Chocolate Mint Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches with White Chocolate Ice Cream

These pretty holiday ice cream sandwiches are nice to have in your freezer for unexpected company. Make a batch to have on hand. Try not to gobble down all the cookies before you make them into sandwiches; trust me, you'll be tempted! You can go two ways with the ice cream. I made it from scratch (recipe below) for this recipe (and served the leftover ice cream with some bittersweet sauce, making yet another company dessert), but another time I bought it ready made at Godiva. 

Chocolate Mint Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches 
The cookies were originally adapted from Martha Stewart Living, December 2008

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour plus more for surface
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract

Method:
Preheat oven to 325°. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
Beat butter and sugar with a mixer for 1 minute. Add egg, then yolk, beating well after each addition. Beat in peppermint extract. Slowly add flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. Mold dough into 1 large disk and cut in half. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least an hour (or up to two days).
Roll out 1 disk on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Use a 2" cookie cutter to cut out circles and place them on parchment paper. Freeze until firm, at least 15 minutes.
Repeat with remaining disk. 

Bake until cookies are dry to the touch, about 12 minutes. Transfer parchment, with cookies, to wire racks and allow to cool. Try not to eat all the cookies at this point. Freeze the cookies.

Make the ice cream (recipe follows) and after it's frozen, allow it to soften somewhat and place a nice fat layer between the cookies. Smooth the sides and dip into broken pieces of peppermint sticks. Freeze again until ready to serve.

White Chocolate Ice Cream
From Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
a pinch of salt
8 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped 
5 large egg yolks

Method:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, the milk and salt.  Place the chopped white chocolate in a large bowl and place a fine mesh strainer over the bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, then gradually add some of the warmed milk and sugar mixture to temper the egg yolks.  Whisking constantly as you pour in the warmed milk. Then transfer all of the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
Continue to cook over low heat. Stir constantly until the custard is thick enough to coat a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon. Strain the custard into the white chocolate, and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
Add the 2 cups of heavy cream and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator (preferably overnight).  
Once the mixture is completely cooled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.