SUMMER BERRY AND MERINGUE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

I don’t think anyone wants to spend hours in the kitchen on a beautiful, hot summers day!  So whipping something out of the freezer on a moments notice is rather nifty I would say.

This recipe is by cooking goddess Frankie Unsworth.  (It is worth investing in this book, I have now made 2 of her recipes and both has not only been delicious but also a complete success!)

Anyhoo, I think this recipe can be as easy as you want it to be.  You can either buy your vanilla ice cream or make it yourself.  Frozen berries are far cheaper than the fresh ones (well in Norway they are anyway) and I always have a stash in my freezer.  For this recipe I bought the best possible vanilla ice cream and yes, I got store-bought mini meringues.

Feel playful if you want and wrap these little sandwiches in wax paper and tie up with colourful string.  I can almost picture a beautifully styled outdoor summers table serving these little wrapped parcels of deliciousness …..swoon and enjoy everyone!

Bon appetit!

You’ll need

  • • For the ice cream
  • 1lt x vanilla ice cream
  • 300g frozen berries (I used blackberries and raspberries)
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 75g ready-made meringues
  • • For the biscuit
  • 150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 1 x egg
  • 160g x all purpose flour
  • 40g x cocoa powder
  • Pinch of salt

Method

  1. Place the ice cream in the fridge to soften.
  2. Place the frozen berries into a pan with the sugar on low heat for 4-5 minutes, just long enough to defrost and the juices to be released. Set aside and cool completely.
  3. Place the softened ice cream into a large bowl and lightly stir in the berries, their juices and the crumbled meringue. (Be careful not to break up the berries in this process)
  4. Line a 23 x 23cm dish with a minimum height of 4cm with clingfilm.
  5. Pour the ice cream mix into the dish and smooth over with a spatula.
  6. Cover the top with clingfilm and freeze for 5-6 hours.
  7. For the biscuits, preheat the oven to 190°C and line 1 large or 2 medium sized baking trays with parchment paper.
  8. Place the butter and sugar into your stand mixer and beat until pale and fluffy, add the egg and mix well.
  9. Replace your balloon which with a dough hook and add the cocoa powder, flour and salt. Mix to form a soft ball of dough.
  10. Cut the dough in half and dust each piece with flour on both sides.
  11. Roll out between two sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle of about 3mm thick. (I have made 2 rectangles of 23 x 23cm, the same size as the dish in which I have frozen the ice cream.)
  12. Place the sheets in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm up. (This makes it much easier to cut accurately)
  13. Cut the chilled dough into 16 rectangles of about 5 x 9cm. (It is best to use a ruler to make sure all the rectangles are the same size. Cut with a sharp knife or a pizza slicer. I have used my pasta cutter which gave me a pretty zigzag pattern on the edges)
  14. Use a fork to prick the top of the biscuits and carefully transfer each slice to your baking tray.
  15. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until firm. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
  16. For the assembly, make sure your ice cream is completely set before you flip it out onto a cutting board.
  17. Cut the ice cream into the same size as the biscuits and sandwich together.
  18. Serve immediately or wrap individually in wax paper and store in the freezer.

Tip : Do remember to freeze your ice cream flat, you want an even thickness once it has frozen.

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