Gingerbread and Honeycomb Ice Cream Sandwiches from my Christmas eBook, A Local Table

Gingerbread and Honeycomb Ice Cream Sandwiches

OK so bear with me.. There are a few steps to this glorious creation. But.. The main thing to remember is that each step can be done a day at a time. No need to rush, just get started soon and you’ll become legendary for your ice cream sandwich recipe for ever more!

There is a timing outline to start making these a week out from Christmas at the bottom of the full recipe.

For more delicious Chrissy recipes follow the link to my Chrissy eBook A Local Table.

Gingerbread, Honeycomb and White Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich

Makes 15 

Time Saver

If you’d like to skip a few steps, replace your home-made honeycomb ice cream with good-quality vanilla ice cream mixed with store-bought honeycomb or a crushed Crunchie bar. You can also purchase gingerbread and cut ice cream to size.

Ingredients

1 batch Gingerbread biscuits (see recipe below)

1 tray Cheats Honeycomb Ice Cream (see recipe below)

400g white chocolate

200g pistachios, toasted and crushed

Assembling the Ice Cream Sandwiches

Sandwich the rounds of ice cream between two gingerbread.

Allow the ice cream sandwiches to sit out of the freezer for about 5 minutes so the ice cream softens a little and is able to re-freeze and hold to each of the gingerbread.

Return ice cream sandwiches to the freezer.

Melt 400g of white chocolate in a small ceramic bowl in short increments in the microwave. Alternatively use a double boiler to melt.

Crush 200g toasted pistachios to small crumbs and pop on a large plate.

Prepare a tray with baking paper to place the finished sandwiches onto and put in the freezer.

Remove the ice cream sandwiches from the freezer and one at a time dip into the white chocolate to ⅓ of the depth of the biscuits. Lift and allow some of  the chocolate to drain off. Turn the sandwich to make sure it is evenly coated across both sides and the edge.

Press the white chocolate coated section into the pistachio crumb. You can use your hands to lift and press crumbs in as needed. Once finished lay the sandwich on the tray in the freezer immediately to harden the chocolate quickly.

Repeat x 14 (or more if you squeezed extra out of your batches)

*The sandwiches are ready to eat as soon as the chocolate has set.

Gingerbread Biscuits

Makes around 35 biscuits

I shopped and baked different recipes before settling on this fabulous recipe which makes a rich and crisp Gingerbread biscuit.

Make a double batch every time. Gingerbread dough wrapped and tied with a biscuit cutter and baking instructions makes a gorgeous Christmas gift!

Ingredients

145g unsalted butter, soften to room temp

150g packed brown sugar

200g Golden Syrup

1 large egg, room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

437g plain flour 

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp ground ginger 

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground allspice

½ tsp ground cloves

Method

In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until smooth and creamy.

Add the brown sugar and Golden Syrup and beat on medium high speed until combined and creamy-looking. 

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. 

Next, beat in egg and vanilla on high speed for 2 full minutes scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. The butter may separate; that’s OK.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves together until combined. 

On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. 

The dough will be quite thick and slightly sticky. Divide dough in half and place each onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap each up tightly and pat down to create a disc shape. 

Chill discs overnight (and up to 3 days).

Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Line 2-3 large baking sheets with baking paper. Set aside.

Remove 1 disc of chilled dough from the refrigerator. Generously flour a work surface, as well as your hands and the rolling pin. Don’t be afraid to continually flour the work surface as needed - this dough can be sticky. Roll out disc until 3mm thick. Cut into 7.5cm rounds with a biscuit cutter.  Place shapes 2cm apart on lined baking trays. Re-roll dough scraps until all the dough is shaped. 

Repeat with remaining disc of dough.

Bake gingerbread for about 8-10 minutes or until your biscuits are just browning at the side. Allow biscuits to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. 

Biscuits stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Home Made Honeycomb

Ingredients

Butter, to line the tin

200g caster sugar

5 tbsp Golden Syrup

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

Butter a 20cm square tin. 

Stir the caster sugar and golden syrup together in a deep saucepan over a gentle heat until the sugar has melted. Don’t let the mixture bubble until the sugar grains have disappeared.

Turn up the heat a little and simmer until you have an amber-coloured caramel (this won’t take long), then as quickly as you can, turn off the heat, stir in bicarbonate of soda with a wooden spoon until it has all disappeared and the mixture is foaming. Scrape into the tin immediately and allow to spread naturally.

The mixture will continue bubbling in the tin. Leave to cool and set for around 1- ½ hours until the honeycomb is hard and ready to crumble. Crumble the honeycomb by placing it on baking paper on a tea towel, folding the tea towel and gently crushing it with a pestle or heavy tool. 

Cheats Honeycomb Ice Cream

Makes 1 tray Honeycomb Ice cream (25cm x 37cm x 3cm)

Ingredients

2 cups (500ml) whipping cream

1 tin (395g) condensed milk

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

½ batch crushed honeycomb chips (store bought or home made)

Method

Line your tray ready to freeze the ice cream in.

Place the cream, condensed milk and vanilla in a stand mixer and whip at medium high speed until soft peaks form.

Stir through the honeycomb and then tip the mixture into the prepared tray.

Even out the ice cream with a spatula and freeze overnight.

When you are ready to prepare the ice cream sandwiches, remove the tray from the freezer and, using the same biscuit cutter used for the gingerbread, portion out 15 rounds of ice cream.

Make Ahead

You could do all of this a couple of weeks out and freeze but if you want to start a week ahead follow this schedule.

1 week - Gingerbread dough

5 days - Prepare honeycomb

4 days - Prepare honeycomb ice cream

3 days - Cook and cool gingerbread / Assemble ice cream cookies and freeze

2 days - Dip cookies in white chocolate and pistachio and freeze