Crushed cashews or other nuts, for topping (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the Cashew Butter Cookies using the directions here. The recipe should make 24 cookies, though you might want to make them a little smaller since these sandwiches can be very rich! Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely. You can put the cookies on a plate in the freezer to help speed up the process!
Once the cookies are cool, prepare the banana ice cream. I've found that 2 large bananas create enough ice cream to fill about 6 cookie sandwiches, so use that as your guide when deciding how much ice cream to make. If you want to fill all of the cookies you'll probably need about 4 frozen bananas. I only wanted to fill half of of the cookies (so I could have leftover cookies to enjoy, too), so I used 2 frozen bananas, plus 1 tablespoon of organic peanut butter to make the ice cream extra-creamy. To prepare the ice cream, it helps if you cut the bananas into small pieces or coins so that they can break down quickly and evenly in a food processor. (I just used my hands to snap them into manageable chunks.) Place the bananas, and nut butter if using, into a small food processor or blender and add a couple tablespoons of water to help facilitate blending. Blend and scrape down the processor until the bananas have a smooth, ice-cream-like texture. (Add more water if you need to-- I ended up adding a 1/4 cup total.)
To make the ice cream sandwiches, arrange 6 to 12 of the cookies bottom-side-facing-up on a large plate or baking sheet. Add a generous scoop of banana ice cream to each one, then place another cookie on top of the ice cream to create a sandwich. Place the sheet of cookies in the freezer to firm up, at least 1 hour before serving.
For an extra decadent treat, I like to dip half of these cookies in melted dark chocolate and sprinkle them with crushed nuts. To melt the chocolate, simply use a double boiler (I use an oven-safe bowl over my 2-quart saucepan filled with 2 inches of water) and stir until melted. Use a spoon to pour the melted chocolate over the frozen cookies then quickly sprinkle them with crushed nuts before the chocolate hardens. Return each chocolate-coated cookie to a plate lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Serve frozen and enjoy!