Monday, June 2, 2014

Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches #PumpkinCan

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of LIBBY’S Pumpkin. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love making dishes that make you think of something else. Like bread that evokes pizza. Or these ice cream sandwiches that are designed to remind you of a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich and a glass of milk. But fresher, thanks to the fresh strawberries.

The cookies that make the sandwich aren't your usual peanut butter cookie. Nope. These are eggless and they include whole wheat flour for a little bit of texture and to make them a little healthier at the same time.

And ... the secret ingredient is ... pumpkin! It adds a very subtle flavor and it keeps these cookies moist. They're perfect for ice cream sandwiches. The Libby's #PumpkinCan site has all kinds of suggestions for using pumpkin in creative ways, or for replacing other ingredients like eggs or fat.

I made these cookies  relatively small, so they're a perfect bite-size dessert or a little snack.

I started with a 15-ounce can of pumpkin  (which has 3 1/2 half-cup servings) so there was plenty of pumpkin goodness left over for other recipes. If you don't have an immediate need for the pumpkin, portion it and freeze it!

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies for 18 ice cream sandwiches

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup LIBBY’S 100% Pure Pumpkin (from a 15-ounce can)
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour

Combine the butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Or you can use a large bowl and an electric hand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy.

Add the pumpkin puree and the peanut butter and beat until well combined.

Blend in the all-purpose and whole wheat flours.

Refrigerate the dough for a minimum of two hours - but longer is better. I'd suggest making the dough the day before you want to bake. Or, make the dough in the the morning and bake in the evening.

When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Use a small scoop or spoon to portion the dough - I ended up with 3 dozen small cookies, but if you prefer larger cookies, that's fine too; you might need to adjust the cooking time.

Arrange the cookies on baking sheets - 12 per sheet is an easy fit.  Use a fork to flatten the cookies and make a crosshatch pattern on the top.

Bake the cookies at 375 degrees for 12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly browned. If you remove the cookies at this point, they'll be soft when they're cooled. You can bake them another minute, until they're a little darker round on the edges and the cookies will be slightly more crisp.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet - they're soft and likely to break when they're warm, but they firm up when cool. Let them cool completely on a rack before assembling the ice cream cookies.

PB&S Ice Cream Sandwiches

Fresh Strawberries
Ice cream
Peanut butter cookies

How much filling you're going to need depends on how much filling you want, and how big your cookies are. I used about 1/2 of a strawberry per cookie.

Dice the strawberries and mix with an equal amount of ice cream - I used vanilla, but feel free to choose any compatible flavor. If the ice cream mixture is too soft after adding the berries, or it seems likely to melt, place it in the freezer to firm up.

Place a small scoop of ice cream on the bottom of one cookie, and place another cookie on top to make an ice cream sandwich. Serve immediately, or wrap and freeze for later serving.

Want more pumpkin in your life? Check out LIBBY’S Pumpkin on Facebook or follow LIBBY’S Pumpkin on Twitter or LIBBY’S Pumpkin on Pinterest. Because pumpkin isn't just for fall.

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