Mandarin Ginger Ice Cream Cups

September 13, 2015

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Have you ever bit into a cookie and immediately had to close your eyes simply because you need to savor each and every single flavor in your mouth? I don’t do it very often with cookies unless it’s a homemade chocolate chip variety, but I will forever remember that moment when I took my first bite of this particular cookie…

The Cookie Department’s “Snap Back“…

I can’t even begin to describe everything going on in a single cookie. So rich. So flavorful. So perfect. I adore the little sugar crystals on top that give a little bit of crunch and texture. And the center, OH my, the center! It’s so absolutely soft and moist. I could easily eat the entire cookie in under a minute, but again, there are ‘cookies’ and then there are “COOKIES”. This is definitely a COOKIE and must be completely savored from beginning to end!!!

After eating 3, 4, 5 of these cookies (by myself, with my eyes closed of course), the baker and recipe developer in me couldn’t help but think of ways I could completely transform it. There certainly wasn’t a “need” to do it because the cookies are perfect on their own, but I kept having visions of combining other flavors into a whole new dessert, just how my brain works most of the time! My initial thoughts revolved around lemons and some type of cheesecake, but that would take too long and the only citrus I had in the house was a bag of mandarin oranges. I wanted something quick and easy.

I knew I absolutely did NOT want to go to the store, gather a bunch of ingredients together, get a bunch of dishes dirty, and then wait an hour for something to bake AND then cool before I ate it. Also, with temperatures in the high 90’s here in San Diego, the last thing I wanted to do was make my house even hotter with that oven on! Then it hit me… ice cream! Of course! Is there anything better than ice cream on a hot day??? Perhaps a frozen drink, but I had ginger cookies in mind and had my heart set on something a bit better than a smoothie with a cookie crumble (although that would be fabulous as well)!

OK! So I have my Snap Back Ginger cookie, mandarin oranges, and ice cream. Sounds like a plan! Cookie as the base and I will take pre made ice cream and change the flavor to what I had envisioned in my head. Easy, simple. I knew this was going to work. I didn’t know how amazing it would be, but I knew it would work! AND… why not throw a little Cookie Butter into the party? I mean, Cookie Butter on anything is magical. Since it has that warm, spiced type of flavor, it would definitely lend itself well to the ginger!!!

HOLY GLORIOUS GOD OF FOOD…

Wait, are you seeing this??? Not only do these look as good as they taste, but they went far beyond anything I first envisioned!

However, I still wasn’t done…

After making the crust and ice cream layers, I felt like it was still missing a little something visually. It needed some type of drizzle. When in doubt… you find a nut butter! I will almost always reach for peanut butter in this type of situation (or Cookie Butter, but I already used that haha) and I didn’t think ‘peanut’ would pair very well with these flavors. It needed something a bit more tropical & exotic, yet subtle. Instead of peanut, I opted for a coconut cashew butter by You Fresh Naturals… White Chocolate to be exact!

EXACTLY what it needed and took these from already amazing to downright perfection! HUGE flavors and each are so distinct from one another. Each layer on it’s own is so rich, but when you combine them it’s like an explosion! The Cookie Butter brings even more of the bold ginger flavor out of the cookies themselves. The mandarin zest and juice give it that tang and freshness. Then the white chocolate cashew coconut butter gives it a hint of depth and interest. And the creaminess of the ice cream just brings it all home!

I swear. I think I may use the Snap Back Ginger cookie in ALL of my crusts from now on, especially for Fall desserts. Words can’t describe how amazing it works as the base. The ginger literally just feels like a warm hug on a cold day!

And that cheesecake idea I have? Yeah, that’s definitely going down next… just look at this crust!

One of the BEST “Under 5 Ingredient” recipes to date… this one is going down in the books!

10% OFF your entire Cookie Department order using coupon code CORINA at checkout!!!

Mandarin Ginger Ice Cream Cups

Print recipe

Serves	2
Prep time	5 minutes
Meal type	Dessert

Ingredients

1 Small Ginger "Snap Back" The Cookie Dept Cookie (10% OFF coupon below)
1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon Cookie Butter
3/4 Vanilla Bean 'Halo Top' Ice Cream (or vanilla ice cream of choice)
2 mandarin oranges

Optional

2 tablespoons You Fresh Naturals White Chocolate Cashew Coconut Butter

Directions

Step 1
	Remove vanilla ice cream from the freezer and let thaw/temper slightly while preparing crust. In a small bowl, break The Cookie Dept "Ginger" cookie up into a course crumble. You can use a fork to help if needed. Stir in applesauce and cookie butter. Divide and press into the bottom of two silicon/plastic molds. Set aside.
Step 2
	Zest mandarin orange into a small bowl, then slice in half and squeeze out 1-2 tablespoons of juice into bowl with zest. Add softened ice cream to the bowl. Stir until ingredients are well incorporated.
Step 3
	Divide and pour ice cream onto each of the ginger crusts. Place in freezer for 1-3 hours or overnight to set. Garnish with extra mandarin orange and drizzle on nut butter if desired.