White Chocolate-Black Jack Ice Cream Sandwich

To make the ice cream: In a large saucepan, combine the cream and milk. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the mixture, then drop in the pod. Bring the mixture just to a boil over medium-high heat. Take the pan off the heat, cover, and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a balloon whisk, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar.

Remove the vanilla bean pod from the saucepan. In a steady stream, gradually whisk about one-third of the cream into the egg mixture. Add this back to the cream-milk mixture and cook over medium-low heat, stirring slowly with a wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes, or until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Do not let the custard boil. Strain the custard through a fine-meshed sieve into a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice. Stir occasionally until cold.

In the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt the white chocolate. Stir the chocolate into the cooled custard and strain once more. Stir in the whiskey, cover, and refrigerate until cold. Pour into the canister of an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

Remove the ice cream from the canister and spread in a 1/2-inch thick layer in a shallow 10-by-12-inch pan. Put in the freezer until firm. While the ice cream is freezing, prepare the meringues for the sandwiches.

To make the pecan meringues: Preheat the oven to 250 F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Trace 4-inch circles onto the parchment. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt together until they just hold soft peaks. Add the sugar in a steady stream and beat until the meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Gently fold in the chopped pecans. Spoon the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip and pipe spirals onto the drawn circles. Fill in the circles completely. Completed circles should be about 1/4-inch thick. Smooth the tops with a spatula or table knife. Place the meringues in the oven and bake 1 hour, and 30 minutes, until dry. Remove the paper with the meringues still on it and cool on a wire rack. When cooled, lift the meringues. Set aside in a cool, dry place until ready to use.

To make the ice cream sandwiches: Remove the ice cream from the freezer. Using a cookie cutter, cut the ice cream into circles the same diameter as the meringues. Turn over four meringues to show the smooth side. Carefully lift an ice cream circle from the pan with a spatula and place on one of the smooth meringue shells. Top with another meringue shell, smooth-side down. Repeat to make 4 sandwiches. Place back in the freezer until ready to serve.

To make the sauce: In a heavy saucepan, bring the wine and water to a simmer. Split the vanilla beans and scrape the seeds into the simmering mixture, then drop in the pods. Add the peaches and poach until the skins begin to pull away. With a slotted spoon, remove the peaches from the pan and place them in a bowl of ice water just long enough to stop the cooking process. Drain on paper towels. Reduce the peach cooking liquid to 1 cup over high heat, until syrupy. Strain into a bowl and stir in the honey and lemon juice.

Peel the peaches, slice in half, and remove the pit. Slice the peach halves into 4 sections each and remove any remaining pit material with a small melon baller. Add the peaches to the bowl with the syrup and let steep until the syrup has cooled to room temperature.

To serve: Preheat the broiler. Dust the assembled ice cream sandwiches with confectioner’s sugar and place under the broiler just long enough to brown (caramelize) the tops. Place the sandwiches in the center of individual dessert plates and surround with the peach sauce. Garnish with fresh blackberries and pecan bits. Place a mint sprig on each.