Minty Ice Cream Shamrocks
These Minty Ice Cream Shamrocks are a festive St. Patrick’s Day dessert made with soft chocolate cookies sandwiched around creamy mint chocolate chip ice cream. The playful shamrock shape and refreshing chocolate-mint flavor make them perfect for holiday dessert tables, family gatherings, or a fun baking project with kids.
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- hand mixer or wooden spoon
- Rolling Pin
- 3-inch shamrock cookie cutter
- baking sheets
- parchment paper
- wire cooling rack
- plastic wrap
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tsp milk
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2–2 cups mint chocolate chip ice cream, softened
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until a soft dough forms.
- Divide the dough into two portions and flatten each into a disc. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour until firm enough to roll.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8–1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes using a floured 3-inch shamrock cookie cutter and place them 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake for 7–10 minutes or until the cookies are set. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Spread about 1/4 to 1/3 cup softened mint chocolate chip ice cream on the bottom of one cookie and top with another to form a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies, wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap, and freeze until firm for several hours or overnight.
Notes
Chill the dough well before rolling so the cookies hold their shape. If the dough becomes sticky while rolling, refrigerate it again for about 10 minutes. Use slightly softened ice cream so it spreads easily between cookies. After assembling the sandwiches, wrap them individually and freeze immediately so the ice cream keeps its shape. For a festive finish, roll the ice cream edges in mini chocolate chips, green sprinkles, or crushed chocolate sandwich cookies.