Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream Sandwiches

*Reasons to be cheerful.

Ice cream.

Cookies & Ice Cream.

Berry picking.

Cream in the refrigerator.

Laying hens.

French butter.

Holidays.

Summer.


*Ian Dury and The Blockheads - Enjoy!



Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream Sandwiches
ice cream adapted from here, cookies adapted from here
Makes 16 - 18

For the Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream:
300ml cream
300ml full cream milk
6 egg yolks
200g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
125g fresh raspberries
1 teaspoon thick balsamic vinegar

For the Lemon Coconut Shortbread Cookies:
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
340g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Zest of 2 lemons
2 2/3 cups plain flour

Make the Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream:
Put the cream and milk into a saucepan and heat on medium-high until almost boiling.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 150g of the sugar together until combined.

Gradually add the hot cream mixture to the egg yolk mixture a little at a time, whisking continuously.  Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return it the stove and cook it over a medium-low heat until thickened, stirring all the time.  I use a thermometer and cook it until the temperature reaches 86C.  Remove from the heat and pour it into a bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap so that the wrap makes direct contact with the top of the mixture.  This will prevent a skin from forming.  Chill in the refrigerator until completely cold.

Place the raspberries, remaining 50g sugar and vinegar in a small food processor and blitz.  Pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. discard the seeds and store in the freezer to firm up.  You want it to be partially frozen.

Churn the ice cream in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturers instructions.  Pour a third into a freezer-proof container.  Dollop half of the raspberry syrup over, pour another third of the ice cream on top.  Repeat layering, finishing with a layer of ice cream.  Use a skewer to marble the syrup through the ice cream and freeze until needed.


Make the Lemon Coconut Shortbread Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 160C.

Spread the coconut on a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes until lightly toasted.  Set aside to cool completely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes. Add the salt and lemon juice and mix to combine.  Reduce the speed to low and add half the flour.  Mix until just combined.  Add the remaining flour, coconut and zest and mix until just combined again.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for an hour.

Line two large baking trays with baking paper.  Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 5mm thick.  Use a 2.5cm round cookie cutter to cut rounds.  Place them on the prepared trays, leaving enough room between the cookies so that they can spread a little while baking.

Bake for 16 - 20 minutes, until they are golden at the edges. Leave them on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Assembly:
Take the ice cream out of the freezer and leave at room temperate for 10 minutes or so to soften slightly (this depends on how hot your kitchen is).

Sandwich a scoop of ice cream between two cookies, wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap and freeze until the urge for a delicious Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream Sandwich becomes too much to resist... which shouldn't be too long now.