Half a Year and Peppermint Ice Cream Sandwiches

It has been way too long since I've been able to sit down and add some new recipes.  Life has been a bit crazy, but hopefully we can get back into the rhythm of posting some of our favorites.  

We celebrate L's birthday party with her friends during the first part of December.  For her dessert she wanted peppermint ice cream chocolate cookie sandwiches.  Done.  I love peppermint ice cream and who doesn't like chocolate?

The best part is everything can be made ahead of time.  And since I am also making 10 gingerbread houses for her friends to decorate ahead of time is a necessity.  

Chocolate Cookies: bake and freeze the cookies before you try to add in the ice cream

ingredients:

10 ounces bittersweet, chopped
¹⁄₂ cup + 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¹⁄₄ teaspoon baking powder
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
1 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ounces (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

Position rack in center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Melt the chopped chocolate in top of a double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over the water and cool melted chocolate for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. In another medium bowl use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter until crumbly.   Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue to beat until mixture is light, pale, and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla and beat just until blended. Fold in the dry ingredients and then the chocolate chips.

Drop chocolate cookie batter by ¹⁄₄ cupfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, 1 baking sheet at a time, until tops are evenly cracked but cookies are not yet firm to touch, about 16 minutes. Cool cookies completely on baking sheets. Using metal spatula, carefully transfer 4 cookies to each of 4 large resealable plastic bags, arranging in single layer. Freeze cookies overnight. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep frozen.)

Makes 16 cookies.

Recipe by Tom Douglas in Bon Appétit, July 2005 

Peppermint Ice Cream:

Ice Cream Base:

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

³⁄₄ cup granulated sugar

5 large egg yolks

Pinch of table salt

Candy Canes

In a medium saucepan mix, 1 cup of the cream, the whole milk, granulated sugar and salt. Warm over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and tiny bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan.  About 3-4 minutes.

Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with several inches of ice water.  Place a smaller bowl, filled with the remaining cup of cream, into the ice bath.

In a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks.

When there are tiny bubbles around the edge of the pan, pour half of the cream mixture, in a steady stream, into the egg yolks, whisking constantly.

Pour the egg mixture back into the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens slightly.  The custard should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon and hold a line drawn through it with a finger.  If using an instant-read thermometer, the temperature should be between 175-180°F.

Strain the custard into the cold cream until it has cooled to below 70°F.  While it is cooling you can you can break up the candy canes.  (I use about a half of a box of the small candy canes you find in the grocery stores around christmas, but use your best judgement and taste as you go.  I unwrap the candy canes and put them in a plastic ziplock bag rolling over them with a rolling pin until there are tiny bits of candy.)  

Refrigerate the custard until completely chilled, at least 4 hours to overnight.  Freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.

Fold the broken candy canes into the just churned ice cream, transfer to an air-tight container and freeze until firm.

Adapted from Fine Cooking Issue 99

To assemble:

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Place half of the cookies on the baking sheets. Take out the ice cream and place one scoop of ice cream onto each of the cookies. Working quickly place the cookie tops onto the ice cream and press down lightly.  Cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap and place back into the freezer.  I leave the ice cream sandwiches on the trays until I am ready to serve them but you could also place them in freezer bags.  

Makes 8 ice cream sandwiches.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've tried a lot of chocolate chip cookie recipes, but these are my favorite.  Lots of chocolate and a perfect balance between crispy and chewy.  I always have a variety of baking chocolate on hand, but if I am short on either the milk or semi-sweet chocolate I make up the difference with some bittersweet chocolate.  And they taste just as good with 3 kinds of chocolate.  The cookies also freeze really well - you can save them for a later date or if you're like me you can eat them straight out of the freezer!

ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter
3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
3⁄4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
11⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
1 tsp baking soda
1⁄2 tsp salt
11⁄2 cups chopped, Scharffen Berger, semisweet chocolate
1⁄2 cup finely chopped, Scharffen Berger, milk chocolate

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until mixture is light and fluffy, about five minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract on medium speed until thoroughly combined, two to three minutes. Again scrape the bowl to make sure the eggs are thoroughly incorporated.

Mix together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, baking soda and salt. Add both chocolates to the flour mix and toss to combine. Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly blend the flour-chocolate mixture into the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until the flour and chocolate are totally incorporated and the dough is completely mixed.
Scrape the dough into a container and let rest in the refrigerator for a day before baking. The next day, heat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center of the oven. Drop the dough in 1⁄4 cup balls (I like to make mine smaller, I just use a spoon to gather up some dough and roll it into a ball. Otherwise, the cookies are huge and this way I can almost double the batch!) onto a baking sheet about two inches apart. Press dough balls down slightly with the palm of your hand. If the batter does not fit all on one tray drop cookies on a second baking sheet and bake when the first tray is finished. If you have only one sheet tray, bake one batch and then cool the tray by running it under cold water before baking a second batch. Bake until cookies are golden brown on the edges and slightly soft in the center, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days. The unbaked dough can be stored for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge.
Makes 24

Recipe from Flour, by Joanne Chang. You can find the original recipe on her website: http://flourbakery.com/press/flour-bakery-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe

Car-co-doodles

The ultimate Snickerdoodle!  Part Snickerdoodle, part chocolate chip cookie rolled in cinnamon-sugar.  It is delicious!

Ingredients:

1¹⁄₃ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking soda
¹⁄₄ teaspoon kosher salt
3 ounces Scharffen Berger semisweet or bittersweet baking chunks, roughly chopped into smaller pieces
¹⁄₂ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature
¹⁄₂ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Sift the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.  Add the chocolate pieces and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and brown sugar.  Start on low speed and increase to medium until light and fluffy - around 5-8 minutes.  Scrape down the bowl as needed.  Add the vanilla and then the egg, mixing on low speed until fully incorporated.  Scrape the bowl and add the dry ingredient, mixing until they are just incorporated.

Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  At this point the dough can be formed into cookies or stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  This dough also freezes well for up to 3 weeks.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon.

Let the cookie dough warm at room temperature for 20 minutes.  Form into balls and dip the balls into the cinnamon-sugar.  Place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.  Slightly flatten the cookies and then bake for about 15 minutes until light golden brown.  Cool on the sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Makes 16 3¹⁄₂ inch or about 24 smaller cookies

Recipe adapted slightly from Leslie Mackie's More from MACRINA