Toasted Almond Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine milk and half of the sugar in a large saucepan and heat gently.
• Place the almonds on a sheet pan and toast in the oven, shaking the pan occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes or until almonds are light brown.
• Add the almonds immediately to the milk and sugar mixture. Once the milk mixture comes to a gentle boil, remove from the heat, cover and let steep 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, place the milk mixture on low heat. While this is heating, combine the remaining sugar with the egg yolks and either by hand or with an electric mixer, whisk until the eggs become pale in color, about 3 minutes. Slowly drizzle a little of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture to increase the temperature of the yolk mixture. Next, slowly whisk the yolk mixture into the milk mixture. Cook the mixture over a low heat, stirring constantly. Once the mixture has thickened and coats the back of the spoon, about 3 to 5 minutes, remove from heat and strain through a find sieve into a high-sided canister. Add the saffron and amaretto and place in a large bowl of ice water. Stir occasionally and when completely cool, place in an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's directions. The texture will then be best if you transfer the ice cream to another container and place in freezer for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Steps:

• Place the half-and-half, milk, dry milk, egg substitute, agave nectar, vanilla extract, amaretto, and salt in a food processor and blend until well combined, about 1 minute. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Blend the mixture again, then pour into the ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Add the toasted almonds 5 minutes before the ice cream is ready. Serve with hot fudge sauce, if desired.

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, cook ½ cup sliced almonds with the sugar and the salt over medium heat until deeply golden and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Reserve.
• In the same pot, toast 1 cup sliced almonds until deeply golden, about 5 minutes. Add cream, milk, sugar and salt to the pot and simmer until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream.
• Return pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Remove from heat and let steep 1 hour.
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing down hard on the solids. Add almond extract to base and cool mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Break reserved caramelized nuts into pieces and add to base during the last 2 minutes of churning. Serve directly from the machine for soft serve, or store in freezer until needed.

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Heat butter and semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until melted.
• Beat sugar, eggs, vanilla, and melted-chocolate mixture with a mixer on medium speed until combined. Reduce speed to low, and gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined. Divide dough in half, and fold milk-chocolate chunks into 1 half.
• Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating and tapping sheets on counter halfway through, until cookies are flat and surfaces begin to crack, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment to a wire rack, and let cool.
• Meanwhile, make the candied almonds: Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Bring sugar, butter, corn syrup, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Add almonds, and stir to coat. Spread out onto baking sheet, and bake, tossing occasionally to recoat nuts, until golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool. Finely chop nuts, and sift to discard dust.
• Assemble the sandwiches: Using a 2 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop ice cream onto half of the cookies. Top with remaining cookies (group plain chocolate cookies together and milk-chocolate-chunk cookies together). Press down gently to push ice cream to edge of cookies. Place candied almonds and coconut in 2 separate bowls. Roll outside of each milk-chocolate-chunk sandwich in almonds; transfer to a baking sheet. Roll outside of each chocolate sandwich in coconut; transfer to baking sheet. Freeze until ready to serve.