With the midsummer heat in full force and ripe lemons dropping from the tree in my yard on a daily basis, it seemed like something needed to be done. . .
. . . so lemons were picked and baked. . .
. . . ice cream was layered. . .
. . . and covered. . .
. . . and this lovely summer gem. . .
. . . was born.
Lemon Cookie Ice Cream Cake
Ingredients: Serves 4-6
Cookie layers
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 packed teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4-5 cups of your favorite all natural vanilla ice cream
- 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
Preheat the oven to 350
Cream the butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Slowly add it to the butter and sugar mixture until completely incorporated.
On a parchment lined baking sheet make three cookie rounds that are roughly 6" in diameter and 1/4" thick. The dough will spread a little so leave enough room between the cookies. Place the baking sheet in the freezer to chill the dough for 10 min.
After the dough has been chilled, place the cookie layers in the oven and bake until the edges are just golden (7-10 min). Remove from oven and let sit 1-2 minutes. Place on a wire rack to continue cooling (use a spatula to do this, the cookies will be fragile.
When the cookies are cool, cut them into uniform circles using a 6" paper template or, if you have one, a 6" lid to a jar.
Begin layering the ice cream and cookies on a sheet of wax paper. If things begin to melt, stop and place it in the freezer for a bit before proceeding. When the cake is 4"-5" tall wrap with wax paper and freeze until very solid (over night would be great).
When the cake is frozen combine the chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk until smooth (I found this trick here). Remove from heat and cool until still pourable, but just barely warmer than room temperature.
Take the frozen cake out from the freezer and pour the chocolate over the cake. It should harden pretty much immediately. Coat the cake evenly, but try not to double layer the chocolate as it makes cutting the cake later a bit more challenging.
Return the cake to the freezer until frozen again.
To serve, dip a knife in hot water before each cut. The cake is small, but very rich, so a little slice goes a long way.
Happy summer!
~ Sarah
*Last time in Recipes: Gluten Free Granola Bar
