Lemon Blueberry Ice Cream Bars

As summer comes to a close and fall is right around the corner, I wanted to be sure to post this summer treat. I made these little guys to take on our vacation at the end of August. They’re a great refreshing treat that will cool you down after being out in the sun all day. Everyone really enjoyed these and no one guessed that I made them dairy free so I could enjoy them too!

The recipe says to only put the blueberry compote on top of the ice cream, but I decided to put it on both sides of the ice cream and swirl it in. I’m glad I did. I love the look of the blueberry swirls!

I’ll definitely be making these again next summer and plan to try a variety of flavor combinations. Tons of other fruits go with lemon and I’d even like to try different ice cream flavors as well. I would love to make them with a raspberry or strawberry compote and cheesecake flavored ice cream. One note though, when I make these again, I think I’d decrease the amount of ice cream in the bars. They are pretty thick, as you can see in the photos, and it’s hard to bite all the way through a bar at once (if you notice though, the pictures on Gourmet don’t make them look very thick…).

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Lemon Ice Cream Sandwich Bars

Yield: 8 bars

Ingredients:

For Lemon Ice Cream
2 pints premium vanilla ice cream
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

For Blueberry Compote
2 cups blueberries (10 ounces)
1/4 cup sugar
2 (3- by 21/2-inch) strips lemon zest
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch

For Sandwich Layers
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (4 oz or 8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Make Lemon Ice Cream
Transfer ice cream to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 30 percent power in 10-second intervals, stirring, until softened, about 50 seconds total.

Stir in lemon zest and juice. Spread ice cream thinly in a 13- by 9-inch baking dish and freeze while making compote and sandwich layers.

Make Blueberry Compote
Cook blueberries, sugar, and zest in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, thoroughly crushing blueberries with a potato masher, until juices are released and sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.

Stir together lemon juice and cornstarch, then stir into blueberry mixture. Boil, stirring, 1 minute (mixture will thicken).

Transfer blueberry compote to a bowl and chill until cold, about 1 hour. Discard lemon zest.

Make Sandwich Layers while Compote Chills
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter baking pans and line with foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on each side, then butter foil.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat together butter and brown sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. At low speed, add flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing until just combined.

Divide batter between baking pans and spread into thin, even layers with offset spatula. Bake until golden-brown but still tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely in pans, about 30 minutes.

Assemble Sandwiches
Dollop tablespoons of blueberry compote all over ice cream, then swirl it gently through ice cream with a spoon. Spoon all of ice cream over 1 sandwich layer (in pan) and spread evenly using clean offset spatula (I dropped spoonfuls of the blueberry compote on the bottom cookie, then topped with all of the ice cream, then the rest of the compote on top of the ice cream. I then took a knife and swirled the blueberry compote and ice cream together). Invert second sandwich layer over ice cream, pressing gently to form an even sandwich. Wrap baking pan in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.

Transfer sandwich to a cutting board using overhang. Trim edges if desired, then cut into 8 pieces.

Recipe from Gourmet

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9 Responses to “Mustard Maple Brussels Sprouts”

  1. #
    1
    Shannon — November 20, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    ooh, i love a good brussels recipe, this one is definitely going on the top of my to-try list! and i’m totally with you on pomegranate seeds 🙂

    • beantownbaker — November 24th, 2013 @ 6:05 pm

      Are pom seeds the best.

  2. #
    2
    Ginny — November 21, 2013 at 4:59 am

    I will definitely try these. But that’s not why I wrote. I wanted to tell you that I’m proud of you for taking off time to be with your family. It may or may not have been a difficult decision. That doesn’t matter – It was the right thing to do. While you didn’t ask my permission, you didn’t need to. You have my unmitigated support.

    Now go enjoy. Just remember to put your feet up now and then and if anyone volunteers, accept their offer without guilt. It will not only give you a break, you will likely have the perfect chance to bond with (and love) your helpers.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    • beantownbaker — November 24th, 2013 @ 6:09 pm

      Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving to you!

  3. #
    3
    Liz — November 21, 2013 at 10:51 am

    Nice recipe. Thank you. Enjoy your time off and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.

  4. #
    4
    Athena @ Fitness & Feta — November 21, 2013 at 10:55 am

    Love pomegranates, and I love Brussels Sprouts, so I can’t wait to try this recipe. My boyfriend doesn’t have the same love affair with Brussels Sprouts as I do, but I’m hoping this will help change his mind. Thanks!

    • beantownbaker — November 24th, 2013 @ 6:11 pm

      This is definitely a recipe that could change the tune of a non-brussels-sprouts lover. Let me know how it goes.

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    5
    Charles Berger — November 29, 2013 at 2:17 pm

    It looks fantastic! thanks a lot for sharing the recipe

    • beantownbaker — December 1st, 2013 @ 6:49 pm

      It’s really quite tasty. Let me know if you try it out!

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