Gingerbread & Spiced Pear Ice Cream Sandwiches
These ice cream sandwiches are the just the thing for those in-between summer and fall days. Chewy gingerbread cookies pair perfectly with the creaminess and slight tartness of my Spiced Pear ice cream. I love using Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for Molasses Spice Cookies because they’re sturdy enough to stand up to the richness of the ice cream, yet still soft, chewy, and not too sweet, with just the right amount of warming spices. A dash of freshly ground black pepper is the secret that gives these cookies a little heat.
INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 (313 g) cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
Pinch (small or not so small) of cracked or coarsely ground black pepper
12 tbsp (170 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (169 g) molasses (not blackstrap)
1 large egg
about 1/2 cup (125 g) raw sugar for rolling
Spiced Pear ice cream
DIRECTIONS:
To make the cookies, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and pepper. Set aside.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat for 2 minutes or so to blend, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg and beat for 1 minute more. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing until the flour and spices disappear. If some flour remains in the bottom of the bowl, to avoid overbeating the dough, mix in the last of the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula. You’ll have a smooth, very soft dough.
Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Freeze for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for at least an hour. The dough can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.
When you’re ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
Put the raw sugar in a small bowl. Working with one packet of dough at a time, divide it into 12 pieces, and roll each piece into a smooth ball between your palms. One by one, roll the balls around in the bowl of sugar, then place them on one of the baking sheets.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12-14 minutes, or until the tops feel set to the touch. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, if the cookies have spread and are touching, use the edge of a metal spatula to separate them while they are still hot. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to room temperature. Make sure the cookies are cooled completely before assembling the sandwiches.
ASSEMBLY:
Remove the Spiced Pear ice cream from the freezer, and allow to soften slightly for a few minutes. Scoop a generous helping of ice cream onto the bottoms of half of the cookies. Use a large spoon to gently spread the ice cream so the cookie is evenly covered. Sandwich together with the other cookies, pressing down lightly.
Store the assembled ice cream sandwiches in the freezer until time to serve.