Ice cream sandwiches with lavender-flavored coffin-shaped cookies and lemon gelato
Lemon Gelato
Ingredients
1 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 cup sugar
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
⅛ teaspoon salt
Zest lemon using a micro-planer or a very fine grater
Cut lemons in half and juice them, straining out all seeds
In a medium-size bowl, combine milk, cream, lemon juice, zest, sugar and salt. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and fully incorporated
Pour the mixture into a gelato or ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions
Yield will be approximately 1 quart of lemon gelato. Refrigerate until cookies are baked, cooled, and ready to be assembled
Lavender-flavored Coffin Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
½ teaspoon lavender extract
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
Lavender or purple food coloring gel
In stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until creamy
Add lavender extract and salt. Add food coloring gel until desired color is achieved (color will lighten when flour is added, so you have some wiggle room to adjust as desired)
Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour, only mixing until dough just comes together.
Divide dough in half, shaping each half into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside
Roll dough out 1/4-inch thick. Cut out shapes as desired and place on prepared sheets, leaving 1 inch of space between cookies
Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies should set and be slightly firm to the touch. Leave cookies on sheet to cool completely
Sandwich gelato between 2 cookies. Overfill and use a knife to gently create clean sides of each coffin, refrigerating each once perfected (the process is lovingly tedious and they'll start to melt if you leave them out!). Garnish as desired and serve immediately or place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month
