Eggnog and Gingerbread Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches
This recipe is sponsored by Davidson’s Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs.
Today’s the big week!
I’m sure you are all extremely busy with last-minute gift shopping and menu planning, and all of those time-consuming activities that take place at this time of year–but I have one more recipe to share that you must include (or at least, seriously consider including) in this week’s menu plan!
Eggnog and gingerbread ice cream cookie sandwiches studded with crystallized candied ginger! Oh yes.
They are ridiculously festive, delicious, a little bit spicy, and have quickly risen to the top of my all-time favorite holiday desserts list.
This recipe also uses Davidson’s Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs in celebration of the Dozen Days of Nog! I’ve shared my love of Safest Choice eggs before, but I’ll say it again.
I absolutely love the peace of mind they provide, particularly at this time of year, when you’re serving a crowd, cooking with kids, and making all sorts of baked goods and egg dishes.
One of my favorite applications for pasteurized eggs is, of course, homemade ice cream. The use of pasteurized eggs eliminates the need to cook the custard until it reaches an exact temperature and it also gives me the chance to taste the ice cream base and adjust any ingredients or flavorings as needed.
As a bonus, this ‘lick the bowl’ or ‘batter’ step can help you catch any recipe errors or mistakes, like leaving out the sugar or salt, which I’m more than prone to do when multi-tasking at this time of year.
They are particularly important for my family this holiday season, as my older sister is 32 weeks pregnant. We’re still planning on serving and making all of our favorites under-cooked or raw egg dishes, including runny baked eggs for breakfast, homemade aioli for appetizers, and, of course, these homemade ice cream sandwiches. She’s thrilled!
Here is the deal though. These ice cream sandwiches take a little bit of prep (and chilling) time, BUT you can make them well in advance and pull them out of your freezer for a last minute holiday dessert or snack for loved ones.
And trust me, your family will love you for these ice cream sandwiches. To quote Connor, “They taste exactly like Christmas”–and I can honestly say that I whole-heartedly agree with him on that statement.
I mean, eggnog and gingerbread? It doesn’t get much more festive than this.
They also meet the key requirements of any good ice cream sandwich.
The gingerbread cookie remains perfectly soft and chewy once frozen and they do not fall apart once bitten into. I’m a huge ice cream sandwich cookie person, and these are absolutely key for any homemade version. I can’t stress this enough. A touch of brandy to the eggnog ice cream also helps keep the ice cream from firming up too much–another major no-no for homemade ice cream sandwiches.
To make these even more easy to assemble, I spread the ice cream into a thick layer (in this case, in a 8-inch lined cake pan) and use a biscuit or cookie cutter to cut out the ice cream into discs. This requires one extra step, but is so worth it. You’ll get perfectly uniform ice cream sandwiches and eliminates any mess or melt-y situations.
If you don’t have enough time to make these ice cream sandwiches, do me a favor and at least try the eggnog ice cream! You’re in for a major treat, especially if you’ve only tried the carton variety in the past.
Happy holidays!
Eggnog and Gingerbread Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
Egg Nog Ice Cream:
- 6 Safest Choice Pasteurized egg yolks
- 2/3 cup (134 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (237 ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (237 (ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon packed freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon brandy
- 1/4 cup (40 grams) finely chopped crystallized ginger
Chewy Gingerbread Cookies:
- 5 ounces (142 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour (*roughly 3/4 cup flour)
- 1/4 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup (80 grams) dark unsulphured molasses
- 1/6 cup (40 ml) canola, safflower, or vegetable oil
- 1/2 (25 grams) Safest Choice Pasteurized whole egg, beaten
- 1/6 (40 ml) cup hot boiling water
Instructions
- Prepare Ice Cream: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and remaining 1/4 of sugar aggressively until the mixture is thick and pale yellow in color. It should fall from the whisk in thick ribbons (otherwise known as ribbon stage). Combine the whole milk, heavy cream, and freshly grated nutmeg in a medium saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil. Remove immediately from the heat. Temper the milk and cream mixture slowly into the eggs, whisking continuously.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until the ice cream base has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove and pour custard into a large bowl, stir in the brandy, and allow the custard to cool completely, stirring every 5 or 10 minutes. Refrigerate base until cold or overnight, if preparing in advance. Freeze the ice cream according to your ice cream maker’s manufacturer’s directions. Right before the ice cream is finishing churning, add the chopped candied ginger. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch cake pan with wax paper. Spread the ice cream into the cake pan with an offset spatula until it is in a smooth, flat layer. Cover with plastic wrap and foil, and allow to freeze for 4 to 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
- Prepare Gingerbread Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat mat or parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add the molasses, oil, and egg and whisk to combine. Slowly pour in the boiling water and whisk until smooth. The batter will be thick.
- Drop the dough in balls (the dough should yield 12 cookies) with a spoon, or small scoop, onto the baking sheet–leaving the cookies at least an inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
- Assemble the Sandwiches: Once the ice cream has chilled substantially, remove from the freezer and lift the ice cream out of the cake pan. Using a 2.5-inch biscuit cutter, cut the ice cream into six discs (the ice cream should be very firm, but not difficult to cut). For each ice cream sandwich, place 1 disc of ice cream between 2 gingerbread cookies. Gently press together (ice cream should spread to edge of cookies). Serve immediately, or set them carefully into one layer in a large Ziploc freezer bag (lay flat on the bottom of a freezer drawer or shelf) and freeze until ready to use.
Notes
Gingerbread cookie barely adapted from here.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 614Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 158mgCarbohydrates: 121gFiber: 4gSugar: 37gProtein: 14g
A Beautiful Plate provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician.
I love eggnog in all forms, but this might just be my favorite at all. That combo with the ginger? Hold me!
HA! Love this comment!
These pictures are gorgeous!! And I’ll take a few of these sammies to go!! xoxo
Thanks so much Lauren! Happiest of holidays to you and your family!
oh my gawd!!! you made eggnog ice cream with candied ginger?!!! I LOVE this! I just made some chocolate bark and have some leftover candied ginger. . this soooooo needs to happen in my kitchen!! and I love and use safe eggs too!! #safenog woot woot!! Happy holidays!!! love love love these ice-cream-cookie-sandwiches. . brilliant!
Thank you so much!!! I’m so glad you like them Alice! It has been so much fun working on this project with them.
This combo is so christmasy! I love it! 🙂
Thanks Tieghan!
These look incredible! I love the eggnog ice cream with candied ginger! Pinning!
These are beautiful! Pinned!
Thanks Tori! And thank you for sharing them!
These are seriously so fantastic! I love the flavor combo!
Ah those cookies…. look so good! And even better with ice cream. Mmmmmmmm 🙂
Yes! The whole combination made these.
Christmas ice cream sandwiches, I like it! That candied ginger in the ice cream is especially dreamy!
I loved it! Thanks Nicole! Happy holidays to you and your family–you must be so excited about the coming year!
I just received an ice cream attachment for my standing mixer and this has to be the recipe to christen it. I’m sure Connor is absolutely right with his review because this recipe screams Christmas!
How exciting! I just got the ice cream attachment myself about two years ago, and I love it. Thanks Jaclyn!
The perfect pair! These little sandies look perfect!
This looks amazing – I love the Christmassy flavours!
I don’t think I’ve ever wanted an ice cream sandwich so much as right now…these look phenomenal!
Thank you!
I’ve always loved eggnog ice cream but was never sure how to make it – looks like brandy and nutmeg for the win!
Freshly grated nutmeg (and a touch of brandy) are key!!
What a fab way to feature safe eggs. I love that product. Eggnog ice cream—-bring it on!!!!!
I love their products as well! Thanks so much Carol!
I am obsessed with everything about this! Especially that photo with the ginger in the ice cream! Yum.
Thanks Sues! The candied ginger was a last minute idea, but I loved the way it turned out.
There is so much yes in these sandwiches. I’m all for anything that tastes like Christmas! Happy holidays!
Thanks Amanda! You too!
Did you say 12 Days of Nog? I’m SOOOOO there! Or here? Whatever, I want these like Santa wants cookies! Absolutely beautiful!
Yesssssss. Thanks so much Megan!
I was totally in the same boat as your sister last year — it was THE WORST. Good thing she can still enjoy all the yums with these eggs! Especially these cookie sandwiches, which I am suddenly craving for breakfast. 😉
Yes! I think she’s thrilled that she can eat whatever her heart desires! Thanks Steph!
These look amazing!! I am also 32 weeks pregnant and have been missing runny eggs so much and haven’t gotten to use my new ice cream attachment on my mixer yet which has made me so sad- BUT maybe I will try getting those eggs. I’ve heard about them but just haven’t bothered to try them..
Oh my gosh–too funny! You’re the second person who is exactly 32 weeks pregnant. You can visit the website to see if they sell them at a grocery store near you, but they are wonderful because you can make as many ice cream dishes or runny eggs as you’d like! 🙂
These look soo good! I am 32 weeks pregnant too and have been dying for some runny eggs and have been so sad to not get to use my new ice cream attachment for my mixer. I might need to try these eggs and just do it– I’ve always seen them but never actually bought them before. You may convince me.
Oh my gosh, you must find the Safe Eggs! You could have as many runny eggs as you wish! 🙂
These. Are. AMAZING. Oh my gosh. I can’t even. So so incredible — and LOVE those safe eggs!! I’m such a sucker for cake batter… I need to get my hands on those ASAP. Love this so much, Laura!!! Merry Christmas!
Oh, I can just imagine sinking my teeth into one’a these babies and I have to agree with Connor, they do taste just like Christmas! Brilliant, brilliant combo there. Pinning! And Merry Christmas, you. (;
I cannot think of a better Christmas treat than these ice-cream sandwich cookies for the hot Summer here in Australia. Thanks for the recipe, I have all the ingredients on hand so I can make the recipe!
Wow do these look delicious or what!!! What a great holiday twist on ice cream sandwiches.
These look like the perfect ice cream sandwich!! I’d order this every time if my ice cream shop sold them. I bet that candied ginger shines through in the ice cream. MMMM.
Thanks Sarah! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
So festive! I may not have had time to make these before Christmas, but a little Christmas flavor in January never hurt anyone, now did it.
Nope! I like the way you think! 🙂
Pingback: Food Love | A Cookie Named Desire
Pingback: 15 Gingerbread Recipes to Complete The Holidays | A Cookie Named Desire
Pingback: 23 Occasions Consuming Eggnog Was Much Better Than Drinking It | 2016 Presidential Politics
Total crowd-pleasing dessert right here! I love how unique this Christmas dessert is!!