Ice Cream Gingersnap Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 cup butter (room temperature) 1 cup brown sugar (packed) 12 cup molasses (unsulphured) 1 egg 312 cups flour 1 tsp baking soda 12 tsp salt

2 tsps ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

12 tsp ground cloves

12 tsp ground nutmeg

12 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)

3 pts caramel ice cream (vanilla)

Directions

1	1. Beat butter and brown sugar together in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed. Mix in molasses, then egg, until blended, scraping bowl as needed.
2	2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices; add to butter mixture on low speed, mixing until combined.
3	3. Divide dough in half, shape each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 3 hours.
4	4. Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap dough. On a generously floured surface, roll out each disk until 1/8 in. thick. Using round 2 1/2- to 3-in. cookie cutters, cut out dough and arrange circles about 1 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets (use a small spatula to transfer). Reroll scraps as needed.
5	5. Bake cookies until dry-looking and just starting to brown on edges, about 8 minutes. Set pans on racks and let cookies cool on pans.
6	6. Scoop about 2 tbsp. ice cream onto the flat side of one cookie and sandwich with another cookie. Freeze airtight until firm.
7	Make ahead: Chill dough (step 3) up to 1 week. Store baked cookies airtight up to 3 days.
8	Note: Nutritional analysis is per sandwich cookie.

Chocolate Shortcakes with Vanilla Ice Cream, 

Strawberries and Fudge Sauce

Ingredients

23 cup whipping cream 14 cup chocolate syrup (hershey) 1 tsp vanilla extract 12 tsp espresso powder (instant, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water) 1 12 cups all purpose flour (unbleached) 12 cup sugar (6 teaspoons) 13 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably)

12 tsp salt

14 cup unsalted butter (chilled, cut into 12 inch pieces)

2 tbsps unsalted butter (melted)

3 tbsps banana liqueur (brandy)

sauce (fudge)

vanilla ice cream

strawberry (liqueur)

1 tbsp baking powder Directions

1	Preheat oven to 400°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk cream, chocolate syrup, vanilla and dissolved espresso powder in small bowl.
2	Blend flour, 1/2 cup sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in processor. Add 1/4 cup chilled butter; process until mixture resembles fine meal. Add chocolate-cream mixture and blend, using on/off turns, until moist clumps form.
3	Turn dough out onto work surface. Gather dough into ball; divide into 6 equal pieces. Using lightly floured hands, form each piece into 2-inch-high, 2-inch-diameter mound. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing shortcakes 3 inches apart (shortcakes will spread). Brush tops of shortcakes with melted butter. Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon sugar.
4	Bake shortcakes until tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheet. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in 350°F oven about 5 minutes before continuing.)
5	Cut shortcakes horizontally in half. Whisk banana liqueur into warm Fudge Sauce. Spoon scant 1/3 cup warm sauce onto each of 6 plates. Place bottoms of shortcakes onto sauce. Top with scoop of ice cream. Spoon strawberries over. Add shortcake tops and serve.

Brownie Ice-Cream Sandwiches with Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

1 oz unsweetened chocolate (chopped) 18 cup unsalted butter (cut into pieces) 1 large eggs 12 cup brown sugar (firmly packed) 12 tsp vanilla 12 cup all-purpose flour

14 tsp cinnamon

14 tsp salt

1 pt coffee ice cream

caramel (sauceas an accompaniment)

Directions

1

In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water melt the chocolate and the butter, stirring until the mixture is smooth, and let the mixture cool. Beat in the egg, the brown sugar,and the vanilla and stir in the flour, the cinnamon,and the salt. Divide the mixture into 16 mounds, abut 3 inches apart, on buttered baking sheets and bake the brownies in the middle of a preheated 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are just firm. (They will flatten into disks.) transfer the brownies with a spatula to racks to cool and freeze them for 30 minutes, or until they are very firm.

2

Divide the ice cream, softened, among the flat sides of 8 of the brownies, spreading it smooth, and top the ice cream with the remaining brownies, flat sides down. Freeze the ice-cream sandwiches, covered, for at least 1 hour or overnight. Serve the ice-cream sandwiches drizzled with the caramel sauce.

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

cupcake 19 12 ozs brownie mix (pillsbury, classics traditional fudge) 2 eggs 12 cup crisco (vegetable oil) 14 cup water

1 12 cups semi-sweet chocolate (semi sweet, chips)

frosting

12 ozs frosting (pillsbury vanilla funfetti)

34 cup creamy peanut butter (jif)

 Directions

1	Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Line 18 regular muffin cups with paper cupcake liners.
2	Mix brownie mix, eggs, oil and water in a medium mixing bowl until well blended. Fill the muffin cups half full with brownie batter. Place about 1 tablespoon chocolate chips in the center of the batter.
3	Bake 18-20 minutes or until set. Cool slightly. Remove from muffin pans and let cool completely on wire racks.
4	Stir together frosting and peanut butter in a medium bowl. Spread over top of cooled cupcakes. Using the container of sprinkles included with the frosting, decorate the top of each cupcake.

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch

Ingredients

16 ozs vanilla (bark coating squares) 2 tbsps creamy peanut butter 2ection cups miniature marshmallows

2 cups rice cereal (crisp)

2 cups peanuts (dry-roasted)

Directions

1	Microwave coating in a large glass bowl at HIGH 2 minutes or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in peanut butter until smooth. Stir in marshmallows, cereal, and peanuts.
2	Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let stand 15 minutes or until firm.

     Hazelnut Cookies

These cookies made with ground hazelnuts and decorated with blue icing are a popular treat for Hanukkah.

Prep Time:  30 mins 

Total Time:  38 mins 

Servings: Makes about 36 cookies.

Ingredients

 1-3/4 cups  all-purpose flour 

 1/2 cup  finely ground hazelnuts 

 1 teaspoon  poppy seed (optional) 

 1/2 teaspoon  baking powder 

 3/4 cup  margarine, softened (see Note, below) 

 3/4 cup  granulated sugar 

 1   egg 

 1 teaspoon  vanilla 

 2 cups  sifted powdered sugar 

 1 teaspoon  vanilla 

 2 to 3 tablespoons  apple juice 

   Blue food coloring

Directions

 1. In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, ground hazelnuts, poppy seed (if using), and baking powder; set   aside.

 2. In a large mixing bowl beat margarine and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until fluffy. Add egg and the 1 teaspoon vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed until combined. Cover and chill dough at least 3 hours or until easy to handle.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Using 2-inch cookie                cutters, cut dough into desired shapes. Place cutouts about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

 4. Bake cookies in a 375 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

 5. For apple icing, in a medium mixing bowl stir together powdered sugar, the 1 teaspoon vanilla, and enough apple juice to make a glaze. Divide in half. Tint half of the icing with blue food coloring; leave other half white. Decorate cooled cookies with white and blue apple icing. Makes about 36 cookies.

Test Kitchen Note

 When selecting margarine for baking, be sure it contains no less than 70 percent vegetable oil and that it is called margarine on the label. For most cookie baking, do not use any product called a spread or those products labeled diet, whipped, liquid, or soft. They have a high water content and do not give satisfactory baking results.

Nutrition Facts

 Calories 105, Total Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 6 mg, Sodium 52 mg, Carbohydrate 14 g, Fiber 0 g, Protein 1 g. Daily Values: Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 0%, Iron 0%.

 Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.