The Ice Cream Sandwich That You'll Want Even When It's Cold

The holidays are all about celebratory moments, so we paired up with Simply Organic to find recipes you'll want to share with friends (and make again and again).

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. 

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.

 

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. 

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. 

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! 

  

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
1/4 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

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup molasses
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Coarse sugar for rolling

Get the recipe (and print and save it) here.

Photos by Betty Liu

The holidays are all about celebratory moments, so we paired up with Simply Organic to find recipes you'll want to share with friends (and make again and again). Find more seasonal inspiration for your table here.