Recipe: Cardamom Snickerdoodle Ice-Cream Sandwiches

the appetizer:

Spice Dreams: Flavored Ice Creams and Other Frozen Treats by Sara Engram, Katie Luber, Kimberly Toqe, includes recipes like Brown Sugar and Spiced Banana Ice Cream; Cardamom Snickerdoodle Ice-Cream Sandwiches; and Mango Sorbet with Cumin and Cinnamon.

Cardamom Snickerdoodle
Ice-Cream Sandwiches

Makes 9 sandwiches

A snickerdoodle with a big scoop of ice cream would be a treat in itself. Add spiced bananas to the mix, and this ice-cream sandwich will linger in your memory.

18 Cardamom Snickerdoodles (recipe below)
3 to 4-1/2 cups Brown Sugar and Spiced Banana Ice Cream
or your favorite spice cream, slightly softened.

Place one cookie top side down. Scoop 1/3 to 1/2 cup of ice cream onto the cookie. Place another cookie top side up on the ice cream and press gently to flatten the ice cream between the two cookies. Serve the ice-cream sandwiches immediately.

Cardamom Snickerdoodles

Makes 1-1/2 dozen cookies

These gently spiced snickerdoodles are ideal for ice-cream sandwiches—or for munching along with a dish of your favorite spice cream.

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon dried lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter and 3/4 cup of the sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the butter mixture and beat until combined.

Sift the flour, cream of tartar, lemon zest, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until combined.

Mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom in a small bowl. Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoons and shape the dough into balls. Roll the dough balls in the sugar mixture and place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 13 to 14 minutes, or until the centers are set. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet.