Caramel-Nut Ice Cream Sandwiches with Browned Butter Cookies

Start by browning the butter. Place the butter in a light-colored saucepan with a thick bottom and heat over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spatula. The butter will first melt, then start to foam, and after a moment, small white particles at the bottom will begin to brown and an intense, nutty aroma will develop. When you see small, golden-brown particles in the saucepan and it smells nutty (usually after 4–6 minutes), immediately remove from heat, strain through a sieve into a bowl, and set aside to cool to a temperature of about 40°C.

In a large bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder. Add the white sugar and salt. Mix the dry ingredients evenly with a spoon. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the cooled browned butter (it should be warm, not hot), add the egg and vanilla extract. Stir with a spoon or spatula just until the ingredients are combined — first, a crumbly mixture will form, then the dough will start to come together. If the dough seems too dry, add a teaspoon of cold water (maximum 5–10 g). Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes — chilled dough is easier to portion.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Take the chilled dough and divide it into 16 equal portions — it's best to weigh the balls at about 32–35 g each. Shape each portion into flat discs with a diameter of about 6–7 cm (flatten the dough with your hand or press it down on parchment paper). Arrange the discs on a baking sheet lined with parchment, leaving 3 cm of space between them. Bake for 12–14 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the center feels dry to the touch. After removing from the oven, cool on a rack — the cookies will harden and gain structure.

If the nuts are not very crunchy, toast them for another 2–3 minutes in a medium-hot dry skillet, shaking until they start to release their aroma. Chop them into small pieces (not into a paste — we want crunchiness). Set aside 80 g of the chopped nuts for the inside of the ice cream, and keep a tablespoon or two (about 10 g) for decoration.

Prepare caramel for mixing and for a light drizzle. In a small saucepan, melt 100 g of sugar over medium heat without stirring (you can gently shake the pan). When the sugar turns amber, remove the pot from the heat and very carefully pour in about 50 ml of cool cream (you can use cream from a 400 ml container — you will use part of it for whipping). Stir with a metal spoon until the sauce becomes smooth; if lumps appear, briefly reheat while stirring. Set aside to cool. Reserve part of the caramel (about 60–80 g) to mix into the ice cream, and keep the rest for drizzling when assembling.

Chill the bowl and the mixer attachments for 10 minutes in the fridge. Pour 350 ml of heavy cream (leave about 50 ml for the caramel) into the cold bowl and whip with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form — the cream should create wavy tips that gently fall (this takes 3–5 minutes). Then add 200 g of condensed milk and 5 g of vanilla extract, gently folding with a large spatula from the bottom up to avoid deflating the mixture. Fold in 80 g of chopped nuts and half of the cooled caramel (about 60–80 g), making short "swirling" motions to create a marbled pattern, rather than a uniform mixture.

Transfer the prepared mixture to a mold (a loaf pan or a small ice cream mold) lined with plastic wrap or baking paper. Smooth the surface with a spatula and spread a thin layer of the remaining caramel on top, gently dragging a spoon to create marbled cracks. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 4 hours (preferably 6 hours or overnight) until the mixture sets completely.

Before assembling, chop the chocolate into small pieces. Melt 120 g of dark chocolate in a water bath: place a bowl over a pot of gently boiling water (the bowl should not touch the water) and stir until the chocolate is smooth. You can add 15 g of butter (part of the butter is already in the recipe) for shine. Keep the chocolate warm, but not hot, in the bowl.

Remove the ice cream mold from the freezer and unwrap the foil. Using a round cookie cutter or an oval glass, cut out 8 equal rounds of ice cream that match the size of the cookies (if the ice cream is very hard, wait 3–5 minutes for it to soften slightly). On a cool board, place a cooled cookie upside down, add a portion of ice cream (round) and cover with a second cookie, gently pressing with your hands to ensure the ice cream fills the edges of the cookies and combines evenly. If necessary, press out any excess with a spoon. Arrange the finished sandwiches on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and return to the freezer for 30–60 minutes to firm up.

Remove the sandwiches from the freezer. Dip the edges of each sandwich in melted dark chocolate, turning them so that the chocolate coats the sides of the ice cream. Let the excess drip off. Place the sandwiches back on the paper and immediately sprinkle the edges with a pinch of coarse salt (and optionally toasted sesame seeds, if using). Return to the freezer for another 10–15 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.

Once the chocolate has set, remove the sandwiches and place them on a plate. Add mint leaves next to them (optional) and you can drizzle a bit of the remaining caramel on the plate for decoration. Take the sandwiches out of the freezer 3–5 minutes before serving, so the ice cream softens slightly — this makes them easier to bite into and the textures blend better.