We call for English-style bitter orange marmalade (made with Seville oranges and often called Dundee) because other types made the ice cream too sweet and too soft. It's available at specialty foods shops and some supermarkets. This recipe makes about a dozen more florentines than you'll need for the sandwiches, but it's a good idea to have extra in case one or two break — and the cookies are delicious even without the ice cream.
Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 7 hr (includes freezing)
Florentine cookies (brushed with chocolate but not filled with ice cream) can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, layered between sheets of wax paper, in an airtight container. Ice cream sandwiches can be assembled 3 days ahead and frozen, individually wrapped well in plastic wrap. Let soften in refrigerator 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 12 sandwiches
Ingredients
For ice cream
For florentines
Special Equipment
Preparation
Make ice cream:
Step 1
Finely grate zest from 2 oranges and cover zest with plastic wrap. Squeeze enough juice from all 3 oranges to measure 1 1/2 cups. Bring juice and 3 tablespoons sugar to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan and simmer until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Add marmalade and simmer, stirring, until melted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool.
Step 2
Bring half-and-half, cream, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and grated zest to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Whisk yolks in a bowl until blended, then add 1/2 cup hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Stir custard into cream mixture in saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 175 to 180°F on thermometer (do not let boil).
Step 3
Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a (clean) metal bowl and stir in marmalade mixture, vanilla, almond extract, and salt. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, then chill, covered, until cold, at least 2 hours.
Step 4
Freeze custard in ice cream maker. While ice cream is freezing, oil bottom and sides of a 13- by 9-inch baking pan, then line bottom lengthwise with a sheet of plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on each short end. Spread ice cream in pan, smoothing top, then wrap pan in plastic wrap and freeze until ice cream is hardened, about 4 hours.
Make florentines while ice cream hardens:
Step 5
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Step 6
Pulse almonds with sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Cook almond mixture, butter, corn syrup, cream, vanilla, and salt in cleaned 1-quart saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in flour, then transfer batter to a bowl and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
Step 7
Roll level teaspoons of batter into balls and arrange about 3 inches apart on baking sheets. Gently flatten balls to about 1 1/4 inches in diameter with a fingertip.
Step 8
Bake cookies in batches until golden brown, 7 to 9 minutes. Slide parchment with cookies from sheet onto a rack to cool completely.
Step 9
Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, then remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat.
Step 10
Working with 1 cookie at a time, lightly brush undersides of cookies with chocolate and put, chocolate sides up, on rack. Chill cookies in 1 layer until chocolate sets, about 5 minutes.
Assemble sandwiches:
Step 11
Unwrap pan of ice cream and cut out 12 (2 1/2-inch) ice cream rounds with cookie cutter. Lift out rounds with offset spatula and sandwich each between 2 chilled florentines, chocolate sides in.
