Vanilla-Rose Ice Cream Sandwiches with Cardamom Toast

Photo: Nina Gallant • Food Styling: Madison Trapkin. Photo: Nina Gallant • Food Styling: Madison Trapkin

Pooja Bavishi’s Brooklyn-based operation, Malai , is beloved for its vast menu of spiced ice creams, sorbets, and other South Asian-inspired frozen treats—think kulfi pops and gulab jamun ice cream cake. In Bavishi’s at-home riff on her shop’s ice cream sando, buttery cardamom toast sandwiches a rosy no-churn filling. Cool the bread before assembling, then dip in chocolate for a rich, heavenly shell. If you prefer a meltier treat, assemble while the toasts are still warm, and serve immediately with a knife and fork. This recipe makes more ice cream than you “need,” but leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Featured in “ 6 Bold Ice Cream Sandwich Recipes to Change Things Up This Summer ” by Kat Craddock.

Yield: Makes 12 sandwiches Time: 6 hours

Ingredients

For the ice cream:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• One 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp. rosewater
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. fine salt
• Red food coloring (optional)

For the toasts:

• Twelve ½-in.-thick white sandwich bread slices
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ tsp. ground cardamom
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ cup ghee, divided

For the chocolate shell (optional):

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 Tbsp. coconut oil

Instructions

1. Make the ice cream: Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the cream to soft peaks. Remove the bowl from the stand, and using the whip attachment, gently fold in the condensed milk. Stir in the rosewater, vanilla, salt, and a few drops of food coloring, if desired, transfer to a freezer-safe container with a tight-fitting lid, cover, and freeze until firm, at least 4 and up to 24 hours.
2. Make the toasts: Using a rolling pin, flatten each bread slice as thinly as possible. Using a 2-inch circular cookie cutter or water glass, punch out two circles from each slice. (Discard the crusts or save to make bread crumbs.) In a shallow bowl, stir together the sugar, cardamom, and salt.
3. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add 3 bread rounds and shallow-fry until the bottoms are evenly golden brown, 60–90 seconds. Flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side, 60–90 seconds more. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, blot gently, then immediately dredge in the cardamom sugar to coat. Repeat with the remaining bread rounds and ghee, then set aside to cool to room temperature.
4. Line a chilled baking sheet or large platter with parchment, then arrange six of the toast slices on it. Top each with approximately 2 tablespoons of ice cream followed by a second toast slice. Gently press down the top slices to make sandwiches. If dipping the sandwiches in chocolate shell, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer until the ice cream is firm and the toast is very cold, about 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make the chocolate shell, if desired: In a double-boiler over medium heat, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil, stirring frequently, until smooth. (Alternately, microwave the ingredients on low, stopping to stir every 30 seconds, until just melted, about 90 seconds total.) Set aside until thick and barely warm to the touch.
6. Dip one half of each sandwich into the chocolate shell and set the entire sandwich back onto the lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining sandwiches and return to the freezer until the chocolate has fully set, at least 1 hour. (If serving the sandwiches more than 4 hours later, wrap the tray tightly with plastic wrap.)