Peanut Butter Waffle and Jelly Ice Cream Sandwiches
Peanut butter waffles and strawberry ice cream come together to create these Peanut Butter Waffle and Jelly Ice Cream Sandwiches. They make the perfect summer dessert recipe.
Begin by making your strawberry jam. (Please note, you will only use one cup of jam for the ice cream sandwiches. My recipe makes 3-4 cups. Feel free to halve the jam recipe or use your favorite store-bought strawberry jam.)
In a saucepan, combine the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice and cook over low heat for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Add the strawberries and continue to cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Heat to a boil. Continue cooking until a small amount of the juice gels on a very cold plate. Pour the jam into a jar. Cover and refrigerate until cool.
Once the jam is cold, you'll want to incorporate a cup of it into your vanilla ice cream. Begin by lining a 13x9 cake pan with plastic wrap. Set aside.
Remove your ice cream from the freezer and allow it to soften slightly. (Let it melt only enough so that you can stir it a bit. Do not let it melt completely). Stir one cup of the cooled strawberry jam into the ice cream so that the two are roughly combined. (You do not need to fully mix the jam into the ice cream. Simply stir the ice cream enough so that the jam is evenly distributed and looks swirled).
Use a spatula to put the ice cream into the prepared cake pan. Smooth the top and re-freeze until firm.
In the meantime, prepare your waffles. I used a mini waffle iron, but use whatever kind you have. (You can quarter a large waffle if needed). Begin by preheating your waffle iron.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the peanut butter, sugar, eggs, melted butter, and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until just combined. Finally, fold in the peanut butter chips.
Prepare your waffle iron with cooking spray. Add batter so that the iron is about 2/3 full. Cook until the waffle is golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter. Allow all of the waffles to thoroughly cool.
Remove the jam swirled ice cream from the freezer. Cut the ice cream with a knife or cookie cutter to fit your prepared waffles. Layer between two waffles. Enjoy immediately or return to the freezer in an airtight container until you're ready to serve.