TOTALLY COOL
Lemon cookies, ice cream and blueberry jam make for mouthwatering treat
sst: The PTO bake sale is about to get sophisticated, and a little sloppy. Show off your sandwiching skills at the next school event by filling a cooler with these Lemon Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches with tarragon-scented wild Maine blueberry jam. The tart, crispy cookie gives way to the sweet pop of blueberries, which are accented with a hint of anise flavor, while the whole drippy experience is rounded out by creamy vanilla bean ice cream.
LEMON SUGAR COOKIE ICE CREAM SANDWICH 1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened 1E c. sugar, divided
1 egg
2 D c. all-purpose flour A t. baking powder A t. kosher salt
1 t. vanilla
2 A t. lemon zest, divided
1 T. lemon juice A c. Wild Maine Blueberry Jam with Tarragon (recipe follows) 15 scoops favorite vanilla bean
ice cream
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat, also called a silpat.
Place the butter and 1A cups sugar into a large bowl, then use a handheld electric mixer set on high to cream the ingredients until they are lighter in color and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg and mix on medium speed for another minute.
Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla, 2 teaspoons lemon zest and lemon juice until no flour is visible. For optimal lemon flavor throughout the cookie, allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the remaining D cup of sugar and
D teaspoon lemon zest in a medium bowl; stir to combine and set aside.
Scoop 1 tablespoon of cookie dough and roll it into a ball; continue the process until all dough is used.
Roll the dough balls in the lemon sugar, then place them on the lined cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart from one another. Lightly press each cookie down so it resembles a disc rather than a ball and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating and altering the rack position of the pans halfway through. Let the cookies rest on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack.
While the cookies are cooling, scoop the vanilla ice cream and arrange scoops in a single layer on a plate. Cover the plate with plastic wrap and freeze the portioned ice cream until you're ready to serve the ice cream sandwiches.
To assemble, place a scoop of ice cream on the bottom side of one cookie, top the ice cream with a spoonful of Wild Maine Blueberry Jam with Tarragon, then sandwich the ice cream and jam together with a second cookie. Serve immediately or wrap in wax paper and freeze for another time.
This recipe will make about 15 ice cream sandwiches.
WILD MAINE BLUEBERRY JAM WITH TARRAGON 4 c. wild Maine blueberries 1 c. sugar
2 T. lemon juice
A t. minced tarragon leaves
In a medium saucepan, mix together the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice. Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently until thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the minced tarragon and allow the jam to cool completely. The viscosity of the jam will increase during the cooling process. Transfer the jam to a jar and refrigerate for up to 3 months.