The history of Neapolitan ice cream is a colorful one, as you might expect. Though the ice cream method came from Naples, pressed blocks of frozen desserts in multiple flavors became all the rage in France in the 19th century. One of Naples’s most famous ice cream makers, Giuseppe Tortoni, ran a café in Paris, frequented by Manet and Balzac. “Neapolitan” became the overarching term for the striped ice cream desserts. Modern ice cream methods use commercial molds to make the layers, but we’re doing it the old-timey way. If there ever was a case for getting yourself a second (or third!) ice cream freezer bowl, you’re looking at it.
YIELD: 10 ice cream sandwiches
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours, plus chilling time
DIFFICULTY: 5
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: stand mixer, ice cream maker, additional freezer bowls (optional— see Ice Cream 101, page 187), pastry or pizza cutter, offset spatula
ICE CREAM BASES
3 cups light cream or whipping cream
1/2 cup (3-1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon powdered freeze-dried strawberries (see page 109)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
SANDWICH COOKIES
1-1/2 cups (6-3/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1-1/2 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch kosher salt
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
1 large egg
MAKE THE ICE CREAM BASES:
Bring the cream to a bare simmer in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, just until it is steaming and small bubbles form around the edges. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar until fully dissolved.
Divide equally into 3 bowls, with about 1 cup in each (there will actually be a little more than 3 cups total). Whisk the powdered strawberries into one bowl, the cocoa powder into another, and the vanilla into the third.
Cover each bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until fully chilled (or use the quick-cool method, page 188).
MAKE THE SANDWICH COOKIES:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Cut a sheet of parchment paper and a sheet of waxed paper large enough to fit your baking sheet.
Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl until well blended and uniform in color.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and stir on low speed for 30 seconds to combine thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients until just incorporated to make a sticky dough, scraping down the bowl halfway through to make sure everything is homogenous.
Turn the dough out onto the parchment paper, press it into a rough square, and place the waxed paper on top. Roll into a 13 by 11-inch rectangle 1/8 inch thick. Try to make the edges as even as possible to avoid having to trim and waste dough after baking.
Remove the waxed paper and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the dough seems puffy and slightly underbaked but a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then carefully slide the entire cookie and parchment paper onto a large wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER:
Using an ice cream maker, freeze each ice cream base according to the manufacturer’s instructions until it reaches soft-serve consistency (about 10 minutes per flavor). If you only have one ice cream bowl, transfer each finished flavor to a clean bowl, cover, and store in the freezer until all the flavors are finished. You can clean and re-freeze your bowl before starting a new flavor or simply use a silicone spatula or spoonula to scrape out the ice cream (no metal tools—they’ll irreparably damage the bowl). A few bits will remain, but most will peel off so a new base can be poured in.
Trim the cookie as needed to a 12 by 10-inch rectangle, then use a pastry or pizza cutter to slice it into 4 (10 by 3-inch) strips. Flip the strips over onto a large sheet of waxed paper so that the flat undersides are facing up. Using an offset spatula and your fingers, spread 2 rectangles with even stripes of the 3 ice cream flavors, running the long (10-inch) direction. Top with the remaining cookie rectangles, flat sides down, pressing very gently to adhere. Cover and freeze for 2 hours to make sure the ice cream is completely firm.
Slice each strip into 5 ice cream sandwiches, each 2 inches wide. For an extra touch of authenticity, wrap each in parchment or butcher paper.
Store the sandwiches in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.