Eggnog & Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches

Cinnamon Snickerdoodles are the perfect compliment to Eggnog Ice Cream! A fantastic holiday treat! 

What a week! The thing about working in fundraising is that this is CRUNCH time. Yesterday at work we had a fun problem....our database refusing to do anything we asked it to! How wonderful it is to not be able to pull any of our donors names and mail them when we really need to the most! 

By this point in my fundraising career I simply find it humorous. All I can do it sit back, laugh, and play Queen's I want to break Free loudly....because really, I do! Every December the president of our organization has a panic attack, my boss has to deal with it, and I get to deal with him! Then the CPA starts asking questions, the auditor wants to do the taxes.....and I just want to sit in the corner and remind myself it's the holidays....a time of happiness....and joy.....well, at least it is in the stories. 

Yesterday was the day that I want to pull an Office Space on our database. If I knew how I would. The irony of it all is that even if I could beat up a computer program.....it wouldn't be able to work any worse than it already does. 

Sad. 

So, here's to hoping that today's work day goes better! My fingers are crossed for working computers and the ability to do the job I am paid to do.............and in the event that it doesn't work out, at least be able to surf the internet to bide the time until the IT guy fixes it. :) 

Since the work day had most of my office craving a drink, it seemed only fitting to go home and indulge in some lovely eggnog ice cream. I made mine without the rum since I'm not much of a rum person, but if you want/need it add no more than three tablespoons! 

Enjoy!

Eggnog Ice Cream

3 cups half and half

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

7 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

(3 tablespoons of rum if you like)

Scald one cup of half and half along with the salt over medium heat in a medium sauce pan. Remove from heat. 

In a stand mixer whisk together the yolks and sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually pour the scalded half and half down the side of the bowl as the mixer is still going. 

Pour the mixture back into the sauce pan, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture has thickened and will coat the back of the spoon. Remove from heat, and pour through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Add in the remaining half and half, vanilla and nutmeg. Chill the custard thoroughly. About two hours. 

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker. Allow the ice cream to churn until finished and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Snickerdoodles

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon (Vietnamese preferably)

Preheat the oven to 400. 

In a stand mixer combine butter, shortening, sugar, and eggs. Beat until thoroughly mixed. 

In a separate bowl mix the flour, cream on tartar, soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture in the stand mixer. Mix thoroughly. 

Shape dough by rounded teaspoons into balls. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together and roll the balls in the mixture. Place two inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. 

OR

Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper. Pull the top sheet of parchment paper off and sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar over top. Place the parchment paper with cookie dough on it, onto a baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until dough is baked through. 

Allow dough to cool, and cut using cookie cutters or into bars. 

To Assemble the Ice Cream Sandwiches: 

To make the ice cream sandwiches scoop a bit of ice cream onto one snickerdoodle and sandwich it with another!  OR If you are crazy like me and decided to go with the cookie cutters.....hold the cookie cutter so it lines up with an overturned cookie and press ice cream into the cookie cutter. Gently press the ice cream down as you pull the cookie cutter up (it takes some practice). Put another cookie on top and freeze until hardened! 

Butterbeer Ice Cream Sandwiches

For the big debut of the latest Harry Potter I made an ice cream sandwich inspired by butterbeer, which is said to taste like butterscotch and short bread cookies!

One line reminder to vote for my entry in the California Raisin Let's re-Do Lunch Competition! Vote Daily!

Anybody else a little tired this morning? I AM DEAD! Because of COURSE I went to see the Harry Potter Premier last night! Yes, I am just barely in the age group that grew up with Harry Potter. The first movie came out my senior year of high school....and two college degrees later.....we're on the seventh movie! Crazy!

Okay, so my youth is totally showing. But you can't deny it. Harry Potter is HUGE! Which means there has got to be at least one Harry Potter fan that you're friends with and they'll love your for making them a bit of butterbeer or butterbeer ice cream sandwiches!

Not only did I make butterbeer this week, but when I read that butterbeer is supposed to taste like shortbread cookies and butterscotch....well, it was an easy call to make: butterscotch  shortbread cookies ice cream sandwiches! and yes, I ate them for breakfast this morning before running off to an 8:30 staff meeting. I really have a problem with eating ice cream sandwiches for breakfast when I'm running late!

Butterbeer Ice Cream Sandwiches

(butterscotch shortbread cookie sandwiches)

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoons butter

1/2 tablespoons vanilla

2 1/4 cups cream, divided

1 cup milk

3 egg yolks

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, stir brown sugar, butter, and vanilla until butter is melted, sugar dissolved, and the mixture is bubbling. Stir in 1/4 cup of cream and continue to stir until mixed thoroughly. Remove butterscotch mixture from heat and allow to cool. 

In a stand mixer combine the egg yolks and butterscotch mixture.  Beat for one minute, then mix in the milk and cream gradually.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker. Allow the ice cream to churn until finished and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Shortbread Cookies

2 cups unsalted butter, unsalted
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter powdered sugar, and vanilla  in a large bowl. If the dough is too crumbly add another 2 tablespoons of butter.

Roll dough out to half an inch thick and cut into small shapes using cookie cutters, or into squares using a knife. Place the cookies one inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 14-15 minutes or until set, and the bottoms are a light golden brown. Immediately remove to a wire rack to cool completely. 

To Assemble the Ice Cream Sandwiches:

Place a scoop full of ice cream on an upside down cookie. Using a second cookie press down on top of the scoop of ice cream to form a sandwich. 

Place in the freezer to freeze until fully hardened. I pressed butterscotch chips into the sides of mine. Their optional but add a delightful touch of whimsy. 

Enjoy! 

Cannoli Ice Cream Sandwiches

Soft cannoli dough baked into cookies filled with smooth and creamy homemade sweet ricotta filling and dipped in chocolate!

Butchie and I had a heck of a time Monday night. We were going to make up some scrumptious cannoli with the homemade ricotta I had made on Saturday night. However, here is a fact: some stores in DC think it’s acceptable to close before the majority of people in DC are even off work. The store I’m referring to, which will remain nameless, is the only one I could find that would have molds for frying the aforementioned cannoli molds, but Butchie and I have jobs, and couldn’t make it up before an absurdly early 6pm.

[Here, editor Butchie redacted several paragraphs grousing about how annoying it is to get to various shopping locations in DC, particularly given our lackluster WMATA. Cities are a pain. The end. –B.]

So……we made do. We’ve learned to be scrappy and keep going. Instead of being properly frying our cannoli shells, we baked them into cookies! The rest of the recipe was about the same with a little more cream cheese. Victory! In your face, abhorrent closing time.

Anyway, poor Butchie had to hear my rants all evening. I was much more pleasant after dinner [That’s true generally. Are you grumpy? Have you eaten lately? Check your blood sugar. –B.], but I still can’t believe any DC store would close at 6. It’s ludicrous. But out of adversity comes...I don’t know. What is it they write in fortune cookies? No idea. For us, out of adversity come cannoli ice cream sandwich cookies!

Homemade Ricotta

2 quarts whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Line a large sieve with two layers of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl.

Slowly bring milk, cream, and salt to a rolling boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Add lemon juice, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture curdles, about 2 minutes. Pour the mixture into the lined sieve and let it drain for a few minutes. After discarding the liquid, chill the ricotta, covered. It will last two days or you can freeze it (my refrigerator has poor temperature control).

Cannoli Ice Cream Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 stick unsalted butter

1 large egg, separated

3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta

1/4 cup cream cheese, softened

6 tablespoons confectioners sugar

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Add butter and blend in with your fingertips until combined. Add yolk and stir until a dough forms.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Roll out between two sheets of wax paper, cut into to rounds, and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake for 8 minutes. Allow to cool.

While the cookies are cooling make the filling. Stir together the ricotta, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Allow to chill for half an hour.

Place filling into a piping bag and pipe onto inverted cookies, placing a second cookie on top to form a sandwich. Place cookies on a lined baking sheet in the freezer for one hour.

If desired you may melt chocolate and dip on half of the frozen cookie in and refreeze.

Enjoy!