Rocky Road Ice Cream Sandwiches with Chocolate Macarons

These Rocky Road Ice Cream Sandwiches with Chocolate Macarons are crisp, chewy, creamy, and full of classic rocky road flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 46 fluid ounce container Blue Bunny® Rockin’ Rocky Road™ ice cream
• 1 7 ounce container marshmallow creme
• 1 cup chopped almonds
• chocolate macarons
• 187 grams almond flour or almond meal (about 2 cups)
• 212 grams powdered sugar (about 2 1/4 cups)
• 25 grams dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 82 grams egg whites room temperature
• 90 grams egg whites room temperature
• 236 grams granulated sugar (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 158 grams water (about 2/3 cup)

Instructions

1. ice cream rounds
2. The day before you plan to assemble your ice cream sandwich, freeze and cut ice cream rounds. Place a baking sheet in the freezer and set ice cream on counter until it's soft enough to easily scoop.
3. Scoop rounds on frozen baking sheet and smooth with a frosting spatula or butter knife. Place ice cream lined baking sheet back in freezer for 6 hours or until completely firm. 
4. Place another baking sheet in the freezer and using a large biscuit cutter or rim of a round glass cut ice cream rounds and place on frozen baking sheet to freeze until firm and ready to assemble, at least 1 hour.
5. chocolate macarons
6. Prep by measuring all ingredients with the kitchen scale, lining baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper, fitting your piping bag with the round tip, and pre heating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Combine powdered sugar and almond flour in a food processor and pulse into very fine, about 15 times. 
8. Pour into a large bowl, and whisk in cocoa powder and break up any remaining lumps.
9. Make a well in the center of the almond mix and pour the 82 grams of egg whites into the center. Fold until well blended into a thick paste and set aside.
10. Heat granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat with a candy thermometer attached to the side. 
11. Once the temperature reaches 200 degrees Fahrenheit place the remaining 90 grams of egg whites in the stand mixer and whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form, then turn to low speed only to keep the whites moving and prevent them from separating.
12. Continue heating your syrup until it reaches 248 degrees Fahreinheit.
13. As soon as the syrup reaches 248 degrees, increase the mixer speed to medium and begin slowly pouring the syrup down the side of the mixing bowl until thoroughly combined then increase the speed to medium high and whisk sugar and egg whites together until glossy and stiff peaks form. 
14. Once your Italian meringue has reached stiff peaks, gently fold into the almond/powdered sugar paste in thirds, until completely smooth and thick ribbons run off your spatula.
15. Place prepped piping bag in a large glass to hold it upright and transfer batter into the piping bag.
16. Holding the piping bag directly above the prepped baking sheet, pipe 1 1/2" rounds about 1" apart. Once all the rounds are piped, give the sheet a couple good whacks on the counter to help release any air bubbles, then allow them to rest at room temperature until a skin has formed. This depends on the humidity of your kitchen and how large your cookies are amongst other factors, but it's usually around 15-30 minutes. You know they're ready when you can touch them and no batter sticks to your finger.
17. Once the skin has formed, place macarons in the middle rack of the oven, reduce heat to 325 degrees, and bake for 10-12 minutes.
18. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet 3-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
19. Repeat the same steps until all the batter is gone, increasing the oven back to 350 degrees and allowing the skin to form on all batches.
20. rocky road ice cream sandwiches
21. Once completely cool and ready to assemble, smooth marshmallow crème over one (or both) macaron cookies and place a frozen ice cream round in the middle before topping with other macaron to form a sandwich. 
22. Roll in chopped almonds and place a dab of marshmallow crème on the top of the sandwich and add more chopped almonds (optional). 
23. Place assembled rocky road ice cream sandwiches on pre-frozen baking sheet and return to the freezer until completely set, at least 1 hour. Either serve or wrap in plastic wrap, or parchment and store in freezer.

Recipe Adapted From onearmedmama.com

Recipe Notes

chocolate macaron recipe adapted from French macaron recipe by Post Little Designs