Ginger Snap Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ginger snaps with vanilla ice cream were my grandmother, Gertrude’s, favorite treat.  I will always remember my mother buying the two in preparation for Gert’s visits from Connecticut.  Gertrude, or Trudy as she insisted to be called in her later years, would sit quietly in my parent’s living room with her rosary in hand and a plate of ginger snap ice cream sandwiches sitting nearby.  The old gal, as my father referred to his mother-in-law, knew her desserts as these are fantastic.

Makes 12 sandwiches

Ingredients:

- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

- ¼ cup molasses

- 1 egg

- ¾ cup white sugar, plus extra for dusting

- ¼ cup brown sugar

- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

- ¾ teaspoon freshly grated ginger

- 2 cups flour

- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger

- ½ teaspoon baking soda

- ¼ teaspoon salt

- 1.5 teaspoon cinnamon

- 1 pint vanilla ice cream

Instructions:

In a large bowl mix together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and set adside.

In a standing mixer fitted with a batter attachment cream the butter and sugars on medium speed.  Add the egg, molasses, vanilla and grated ginger and mix for 2 minutes.  Slowly add the flour mixture and continue to mix until smooth.  Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before use.

Pre-heat oven to 375°. 

Roll dough into golf ball size balls and gently press into 3/4” disks with the palm of your hand.  Place on a buttered cookie sheet with 3 inches between each cookie.  Bake for 12 minutes and transfer cookies to a wire rack.  Cool for 15 minutes before assembling the sandwiches by placing ¼ cup ice cream between two cookies.  Serve immediately or wrap and freeze for later use.