July 23 is National Vanilla Ice Cream Day - so, A Recipe!

[yaralindi]

Vanilla Gelato Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 quart Vanilla Gelato (see below)
• 16-20 Sandwich Cookies (see below)

Preparation

1. Line 13x9 baking dish with foil, allowing excess to hang over edges. Place in freezer to chill while churning gelato.
2. Immediately after churning gelato, spread into the prepared pan.
3. Return to freezer while making cookies. Also place a cutting board in the freezer for use in cutting the block of gelato into sandwich-size blocks.
4. Once the cookies are made and chilled, start by matching up cookies of the same size. Lay them all out ready for ice cream.
5. The next few steps must be performed quickly as the gelato will be melting!
6. Remove dish of gelato and chilled cutting board from the freezer and use the edge of the foil to lift block of gelato onto chilled cutting board.
7. Cut gelato into 2x4 rectangles or the same shape you made the cookies.
8. Using a narrow stainless steel spatula, place a cut block of gelato between two cookies and press the cookies lightly to adhere. (I find this is easier to do this one or two at a time. Cut one or two rectangles, assemble those cookies, and place on a tray in the freezer, then do two more until finished. If large block of gelato gets too soft, place it and cookies back in freezer for 30 minutes and start again.)
9. I wrap these in a 2 inch wide strip of thin baker's paper, tie them up with striped waxed string, place them on a doily on a small paper plate, and put them back in the freezer for 1-2 hours, then serve. For longer term storage, they can be wrapped in plastic wrap, placed in an airtight container or zip-top bag, and placed in the freezer.
10. Note: Best if removed from freezer 10-15 minutes prior to serving.

Vanilla Gelato

Ingredients

• 5 Large Egg Yolks At Room Temperature
• 3/4 cup Of Granulated Sugar
• 2 1/2 cups Whole Milk
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 Vanilla Pod, Sliced Lengthwise
• Pinch of Salt

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until light and thick.
2. Heat the milk, cream, vanilla pod, and salt in a heavy saucepan and heat over medium heat until bubbles begin to form around the edges.
3. Remove from the heat, and take 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture, and slowly whisk it into the beaten eggs.
4. Next whisk the egg mixture into the saucepan, and cook over low heat stirring continuosly until the mixture thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a metal bowl and refrigerate until cold.
6. Once the custard mixture is cold, transfer it into an ice cream maker and churn following the manufacturers instructions.
7. Serve immediately, or freeze in an airtight container until you are ready to use.

Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 & 1/4 cups light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the shortening and the brown sugar with an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, espresso powder and vanilla. Mix until incorporated.
4. Mix in 1 cup of the flour, followed by 2 tablespoons of water, and then add the remaining 1 cup flour and another 2 tablespoons of water, mixing well until no dry ingredients remain (give it some time, up to 5 minutes of mixing). The dough should be soft and pliable but not sticky; if necessary, add more water, a teaspoon at a time, until the dough comes together.
5. Turn out half the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll to an even 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut the dough into 2x4-inch rectangles (you could also cut into squares, or use a cookie cutter to make circles).
6. Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. Using a skewer (or the tip of a thermometer - works awesome!), poke a pattern of holes on each cookie's surface.
8. Roll out, cut, and poke remaining dough, rerolling the scraps as you work.
9. Place the sheets of cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking.
10. Bake 7 to 8 minutes, or until the cookies are just set. Do not overbake.
11. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool 2 to 3 minutes on a baking sheet. Transfer to cooling racks and cool to room temperature.
12. Freeze cookies for at least 1 hour before assembling the sandwiches.

[yaralindi]

For a real treat, cover the gelato in a hard shell chocolate coating, such as Smucker's Magic Shell, and press on the cookies before it hardens. You could even pour the chocolate shell on the cookie and sprinkle on chopped peanuts, almonds, or cashews. This adds a hint of chocolate and crunch that makes this an amazing snack with a cappuccino or latte.