Almond Florentine and Black Raspberry Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

From the kitchen of Carly

Crispy, lacy almond florentines meet cold black raspberry chip ice cream in these elegant handheld sandwiches. The buttery cookies shatter against your teeth while creamy ice cream melts into every caramelized crevice. Simple ingredients, stunning results.

Almond Florentine and Black Raspberry Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

Almond Florentines are thin, lacy, toasty-sweet tuiles that shatter when you bite them. Paired with black raspberry chip ice cream, they soften just enough to hold the cold center without falling apart. The trick is cooking that butter-sugar-cream base until it thickens and starts to leave a path when stirred, then timing the bake so the edges caramelize while the centers stay chewy enough to flex.

Prep
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Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1/4 cupunsalted butter
  • 6 tbspsugar
  • 1/4 cupheavy whipping cream
  • 2 tbspplus 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cupsliced almonds
  • 1 pintblack raspberry chip ice cream or other raspberry-flavored ice cream

Instructions

  1. Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 350°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter, then stir in the sugar, cream, and flour, followed by the almonds. Keep stirring until the batter thickens, starts to bubble at the edges, and leaves a dry path when you drag a spoon through it, about 10 minutes. Pull the pan off the heat. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of batter onto the prepared sheets, aiming for about 24 cookies total, with each mound spaced 2 to 3 inches apart.

  2. Bake one sheet at a time, rotating the pan after 8 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown, about 16 minutes total. Leave them to cool completely on the sheets before handling.

  3. Cookies can be made 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

  4. Pulse the ice cream in the microwave at 10-second intervals on a very low setting until it just softens enough to scoop. Arrange 6 cookies flat side up on your work surface and mound 1/4 cup of ice cream onto each one, pressing it gently flat with a spatula. Set a second cookie flat side down on top of each mound and press very gently so everything adheres. Transfer the sandwiches to a baking sheet, cover tightly with foil, and freeze for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Watch the stovetop batter closely during the 10-minute cook time, stirring often. You need it thick enough to hold its shape on the sheet, not runny. Test readiness by dragging your spoon through it and seeing if the path holds for a moment.
  • Drop the batter mounds far apart, at least 2 to 3 inches. These spread aggressively and will touch if crowded. One sheet at a time is safer than trying to multitask.
  • Assemble sandwiches only after the cookies cool completely and are crisp. Warm cookies will crack or shatter when you press ice cream onto them. If cookies soften over time, chill them briefly in the freezer.

Variations

  • Lemon zest swap: Add 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest to the batter before baking, then pair with vanilla or lemon ice cream.
  • Chocolate dipped: Once cooled, dip the flat sides of half the cookies in melted dark or milk chocolate before assembling, for crunch and richness.
  • Toasted hazelnut version: Substitute sliced hazelnuts for almonds and use chocolate chip ice cream or salted caramel for deeper, more savory notes.
  • Cardamom warmth: Stir 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom into the batter along with the flour, and pair with pistachio or rose ice cream.

Make ahead and storage

Unfilled cookies keep airtight at room temperature for 1 day. Assembled sandwiches freeze on a foil-covered baking sheet for up to 2 days, then transfer to an airtight container if storing longer. Eat straight from the freezer, no thawing needed.