Rhubarb Ice Cream Sandwiches

ingredients

• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1 1/4 quarts 0.5 inch-thick slices trimmed fresh rhubarb or 1 1.25 pounds bag frozen unsweetened rhubarb, thawed, with juices
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed, with juices
•  ,
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
•  ,
• 24 Pistachio Meringues

directions

Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into heavy medium saucepan, add bean. Add rhubarb (with juices if using frozen), 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons corn syrup and pinch of salt. Cover pan and cook over medium-low heat until rhubarb is tender, about 10 minutes. Cool, discard vanilla bean. Place rhubarb mixture in blender. Add raspberries with juices, puree mixture until smooth.

Whisk egg yolks, 1/2 cup whipping cream, remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons corn syrup in clean heavy medium saucepan to blend well. Stir mixture over medium-low heat until thick enough to coat spoon, about 7 minutes (do not boil). Remove from heat. Mix in 2 1/3 cups rhubarb-raspberry puree. Refrigerate custard until cold. Cover and refrigerate remaining rhubarb-raspberry puree for sauce.

Process rhubarb custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Freeze in covered container.

Place 8 Pistachio Meringues on clean baking sheet. Top each meringue with scoop of rhubarb-raspberry ice cream, flatten ice cream to reach edge of meringue. Top each ice-cream-covered meringue with another meringue and another scoop of ice cream, flatten to reach edge. Top each with third meringue. Cover and freeze ice cream sandwiches until firm, about 2 hours. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep frozen.)

Cut sandwiches in half. Place 1, rounded sides down, on plates. Drizzle with reserved puree.