Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1/3 cup molasses
1 egg
3/4 cup cake flour
1/2 cup bread flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Extra sugar, to coat cookies
Bacon Caramel Semifreddo, for serving, recipe follows
Cooked bacon, crumbled, for serving

Bacon Caramel Semifreddo:

3 cups heavy cream
8 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup rendered bacon fat

Directions

Cream together the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the molasses and egg and mix until thoroughly combined.

In a medium bowl, add the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, salt and spices and whisk together. Pour into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

Scoop the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form a log. Refrigerate and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.

While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and form into golf ball-size balls. Roll in the sugar to coat and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 4 minutes, then rotate the cookie sheet and then bake for another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the baked cookies from the oven and cool.

Use a 4-inch ring cutter to cut out rings of the Bacon Caramel Semifreddo and place on a cookie. Then add the crumbled bacon and sandwich with another cookie to make ice cream sandwiches.

Cook’s Note: You can always substitute regular caramel ice cream instead of the semifreddo.

Bacon Caramel Semifreddo:

In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Set aside to chill in the fridge. Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites on low until frothy. Increase the speed to medium and slowly add 3/4 cup of sugar. Whip to stiff, glossy peaks.

Meanwhile, begin whipping the egg yolks on medium speed. Slowly add the bacon fat as the yolks begin to increase in volume. In a small saucepot, bring the remaining sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow the sugar mixture to cook until it reaches 245 degrees F. Remove the sugar from the heat and slowly stream to combine with the whipped yolk mixture. Whip the yolks mixture until it triples in volume and cools completely.

Once all three mixtures are prepared fold one-third meringue into the yolk mixture. Then gently fold the yolk mixture back into the remaining meringue in two equal additions. Just before it is completely combined, begin to fold in the whipped cream. Continue to gently fold together until completely incorporated. Spread evenly into a 17-by-12-inch jelly-roll pan. Place in the freezer until firm.

Recipe Courtesy of K. Gillespie