Prepare the Ice Cream Base

1. Mix the Dairy: In a large mixing bowl, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved completely, and the mixture is smooth.
2. Chill the Base: If you’re making this in advance, cover the bowl and refrigerate the ice cream base for at least 1 hour. This step isn’t strictly necessary, but it helps the ice cream freeze faster and more evenly.

Churn the Ice Cream

1. Churn the Mixture: Pour the chilled ice cream base into a container that can go in the freezer. If you have an ice cream maker, pour it in and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to churn until it reaches soft-serve consistency. This should take about 15-20 minutes.
2. Without an Ice Cream Maker: If you don’t have an ice cream maker, no worries! Simply place the mixture into a shallow baking dish or a loaf pan, cover it, and freeze. Every 30 minutes, give the mixture a stir with a fork to break up any ice crystals. After about 4 hours of this, your ice cream will have a wonderful texture.

Add the Cookies

1. Add the Cookies: Once the ice cream has reached a soft-serve consistency (or is mostly frozen if you’re doing it by hand), fold in the crushed chocolate sandwich cookies. Be sure to leave some chunks of cookies for texture. These bites will freeze into the ice cream, giving it the iconic cookies-and-cream swirl.
2. Freeze Until Firm: Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for an additional 4-6 hours, or until it’s firm enough to scoop.