Neapolitan Ice Cream Sandwiches

1 . Stage

Ice Cream Base: Bring cream to a bare simmer in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, just until it is steaming and small bubbles form around he edges. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar until fully dissolved.

2 . Stage

Divide equally into 3 bowls, with about 1 cup in each (there will actually be a little more than 3 cups total). Whisk powdered strawberries into one bowl, cocoa powder into another, and vanilla into remaining bowl.

3 . Stage

Cover each bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until fully chilled.

4 . Stage

Sandwich Cookies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cut a sheet of parchment paper and a sheet of waxed paper large enough to fit your baking sheet.

5 . Stage

Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl until well blended and uniform in color.

6 . Stage

In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl, add egg, and stir on low speed for 30 seconds to combine thoroughly. Add dry ingredients until just incorporated to make a sticky dough, scraping down bowl halfway through to make sure everything is homogenous.

7 . Stage

Turn dough out onto parchment paper, press it into a rough square, and place waxed paper on top. Roll into a 13 by 11-inch rectangle 1/8 inch thick. Try to make edges as even as possible to avoid having to trim and waste dough after baking.

8 . Stage

Remove waxed paper and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until dough seems puffy and slightly underbaked but a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then carefully slide entire cookie and parchment paper onto a large wire rack and let cool to room temperature.

9 . Stage

Assembly: 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 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.

10 . Stage

Trim 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 strips over onto a large sheet of waxed paper so that flat undersides are facing up. Using an offset spatula and your fingers, spread 2 rectangles with even stripes of 3 ice cream flavors, running the long (10-inch) direction. Top with remaining cookie rectangles, flat sides down, pressing very gently to adhere.

11 . Stage

Cover and freeze for 2 hours to make sure 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.

12 . Stage

Store sandwiches in freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.