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Chocolate Gingerbread Men Ice Cream Sandwich
A sweet Christmas treat.
The biscuit itself is a cross between a gingerbread man and a chocolate cookie. It s fantastic on its own, but sandwiching a slab of vanilla bean ice cream in the middle takes it to the next level.
Tip: This works best with the 1L blocks/bricks of ice cream (the ones in the cardboard boxes), rather than the tubs, as they are easier to slice.
Choc-Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwiches
Yields: 8 Sandwiches (16 cookies)
Prep time: 45 mins (plus chilling time)
Cook time: 10 12 mins
Ingredients - The Cookie Dough
125g Unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (100g) Brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup Golden syrup
1 Egg yolk
2? cups Plain flour, sifted
2 tbsp Cocoa powder, sifted
1 tbsp Ground ginger
1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
Ingredients - Assembly & Decoration
100g Dark chocolate, melted (for drizzling)
2 tbsp Glace ginger, finely chopped (for buttons/decoration)
1L Vanilla bean ice-cream (block style is best)
Method
Step 1: Make the Dough
Cream: Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy.
Combine: Add the golden syrup and egg yolk. Beat until combined.
Mix: Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, ground ginger, and bicarb soda.
Knead: Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead gently until smooth.
Chill: Press the dough into a flat disc, wrap in baking paper or cling film, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (Don't skip this, or the gingerbread men will spread too much in the oven).
Step 2: Bake
Preheat oven to 170°C fan-forced (190°C standard). Line two large trays with baking paper.
Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper until it's about 5mm thick.
Using a 10cm gingerbread man cutter, cut out your shapes. You will need 16 men in total (re-roll the scraps as needed).
Bake for 10 12 minutes or until they feel slightly firm to the touch.
Important: Let them cool completely on the trays. If they are warm, they will melt the ice cream instantly!
Step 3: Decorate (The Top Half)
Take 8 of the cooled gingerbread men (these will be your top layers).
Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave (30-second bursts).
Drizzle the chocolate over the 8 cookies and press pieces of glace ginger on as "buttons."
Let these set while you prepare the ice cream.
Step 4: The Ice Cream Assembly
Take your 1L ice cream block out of the freezer.
The Hack: Use scissors to cut the cardboard container open and peel it away so you have a naked block of ice cream on a cutting board.
Slice the block into 8 equal thick slabs.
Use your gingerbread cutter to punch a "man" shape out of each slab of ice cream.
Place the ice cream man on top of a plain cookie, then place a decorated cookie on top to sandwich it.
Place immediately into the freezer for at least 1 hour to firm up before serving.
Notes & Tips
Speed is key: When cutting the ice cream, work fast! If it's a hot day, you might want to cut the ice cream shapes and put them back in the freezer on a tray for 20 mins before sandwiching them with the cookies.
Make Ahead: These can be made 2 3 days in advance. Just store them in a sealed container in the freezer with baking paper between them so they don't stick together.
The biscuit itself is a cross between a gingerbread man and a chocolate cookie. It s fantastic on its own, but sandwiching a slab of vanilla bean ice cream in the middle takes it to the next level.
Tip: This works best with the 1L blocks/bricks of ice cream (the ones in the cardboard boxes), rather than the tubs, as they are easier to slice.
Choc-Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwiches
Yields: 8 Sandwiches (16 cookies)
Prep time: 45 mins (plus chilling time)
Cook time: 10 12 mins
Ingredients - The Cookie Dough
125g Unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (100g) Brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup Golden syrup
1 Egg yolk
2? cups Plain flour, sifted
2 tbsp Cocoa powder, sifted
1 tbsp Ground ginger
1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
Ingredients - Assembly & Decoration
100g Dark chocolate, melted (for drizzling)
2 tbsp Glace ginger, finely chopped (for buttons/decoration)
1L Vanilla bean ice-cream (block style is best)
Method
Step 1: Make the Dough
Cream: Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy.
Combine: Add the golden syrup and egg yolk. Beat until combined.
Mix: Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, ground ginger, and bicarb soda.
Knead: Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead gently until smooth.
Chill: Press the dough into a flat disc, wrap in baking paper or cling film, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (Don't skip this, or the gingerbread men will spread too much in the oven).
Step 2: Bake
Preheat oven to 170°C fan-forced (190°C standard). Line two large trays with baking paper.
Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper until it's about 5mm thick.
Using a 10cm gingerbread man cutter, cut out your shapes. You will need 16 men in total (re-roll the scraps as needed).
Bake for 10 12 minutes or until they feel slightly firm to the touch.
Important: Let them cool completely on the trays. If they are warm, they will melt the ice cream instantly!
Step 3: Decorate (The Top Half)
Take 8 of the cooled gingerbread men (these will be your top layers).
Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave (30-second bursts).
Drizzle the chocolate over the 8 cookies and press pieces of glace ginger on as "buttons."
Let these set while you prepare the ice cream.
Step 4: The Ice Cream Assembly
Take your 1L ice cream block out of the freezer.
The Hack: Use scissors to cut the cardboard container open and peel it away so you have a naked block of ice cream on a cutting board.
Slice the block into 8 equal thick slabs.
Use your gingerbread cutter to punch a "man" shape out of each slab of ice cream.
Place the ice cream man on top of a plain cookie, then place a decorated cookie on top to sandwich it.
Place immediately into the freezer for at least 1 hour to firm up before serving.
Notes & Tips
Speed is key: When cutting the ice cream, work fast! If it's a hot day, you might want to cut the ice cream shapes and put them back in the freezer on a tray for 20 mins before sandwiching them with the cookies.
Make Ahead: These can be made 2 3 days in advance. Just store them in a sealed container in the freezer with baking paper between them so they don't stick together.
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