Corn Cookie & Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches

2 sticks butter (225g / 1 cup), at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 large egg

1 1/3 cups flour

1/2 cup yellow corn flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup frozen corn kernels, chopped in a blender

6 cups strawberry ice cream

Servings: 24 Cookies, 12 sandwiches

Preparation: 20 minutes + 1 hour for cookie dough to rest in refrigerator

Total Time: 2 hours

Kitchen Equipment: stand mixer, blender, baking sheet

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, corn flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt - set aside.
2. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and beat for 7 minutes on medium.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add the mixture of flour, corn flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. In a blender, add 1 cup of frozen corn kernels and pulse on the chop setting until there are only small pieces of corn, at least half the size of the original kernel.
5. Then, add the small corn kernel pieces from the blender to the stand mixer and mix on low speed for about 15-30 seconds, just until the corn kernels are mixed in.
6. Using a tablespoon, portion out the dough, 2 tbsp per cookie, roll cookie dough into balls and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. Wrap the baking sheet tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature -- they will not bake properly.
8. Once the dough has been in the fridge for at least an hour, heat the oven to 350F.
9. Arrange the chilled cookie dough balls a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment-lined sheet pans. Bake for 12 minutes.  The cookies will crackle, and spread. They should be faintly browned on the edges; give them an extra minute if not.
10. Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a plate or to an airtight container for storage. At room temp, the cookies will keep fresh for 3 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.
11. Allow cookies to cool completely before assembling the gelato sandwiches and then place the cookies in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes before assembling - this will help keep the gelato sandwiches together once formed.
12. Let the gelato sit for a few minutes to soften, then scoop out about 1/2 cup of gelato and sandwich it gently between two cookies.
13. These can be eaten immediately or kept frozen for up to 1 month, just be sure to wrap them in parchment paper or plastic wrap and store in a container in the freezer so they don’t get freezer burn.
    

Recipe Pro Tips:

• Make these ice cream sandwiches ahead of time and then take them out about 5 minutes before serving so the sandwiches can soften slightly before enjoying!
• These cookies are also GREAT by themselves! The corn cookies will keep fresh for about 3 days at room temperature or about 1 month in the freezer.
• For a really simple dessert, crumble cookies over strawberry gelato and add fresh strawberries for a lovely sundae!

Recipe Notes:
The corn cookie recipe is based on the original Momofuku Milk Bar Corn Cookie with some substitutions.