Ina Garten Puts A Caffeinated Spin On Her Ice Cream Sandwiches

How do you know it's hot? When even the Barefoot Contessa agrees it's too hot to cook! Ina Garten shared her list of recipes that are perfect for days when you wouldn't even consider turning on the oven, and we're in love, particularly with her dessert. Of course, like all things Ina, her recipes are complex and beautifully balanced, even if they're no-bake.

Garten's dessert recipe is for chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches, made with store-bought cookies, ice cream, or gelato, and delightfully satisfying toffee chips around the edges. Since you don't have to bake the cookies or churn the ice cream, this dessert is an easy one to throw together, either for a crowd or even for a single delectable treat for one. How good is Ina's summertime dessert recipe? Kitchn declares it "the only thing you need to make today." And, if chocolate chip cookies and ice cream weren't enough to convince you, the best part of this recipe is Ina's caffeinated take on it.

Ina Garten chooses coffee chocolate chip ice cream to fill her sandwiches, giving her dessert additional depth of flavor. She mentions Talenti gelato, but any coffee ice cream or gelato will work. While we love Garten's no-bake take for summertime, you could also try a completely DIY version of this dessert.

Making your own gelato at home isn't as hard as you might think, and we just happen to have a fantastic recipe for coffee gelato. Once you've made your filling, it's time to go to work on the cookies. Chocolate chip cookies come in all kinds of variations, from soft and chewy to delicate and crisp. You can customize your ice cream sandwiches by choosing your favorite style of cookies from our list of the very best chocolate chip cookie recipes. One great aspect of Ina's recipe is that it's a perfect make-ahead option since you can tightly wrap your ice cream sandwiches and keep them in the freezer until you're ready for dessert.