Sangria Ice Cream Sandwich

Sangria moves from the pitcher to the dessert tray in this summer-ready sandwich from blogger Tessa Arias’ ice cream sandwich manual, Cookies & Cream. To make the red wine ice cream extra fruity, Arias recommends using a rosé Moscato and for more complexity, she suggests a full-bodied wine like Cabernet.

Red Wine Ice Cream
1 ¼ cups whole milk
1 ¼ cups heavy cream, divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
Pinch of fine sea salt
5 large egg yolks
¾ cup red wine

Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice cubes and 1 to 2 cups of water. Place a medium bowl fitted with a fine strainer inside the ice bath.

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, vanilla, ½ cup sugar, and salt. Set over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is warm and begins to steam, about 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining ¼  cup sugar. Carefully whisk half of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, one ladleful at a time, until the egg mixture is warmed. Whisk the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and registers around 175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 to 7 minutes. Be careful not to boil the mixture.

Immediately strain the mixture through the fine strainer into the prepared ice bath. Add the wine, stirring to combine. Cool the custard in the ice bath until it reaches room temperature, stirring often. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the custard and refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours or up to 1 day.

Pour the custard into an ice cream maker. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container, press plastic wrap against the ice cream surface, and freeze until it is firm and the flavor is ripened, at least 4 hours. Makes about 1 quart.

Triple Citrus Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. fine sea salt
5 oz. (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. grated lime zest
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 tsp. grated orange zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt to combine.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the lime zest, lemon zest, and orange zest. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and beat until combined.

Roll the dough into 2 tablespoon–sized balls. Place on prepared baking sheets and flatten with the bottom of a measuring cup to a 2-inch diameter.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are set and begin to brown. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Freeze the cookies until frozen, at least 1 hour. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 1 month. Makes about 18 cookies.

To Assemble
Top one cookie with a scoop of ice cream. Place another cookie on top of the ice cream and gently press down to forma sandwich. Immediately place the sandwich in the freezer. Repeat for the remaining cookies. Freeze for at least 2 hours before serving. Makes about 9 ice cream sandwiches.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Cookies & Cream © 2013 by Tessa Arias, Running Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group.