A sweet Christmas treat.

The biscuit itself is a cross between a gingerbread man and a chocolate cookie. It s fantastic on its own, but sandwiching a slab of vanilla bean ice cream in the middle takes it to the next level.

Tip: This works best with the 1L blocks/bricks of ice cream (the ones in the cardboard boxes), rather than the tubs, as they are easier to slice.

Choc-Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwiches
Yields: 8 Sandwiches (16 cookies)

Prep time: 45 mins (plus chilling time)

Cook time: 10 12 mins

Ingredients - The Cookie Dough
125g Unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (100g) Brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup Golden syrup
1 Egg yolk
2? cups Plain flour, sifted
2 tbsp Cocoa powder, sifted
1 tbsp Ground ginger
1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda

Ingredients - Assembly & Decoration
100g Dark chocolate, melted (for drizzling)
2 tbsp Glace ginger, finely chopped (for buttons/decoration)
1L Vanilla bean ice-cream (block style is best)

Method

Step 1: Make the Dough

Cream: Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy.

Combine: Add the golden syrup and egg yolk. Beat until combined.

Mix: Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, ground ginger, and bicarb soda.

Knead: Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead gently until smooth.

Chill: Press the dough into a flat disc, wrap in baking paper or cling film, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (Don't skip this, or the gingerbread men will spread too much in the oven).

Step 2: Bake

Preheat oven to 170°C fan-forced (190°C standard). Line two large trays with baking paper.

Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper until it's about 5mm thick.

Using a 10cm gingerbread man cutter, cut out your shapes. You will need 16 men in total (re-roll the scraps as needed).

Bake for 10 12 minutes or until they feel slightly firm to the touch.

Important: Let them cool completely on the trays. If they are warm, they will melt the ice cream instantly!

Step 3: Decorate (The Top Half)

Take 8 of the cooled gingerbread men (these will be your top layers).

Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave (30-second bursts).

Drizzle the chocolate over the 8 cookies and press pieces of glace ginger on as "buttons."

Let these set while you prepare the ice cream.

Step 4: The Ice Cream Assembly

Take your 1L ice cream block out of the freezer.

The Hack: Use scissors to cut the cardboard container open and peel it away so you have a naked block of ice cream on a cutting board.

Slice the block into 8 equal thick slabs.

Use your gingerbread cutter to punch a "man" shape out of each slab of ice cream.

Place the ice cream man on top of a plain cookie, then place a decorated cookie on top to sandwich it.

Place immediately into the freezer for at least 1 hour to firm up before serving.

Notes & Tips

Speed is key: When cutting the ice cream, work fast! If it's a hot day, you might want to cut the ice cream shapes and put them back in the freezer on a tray for 20 mins before sandwiching them with the cookies.

Make Ahead: These can be made 2 3 days in advance. Just store them in a sealed container in the freezer with baking paper between them so they don't stick together.