Fudgy Brownie and Raspberry Ice Cream Sandwiches

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the butter, chocolate, and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute. Stop to check and stir. Heat in 15-second increments until chocolate has melted and mixture can be stirred smooth.

Add the sugar, vanilla, and whisk to combine.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk to combine.

Add the flour and stir energetically for 1 full minute (time yourself) until the batter loses its graininess, becomes smooth and glossy, and pulls away a bit from the sides of the bowl. Two crucial elements in the success of the brownies include stirring "energetically" and stirring for one full minute - your bicep/shoulder will likely be burning. Batter may appear to separate a few second into stirring, and it may appear grainy midway through, but when you stir with vigor for a full 60 seconds, you'll end up with a batter that's rich, thick, satiny smooth, and glossy. Therein lies the difference between dry, crumbly brownies and the amazing ones.

Turn batter out into prepared pan and smooth the top lightly with a spatula or knife.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the center is almost set; do not overbake. 28-29 minutes is perfect in my oven, but ovens and personal preference varies. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.

Allow brownies to cool in pan on a wire rack for about 1 hour. Cover with a sheet of foil to prevent freezer smells and place pan in the freezer for at least 2 hours, or until brownies are very firm or frozen.

Remove sorbet from freezer about 30 minutes before using it so it can soften at room temp.

Remove brownies from freezer, lift them out using foil overhang, and put slab on a large cutting board. With a large knife, cut slab in half. Even though brownies are cold/frozen, it's possible to slice them with firm pressure using caution. Or, wait 5-10 minutes for brownies to soften slightly if slicing is too difficult straight from freezer. You want brownies cold so that when you're pushing and spreading the sorbet, the brownies don't become squished.

Using a knife or spatula, add the sorbet to one brownie slab in an even, flat layer, smoothing it as best you can with knife or spatula. Top with other brownie slab and place giant sandwich in freezer for at least 2 hours, or until sorbet has set up.

Place giant sandwich slab on cutting board and using caution, slice into 8 sandwiches, each 1-inch wide and 4-inches long, or preferred size/shape. Serve immediately. Sandwiches will keep airtight in the freezer for up to 3 months.