Italian ‘Lingue di Gatto’ Cookies with Refreshing Mango Ice Cream

Step 1

To make Italian lingue di gatto cookies with mango ice cream, start by making the ice cream: Warm up the milk in a saucepan; as soon as it begins to boil, pour it over the egg yolks (previously beaten together with the sugar).

Step 2

Continue to cook, stirring until the cream starts to thicken. Turn off the heat, add the cream and let cool. Blend the mango pulp, adding the juice and the rind of half a lime. Grate the ginger and transfer the pulp to a paper towel; squeeze the paper towel over the blended mango to add a ginger flavor to the ice cream. Mix the fruit with the cream and pour everything into an ice cream maker. (The ice cream should be ready in 45-60 minutes.)

Step 3

To make the Italian lingue di gatto cookies, first mix the egg whites with the powdered sugar, flour, cocoa powder and melted butter until smooth. Distribute the batter in spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and spread it with a spatula, in thin layers for strips of 20×5-6 cm.

Step 4

Bake at 350°F for 5-6 minutes; remove from the oven. While still warm and malleable, place the biscuits around smooth glasses or ring molds to give them shape and volume (as you see in the image above). Bake a few at a time, depending on how many molds you have at your disposal. Let them cool: They will become a little crispier. Serve the ice cream with the cookies, diced mango and some mint or lemon balm leaves if desired!