About this recipe
Most sources agree that this frozen portable dessert can be traced back to a pushcart ice cream vendor in New York’s Bowery district in 1899. Charlie's version brings it into the millennium.
Instructions
Makes about 20 cookies, or 10 ice cream sandwiches
For the ice cream:
1 quart ripe strawberries
¼ cup honey
¼ cup sugar
A little lemon
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 heaping tablespoon chopped basil
2 cups heavy cream
Stem, hull and thinly slice the berries. Mix with honey, sugar, squeeze of lemon, salt and basil. Allow to macerate for 30 minutes or more. Puree the berries till smooth (should be about 3 cups of puree). Add cream and freeze according to ice cream machine’s instructions.
For the cookies:
12 ounces butter (3 sticks)
1 cup sugar
5 ounces honey
2 eggs
4 teaspoons baking soda
4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
Preheat oven to 350°. In mixer with paddle attachment, add the butter, sugar and honey, and cream this mixture till light in color and texture. Add eggs one at a time, until incorporated. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until combined. Scoop desired-size cookies onto baking sheet and bake 8 minutes. Cookies should still be soft with browning edges. Allow cookies to cool, then chill in freezer.
For the dip:
12 ounces white chocolate (use the best you can get)
½ cup olive oil or coconut oil
Combine the white chocolate and oil in a double boiler over barely simmering water. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted and fully combined with the oil (we like to use a nice fruity olive oil as it gives a more savory-adult taste). Remove dip from heat and allow to cool slightly before dipping the cookies.
Strawberry preserves
Sprinkles, for rolling
To assemble the ice cream sandwiches:
Spread a thin layer of strawberry preserves on bottom of cookies. Working quickly, scoop ice cream on top of one cookie then top with second cookie. Press down on the “sandwich” until the ice cream is equal to the outside of cookie and no greater than ¾-inch thick. Dip half of the cookie sandwich in the white chocolate mix, quickly roll in sprinkles, and place in freezer to fully set. When ready to eat, pull from freezer and allow to temper and soften a few minutes before eating. These ice cream sandwiches are best eaten fresh, so wrap the cookies if they will be in freezer for more than a few hours.