Make the Best Ice Cream Sandwich With Frozen Pop Tarts
A good ice cream sandwich should have an attractive but reasonable outer layer (“bread” if you will). It should be dry, fragrant, not too hard and not too absorbent. That’s why cookies are such a good candidate, but I’d like to encourage everyone to think about Pop Tart. It has all the perfect features, including a bonus jam layer, and they come in packs of two because the good folks at Kellogg’s know they taste better paired. Plus, assembling Star Pop-Tart Shortbread Ice Cream is super easy (if you know what you’re doing).
Assembling this ice cream sandwich is as easy as swapping the temperature. That is, freeze pop tarts and thaw ice cream in the refrigerator. The dough and its wonderful gelatinous filling will solidify well in the freezer, so you can maneuver during assembly without accidentally and fatally falling when you break the ice cream. Half-thawed ice cream will be easier to distribute evenly and quickly without having to press too hard on the cake. A scoop of ice cream will also easily stick to an almost frozen pie. When I tried the tester, using one that was at room temperature, the ice cream began to thin and slide off instantly, turning the sandwich into a miniature disaster.
Put the ice cream in the fridge and the tartlets in the freezer about 30 minutes before you are going to use them (or just leave them there because frozen tartlets are better than warm, raw ones). You can thaw ice cream on the counter in a pinch, but you will need to stir it after about 10 minutes to ensure a soft consistency. If you leave it untouched, you risk melting the outer layer and leaving the center frozen. While it’s still delicious, the point is to make it spreadable, and that’s not all.
Remove ice cream from refrigerator and stir. It should move easily without melting too much, something a little more solid than a soft serve. When ready, place a couple of frozen Pop-Tarts on a plate, flat side up and frosting down. (If you’re eating pop tarts without ice, we need to talk.) Place one or two heaping scoops of softened ice cream on one side and spread as wide as possible. There is no need to be perfect. It’s ice cream and you don’t have much time. Press the second portion of pop tarts onto the ice cream and squeeze gently but firmly. This will help push the ice cream out to the edge.
I used the classic strawberry pie with icing and chocolate peanut butter ice cream, but you can use any combination you like. Try a simple combination of cherry and vanilla, or cinnamon sugar and nut butter. Enjoy this frozen dessert immediately after making it, or wrap it in foil and toss in the freezer for later. You can even stock up on a few desserts for emergencies, after all, a box of Pop-Tarts contains eight slices of “bread.”