Versatile Uses of Beetroot II. / Beet Ice Cream With Honey, Pomegranate Syrup and Candied Pumpkin Seeds

A vivid pink ice cream made of beets sounds certainly crazy. But why not give it a try? For me it is a must to balance the sweet, earthy flavor of beets with something sour. I picked pomegranate syrup.

400 g beets roasted

220 ml heavy cream

220 ml full milk

150 g honey

3 large egg yolks

2 tablespoon pomegranate syrup

100g Greek yogurt

So as to get 400g roasted beetroots, start with approximately 550-600 g raw beets. Wash them thoroughly. Heat oven to 180 °C. Lay tinfoil into a pan, drizzle it with olive oil, add the beets. Seal the foil and roast it until tender, about 1 hour, depending on the size of the beets. When they are ready, unwrap beets, let them cool, peel, and cut them into chunks. Set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the cream and milk. Bring to a simmer, set aside.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the honey until they have thickened slightly and lightened in color.

Gradually whisk the hot mixture into the yolks.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the custard has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, so that when you pull your finger on the back of the spoon it leaves a mark. Set it aside and let cool.

Combine the beets, the custard, the pomegranate syrup and the yogurt using a blender or a hand blender, keep the mixture in the fridge overnight.

Next day, freeze the custard in an ice cream machine, following the directions of the manufacturer. Remove the ice cream to a covered container and store in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

50 g pumpkin seeds

120 g sugar

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spread the pumpkin seeds, roast, stirring 2-3 times for about 12 minutes or until it gets a light color.

Meanwhile prepare caramel syrup.

When golden brown, pour it over another piece of parchment paper and let it cool. smash it using a pestle,

Scatter the bits of caramel over the roasted pumpkin seeds and put it back into the oven preheated 180 ºC, until it melts together

Serve the ice cream decorated with the pumpkin-caramel, pour over a bit of pomegranate syrup, if you wish.