Cover Recipe: Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream Sandwiches

I am little bit late for the July Cover Recipe post, but better late then never!  I clearly have a thing for berries an ice cream, because this month I again turned to these fabulous summer ingredients to make chocolate raspberry ice cream sandwiches from the July issue of Food Network Magazine.  Not my favorite food magazine  - I'll admit it, I am a snob about the Food Network.  In spite of this, the ice cream sandwiches are perfect for July and I fancied them a little bit by making my own ganache.  The magazine recipe doesn't specifiy ingredients for these and the only homemade piece is the cookies.  But that is what is great about these - make these cookies and a million different variations are at your finger tips.  Want to make your own ice cream, go for it!  Want to make homemade toppings, go for it!  Want to combine weird flavors like mint chocolate chip and strawberries - the world is your oyster, do what makes you happy!  I went with the cover recipe of the chocolate cookie, fudge sauce, berry ice cream and fresh raspberries.  An elegant seasonal choice for July.  These cookies are really keepers - they came together easily, taste delicious and froze beautifully.  Summer is still here, have fun!
Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream Sandwiches, adapted from Food Network Magazine
(printable recipe)
Ingredients (Chocolate Cookies)
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup shortening, room temperature
1 and 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all purpose flour, plus more for sprinklinf
Ingredients (Chocolate Ganache)
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
Other ingredients
Black raspberry or other ice cream
raspberries

Directions:

1. Combine butter, shortening, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl and beat with a mixer medium speed until light and fluffy  - 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add the cocoa powder, baking powder, vanilla and salt and beat until combined.
3. Add 1 and 1/2 cup of flour and 3 tablespoons of water to the bowl, mix on low speed until the dough is smoothed.
4. Add the remaining 1 and 1/2 cups of flour and 3 more tablespoons of water and mix on low speed until the dough is smooth.  Add more water if the dough seems dry.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Flour a board to roll out the dough.  Divide the dough in half, pat one half into a rectangle.  Roll the dough into a rectangle that is 1/8 to 1/4 an inch thick.  Cut out into desired shapes with cookie cutters or a paring knife- I cut 2 - 3 inch rectangles.
7. Using a skewer, poke holes in the cookies so they look like ice cream sandwich cookies if you desire.
8. Take the cookie sheet and put it in freezer to freeze cookies for 10 minutes.
9. Take out cookies, bake until set, for 10 minutes.
10. Let cook completely on rack.
11. To make the ganache, heat a small sauce pan with 2 inches of water over medium heat.  Combine the chocolate and cream in a metal bowl and place on top of the sauce pan with water.  Do not let the bowl touch the water.  Heat until the chocolate is melted.  Take off heat, stir thoroughly to combine.  Let cool to room temperature.
12. To assemble, spread some of the cooled ganache on a cookie.  Using spoons warmed with hot water, put about 3/4 cup of ice cream on top of the cookie.  Take a second cookie, spread chocolate ganache on top, place 4 - 5 raspberries on top of the ganache, then press the cookie, ganache side down, on top of the ice cream.
13. Gently press together, wrap with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 45 minutes before serving.
14. This will work with any sauce, any ice cream, any mix ins.  Have fun.