Dessert Friday: Ginger Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients
4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into cubes
2 large eggs
1 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger

2 pint Vanilla Ice Cream with chocolate covered toffee pieces

Method
Heat oven to 350°

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon, and ground ginger. In a different mixing bowl, add the sugar, brown sugar and butter. With an electric mixer, beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time until well incorporated. Scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula, add the vanilla extract and the crystallized ginger and mix well.

Once the wet ingredients are incorporated, add the flour mixture in batches. Mix until the dough begins to form into a ball. Use an ice cream scoop and scoop two balls of dough per cookie. Roll the dough into a ball and place onto 2 parchment lined sheet pans about 2 inches apart [these are sandwich size cookies, so you’ll get 6 cookies on each pan].

Press the dough with the back of a spoon. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

To assemble
Soften the ice cream slightly. Run a knife around the interior edge and turn the ice cream out onto your counter. Working quickly and with a sharp knife, cut the ice cream crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. You should be able to get five or six slices of ice cream out of one pint.

Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down. Put a slice of ice cream on each. Top each ice cream covered cookie with another cookie. Put the sandwiches on tray and freeze until solid. Wrap the sandwiches well in wax or parchment paper, aluminum foil and in zipper top plastic bags. Remove from the freezer 5 minutes before serving.