Caramel Gelato with Gingerbread Spoons

This creamy frozen caramel dessert is perfect when it is eaten with a spicy gingerbread cookie spoon.  Does dessert get much more fun than this?!?

This recipe has a story. I was flying home to Michigan for a wedding when I saw the most amazing dessert in one of those in-flight magazines.  It was some sort of mousse with a COOKIE SPOON in it.  I stared at it and thought….and wondered if spoon cookie cutters exist (they do), and I decided right then that I would make something caramel with gingerbread spoons.

Something caramel…..something sweet and rich.  About a week later, I saw this post on Foodgawker and the words, “Three ingredients. No churn. No machine. No whipping cream. It’s magic.” swirled in my head.  Sour cream, Sweetened condensed milk, Vanilla. No machine.

What if I added Dulce de Leche instead of the sweetened condensed milk?  I had to try it.  I felt like I was surely wasting a container of sour cream when I mixed this up….but then…. creamy, cold caramel deliciousness. It is magic.  You need to try this!

Here’s how: (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

Caramel Gelato:

• 1 1/2 cups of sour cream (use full-fat)
• 1 can (13.4 oz.) of La Lechera Dulce de Leche (now….imagine coconut cream in this recipe….!)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Cookie Spoons:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup dark molasses
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves

DIRECTIONS:

Caramel Gelato:

• Mix all ingredients together well, spread into a freezer safe bowl and cover tightly.  
• Freeze overnight.
• Allow gelato to warm a little before serving.

Gingerbread Cookie Spoons:

• Cream together butter and sugar.
• Beat in egg, molasses and vinegar.
• Blend in sifted dry ingredients.
• Chill 2-3 hours (this is important– the dough is very easy to roll after chilling)
• Roll 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch thick on a floured counter or board and cut into spoon shapes, using a cookie cutter, and place on greased cookie sheets.
  
• Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.  Check often- take out when cookies have risen and are easily removed from sheet.

My thoughts: This caramel desert is unbelievably creamy and rich.  I pictured 2 scoops in my photos, but I would serve just one.  It is almost like frozen custard- so heavy and rich.  The caramel flavor is amazing though!  Amazing.  The cookies are so delicious with the caramel.  They are hard to actually use as spoons until the frozen caramel warms a bit.  I love this flavor combination!  I hope you get a chance to try it!  Enjoy!!! ~r

Other fun chilled desserts you might enjoy: