This recipe makes a soft and chewy cookie – filled with premium ice cream, it’s a dizzying upgrade from the usual ice cream sandwiches you buy at the grocery store. Don’t go too thick with the filling – you want a sandwich you can enjoy a full bite of without squishing the ice cream out of the back and onto your lap.

• 2 cups flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 ½ sticks butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup Brer Rabbit full flavor molasses
• 1-2 quarts ice cream, slightly softened

Mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. In mixer bowl, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy. Stir in egg and molasses; blend well. Add flour but don’t overmix. Cover tightly and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and put on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Don’t crowd – they will spread during baking. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cool cookies on sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to wire rack to cool.

When cookies are completely cooled, scoop ¼ to ½ cup ice cream on a cookie, and spread to edges. Top with second cookie. Wrap sandwich in plastic wrap, and put in the freezer; chill finished sandwiches for at least 2 hours before serving.

Carla has made these with vanilla, eggnog, butter brickle, caramel pecan swirl and chocolate ice cream. The best, no contest, was the butter brickle – the chocolate was okay but not nearly as good as the others. Try cinnamon, or peach ice cream, perhaps, or dulce de leche?