Halva Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies With Hazelnuts And Cacao Nibs

Makes 12 cookies, 6 sandwich cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup/115g butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup demerara sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup oats

4oz. at least 60% chocolate, chopped

For the ice cream

1 pint vanilla ice cream

1 cup crumbled halva (any flavor)

1/2 cup chopped roasted and salted hazelnuts

2 tablespoons cacao nibs

Directions

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix to incorporate. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix into wet ingredients until just combined, do not overmix. Fold in the oats and chocolate until evenly mixed in. Transfer the dough to the fridge for at least 1 hour, preferably 1 day.

Remove the ice cream from the freezer to soften for at least 30 minutes. In a bowl, mix the ice cream with the halva, hazelnuts, and cacao nibs. Return to pint and freeze until firm.

When ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350F. Remove the dough from the fridge and shape into 12 equal sized balls. Place them on a baking sheet at least 1.5 inch apart and bake for 8-12 minutes. The cookies should be golden brown yet still tender. You want them slightly undercooked so you get a soft center to complement the creamy ice cream. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Remove the ice cream from the freezer to assemble the ice cream sandwiches. Scoop a ball of ice cream onto a cookie and top with another cookie. Give it a gentle smush before storing it in the freezer. You can wrap each ice cream sandwich in plastic wrap for optimal storage. Enjoy.