Spiced Maple-Roasted Pear Ice Cream Sandwiches

Directions

1. Spiced Maple-Roasted Pear Ice Cream
2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Peel and core pears, then chop them to about 1/2-inch thick pieces. Brush with the lemon juice. Place the pears on an aluminum foil-lined baking pan and drizzle with maple syrup.
3. Bake for 15 minutes, or until soft and fork-tender. Puree until smooth. Let cool.
4. Heat milk, heavy cream, and spices until the mixture beings to simmer, without letting it come to a boil. Remove from heat. Cover and steep for at least 20 minutes.
5. Whisk yolks and sugar until pale yellow and thick. Gently stream in milk mixture, whisking constantly after each addition.
6. Pour mixture back into a saucepan. Heat until custard is thick - it should coat the back of a wooden spoon.
7. Strain custard through a sieve and into a bowl. Gently fold in pear puree. Press a sheet of cling wrap across the surface, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
8. Pour into ice cream maker and churn according to the maker's instructions.
9. Pour churned ice cream into an airtight container, and freeze for at least another few hours before serving.

1. Ginger Molasses Cookies
2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
3. Whisk melted butter, beaten egg, sugars, and molasses together until well combined.
4. Sift together the dry ingredients.
5. Fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just incorporated. The mixture should be soft and fluffy.
6. Prepare a shallow bowl of coarse sugar.
7. Scoop out about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and roll it between your palms to form a ball. Gently roll ball into coarse sugar until well coated. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is used. Place cookies about 2 inches apart.
8. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, rotating pans half way, until edges are set, but the middle is still a bit soft. The tops of the cookies should be puffed and cracked. Cool on a wire rack.
9. Assemble sandwiches by placing a scoop of ice cream between two cookies. To make ahead, wrap each one individually with cling wrap and place in the freezer.