Iced Pumpkin Molasses Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Molasses cookie ice cream sandwiches that generously capture the spirit of both summer and fall with pumpkin that flavors the chewy iced molasses cookies and the creamy ice cream filling, because you can never have too much pumpkin. It's fall after all.
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Servings: 10 sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup, packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup molasses, not robust
- 2 tablespoons Grade A maple syrup
For the icing:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
For the ice cream sandwiches:
- 1 1/2 quart container pumpkin ice cream, or your favorite ice cream
Instructions
- Soak up the pumpkin mixture: Line a medium bowl with 2 paper towels. Place the 1/2 cup pumpkin puree in the bowl. Using another paper towel, press down to blot excess moisture out of the pumpkin. Let it sit with the paper towels while you prepare the dough.
- Prep for baking: Heat oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.
- Combine the dry ingredients: Whisk together the 4 cups flour, the 2 teaspoons baking soda, the 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ginger, and 1 teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
- Make the dough: Combine the 1 cup room temperature butter and the 3/4 cup brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, the 1 egg yolk, 1/2 cup molasses, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup and beat until combined. Turn off mixer and scrape down sides with a rubber spatula. Add flour mixture and beat on low until flour is incorporated. Dough will be sticky.
- Bake: Using a large cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough into balls, about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie, and arrange 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Press down to flatten. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will still be soft. Let sit on baking sheet a couple of minutes, pressing down gently to flatten before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the icing: Place powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Add the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of milk. Use a small whisk to combined. It will be impossible to fully combine because this isn’t enough liquid. Add only enough extra milk to make a very very thick icing. I only add about 1 more Tablespoon of milk. Lightly dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the icing. Return cookies to the cooling rack and let icing harden before continuing with the recipe.
- Make ice cream sandwiches: Scoop 1/3 cup of ice cream onto the bottom of 1 cookie, top with another cookie and press down to evenly distribute ice cream, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. Repeat with remaining cookies and ice cream. I recommend freezing the sandwiches for at least an hour before serving.
- If you would like perfectly round discs of ice cream like the photos, line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Let the ice cream sit out until it is soft but not melted. Spread the ice cream into an even (1/2-inch thick) layer on the baking sheet and freeze. Once the ice cream is frozen, use a 3-inch biscuit cutter and cut circles out of the ice cream. Sandwich each circle between the two cookies, wrap and freeze.
Notes
- Maple syrup: Grade A maple syrup is recommended for the best flavor.
- Baking time: Keep a close eye on the cookies as they bake. They should be lightly browned on the sides but still soft in the center to be soft enough for the ice cream sandwiches. You don't want them to be too crisp, because they'll be too hard to eat once frozen. If you want to make the cookies to enjoy on their own, bake them a minute or two longer.
- Baked cookies: Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Nuts: Add 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the cookie dough for added crunch or roll the ice cream part of the ice cream sandwich in finely chopped nuts.