Tiramisu Ice Cream Sandwich

Name: Tiramisu Ice Cream Sandwich
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American

Photo: Allan Penn

September 07, 2013

A decadent rum- and espresso-fueled treat.

I scream, you scream, but Tessa Arias wrote a book about the art of the ice cream sandwich. In Cookies & Cream, Arias, who also runs the Handle the Heat cooking website, offers “hundreds of ways to make the perfect ice cream sandwich.” We especially love this tiramisu sandwich, which smooshes rum-infused mascarpone chocolate chunk ice cream between two rich espresso cookies.

Ingredients

Mascarpone Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
8 oz. mascarpone
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
3 Tbsp. dark rum
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Espresso Cookies
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Unsweetened cocoa powder (about 2 Tbsp.), for garnish

Tools:blender or food processor, bowls, ice cream maker, airtight container, baking sheets, parchment paper or silicone baking mats, electric mixer, cookie scoop
Garnish:cocoa powder

Preparation

Mascarpone Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

In the bowl of a blender or food processor, purée the mascarpone, milk, cream, sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and press plastic wrap against the surface. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 30 minutes. Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. During the last 5 minutes of freezing, add the chocolate chunks and rum. 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.

Espresso Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the milk, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until combined. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Using a spoon or spring-loaded scoop, drop 2 Tbsp.–sized balls of dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are slightly browned. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks 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 20 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 form a sandwich. Immediately place the sandwich in the freezer. Repeat for the remaining cookies. Freeze for at least 2 hours. Dust lightly with cocoa powder before serving. Makes about 10 ice cream sandwiches.