer – Warmed chocolate shell topping and 1/2 a cookie

—  About 5 minutes before you you’re ready to remove ice cream cupcakes for their final layer, place the 2nd container of chocolate shell topping in a bowl with HOT water.  And – cut 6 Oreo cookies in half to use as a garnish.  ++  The best way to avoid breaking the cookies is to cut straight down with a sharp knife.  I went through LOTS of cookies until I figured that out!

Squeeze warmed chocolate shell topping onto each ice cream cupcake – use enough to cover the layer below .  Gently push a cookie half into the middle of each ice cream cupcake.  Freeze for about an hour.

++  Squeeze the warmed chocolate topping onto only one ice cream cupcake at a time, then gently push in a cookie half.  Otherwise, the chocolate shell on the ice cream cupcakes will be hardened by the time you do the rest.  Guess how I learned that??

Enjoy!!

++  Adapted from Good Housekeeping – June 2015