The Ice Cream Sandwich That You'll Want Even When It's Cold
Spiced maple-roasted pear ice cream + ginger cookie sandwiches. (Photo: Betty Liu/Food52)
The holidays are just around the corner, and that usually means I’m running around to stores doing my gift shopping, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over ribbons and wrapping paper, menu planning for holiday dinners, and coming up with more-than-I-have-time-for holiday-themed recipe ideas to test and develop for all the Friendsgivings and holiday potlucks.
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I’m more of a side dishes and desserts kind of girl, so during this time of year, I’m usually in my kitchen with sweets and casseroles swimming around in my head. These ginger molasses cookie ice cream sandwiches speak to fall and the holidays (not to mention me!) without doing so obviously.
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Coating a cookie in sugar is always a good idea. (Photo: Betty Liu/Food52)
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I’m actually not much of a cookie baker, but ginger molasses cookies are ones I’ve been making since I was in college! And this recipe is very forgiving, one that can be customized to whatever you like. I’ve played around with different types of sugars, but I found that brown sugar with molasses produces the softest, crackly-topped ginger cookie that I love. I roll them in coarse turbinado sugar to give them an extra crunchy coating.
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We would eat these plain too. (Photo: Betty Liu/Food52)
Ripe pears are roasted with maple syrup and then incorporated into a spiced ice cream base. Cinnamon, star anise, and cloves are infused in the cream and milk base so that their flavors permeate the ice cream without there being chunks of spices.
Related: 5 Common Homemade Ice Cream Issues (& How to Fix Them)
Pears and ginger cookies make a good couple. (Photo: Betty Liu/Food52)
I then sandwich the spiced-pear ice cream between two of the pillow-soft ginger molasses cookies. And the best part of this recipe is that these can be made beforehand—simply wrap each one up in cling wrap and then put them in the freezer. The moist nature of the cookies will keep them soft with minimal thawing. When you’re ready to eat, simply unwrap and serve!
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Holidazed ice cream sandwiches. (Photos: Betty Liu/Food52)
Spiced Maple-Roasted Pear Ice Cream + Ginger Cookie Sandwiches
Ginger molasses cookies adapted slightly from Epicurious
Serves 12
For the spiced maple-roasted pear ice cream:
4 ripe Bartlett pears
¼ scant cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cinnamon stick
1 petal star anise
2 whole cloves
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 egg yolks
For the ginger molasses cookies:
½ cup butter (1 stick), melted
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup molasses
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
Coarse sugar for rolling
Preheat oven to 375°F. Peel and core pears, then chop them to about ½-inch thick pieces. Brush with the lemon juice. Place the pears on an aluminum foil-lined baking pan and drizzle with maple syrup.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until soft and fork-tender. Puree until smooth. Let cool.
Heat milk, heavy cream, and spices until the mixture beings to simmer, without letting it come to a boil. Remove from heat. Cover and steep for at least 20 minutes.
Whisk yolks and sugar until pale yellow and thick. Gently stream in milk mixture, whisking constantly after each addition.
Pour mixture back into a saucepan. Heat until custard is thick - it should coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Strain custard through a sieve and into a bowl. Gently fold in pear puree. Press a sheet of cling wrap across the surface, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Pour into ice cream maker and churn according to the maker’s instructions.
Pour churned ice cream into an airtight container, and freeze for at least another few hours before serving.
By Betty Liu.
