Family means everything to me…I have two boys–one is starting middle school in a couple of weeks, whilst the other remain at our former neighborhood to complete his studies in journalism.

Back in high school, my eldest boy Brendan did all of the baking.  I’ve missed that since our move(s) without him.  He would often bake at night, and when he did, we were all guaranteed an enjoyable treat.

Brendan came to visit us this weekend and last night, in collaboration with his girlfriend, (she’s also an avid baker) they came up with a special treat…

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 11/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 pt ice cream of choice, slightly softened

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly butter 2 baking sheets.  [NOTE:  If you have a professional-type oven, i.e. VIKING PROFESSIONAL preheat the oven to 300°F and bake for 7 minutes]
2. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, cook the brown sugar, butter, and chopped chocolate, stirring frequently, until the chocolate melts. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to lukewarm.
3. Add the egg and vanilla to the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and stir until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
4. Drop the dough by generous tablespoonfuls onto the prepared sheets, spacing the cookies at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart. You should have 12 cookies. With dampened fingers, smooth the cookies into slightly flattened rounds about 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter. Bake the cookies until the edges darken and the centers are still slightly soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
5. Lay half of the cookies, flat side up, on a work surface. Spread about 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./ 125 ml) of the ice cream on each cookie. Top each with one of the remaining cookies, flat side down. Smooth the sides and wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap. Lay on a clean, dry baking sheet and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days, before serving. Serves 6.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Dessert of the Day, by Kim Laidlaw (Weldon Owen, 2013).