FAVORITE FLAVOR:
There’s nothing like homemade strawberry ice cream in the summer — and it can be made without a machine. condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch fine salt
2 cups heavy cream, cold For the chocolate sandwich cookies:
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold is fine ½ cup granulated sugar ¼ teaspoon fine sea or table salt
3 tablespoons milk, any kind
1 large egg white ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon baking powder ¾ cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Natural Unsweetened Cocoa)
DIRECTIONS
Prepare the ice cream: Pulse the strawberries in a food processor until they are small chunks, the size of peas. Add the condensed milk, vanilla and salt. Pulse to combine then remove to a medium bowl and set aside.
Whip the cream with a mixer on medium-high speed until firm peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gently fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold the lightened mixture into the whipped cream until evenly blended.
Pour the mixture into a chilled 9-by-5-by-3inch metal loaf pan, and freeze, covered with foil or plastic wrap, until thick and creamy, like soft-serve, about 2 hours. Swirl in any desired mix-ins with a spoon, if using. Continue to freeze, covered, until solid and scoopable, at least hours more or overnight. Make the cookies: Heat oven to 325 degrees and line a 9-by-13-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper that extends up the two short sides of the pan. Coat the exposed sides with butter or nonstick spray. (A little extra underneath the parchment helps it stick.) Melt butter in a large bowl halfway, then whisk it until fully melted. (This keeps it from getting too hot.) Whisk in sugar, salt and milk. Whisk in egg white and vanilla; make sure the egg white is fully mixed; it can be stubborn. Add the cocoa powder and baking powder and thoroughly mix. Add the flour and stir just until it disappears. Spoon into the prepared pan in small dollops and spread — an offset spatula is great here — into a thin, even layer.
Bake for 15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Prick all over with tines of a fork. Let cool, then cut into squares.
Assemble the sandwiches: Before scooping, let the ice cream soften at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes.
Divide the cookies in half. Scoop the ice cream in small spoonfuls over half the cookies and spread it evenly. Press a second cookie half, right-side-up, on top of each cookie. Gently press to form sandwiches, then wrap in plastic wrap or foil, and place in freezer for at least 1 hour to set. Otherwise, they’ll melt. Makes about 12 sandwiches.