Gingerbread cookies

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup fancy molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup turbinado or coarse sugar

Directions

1 To make the ice cream, place the vanilla bean seeds and pods in a medium saucepan along with the cream, sugar and milk, and bring to a simmer.

2 Whisk 2 ladles of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks to temper, and stir into the saucepan.

3 Slowly cook the custard over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 170ºF; do not let the custard boil.

4 Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a wide shallow container.

5 Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours or overnight. Pour into an ice cream maker, following the manufacturer’s directions.

6 Transfer the ice cream to a container and keep frozen until ready to use.

Directions

1 To make the gingerbread cookies, whisk together the granulated and brown sugars and the oil in a large bowl, followed by the egg and the molasses.

2 In a separate medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and sea salt.

3 Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until combined. Form the dough into 1½" balls and roll in the turbinado sugar.

4 Arrange the balls 2" apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350ºF oven for 7 to 9 minutes, until cracked but still soft. Let the cookies cool completely before assembling.

5 Sandwich 2 cookies with 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream and keep in the freezer, individually wrapped in waxed paper, in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Makes: 16 sandwiches