![Illustrations and how to photos for the baking central column for ice cream sandwiches. ] STAR TRIBUNE/TOM WALLACE Assignments #20029919A July 18, 2013 SLUG & MAGIC SAXO#: 483597 BAKING072513 Ice cream sandwiches already are great -- but you can make them even better by customizing them with a wide choice of ice creams and an intensely chocolately cookie. Individually wrapped, they turn your freezer into a treasure chest for days at a time.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/HFYGN5IU3ELLFHX7T36YKLSIBE.jpg?&w=1080)
We know. Ice cream sandwiches are right there in your grocer's freezer case. Why would you fuss and make your own?
Well, for the reasons that anyone bakes: The wafers are fresher. The fillings can be customized to your taste. Mostly, though, there's an undeniable satisfaction in baking from scratch. It shows you care and, in the case of ice cream sandwiches, that you're literally cool.
The trick is getting the ice cream between the wafers without becoming a melty mess. A tour of the Internet reveals various strategies — cutting and filling, filling and freezing, stacking and cutting, glopping and dripping. Thanks to a series of experiments (you're welcome), we think we have the process down cold.
The key is planning ahead.
The first step is transferring a carton (1.5 quarts) of your choice of ice cream into a 9- by 9-inch pan lined with parchment paper, spreading it into an even layer, then letting the ice cream freeze solid once again. Give it 24 hours. Also, premium ice creams freeze harder than other ice creams.
Now, a word about the chocolate wafers themselves: We're purists here; no using actual cookies and squishing them around a scoop of ice cream. The chocolate wafer — like a thin brownie — is integral to this treat. It must be firm enough to handle, yet soft enough that it yields to a bite without oozing ice cream.
We made two large wafer squares, then made a sort of giant ice cream sandwich that we then cut into shapes. We made nine (3-inch) Klondike-like sandwiches, but you also can cut rectangular, or even triangular, shapes.
Whatever you do, immediately wrap each sandwich individually in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for another couple of hours before serving. This melds the sandwich together and lets the wafer soften just a bit.
