;)
Lemon Beet Yogurt
February 20, 2010
Mardi Gras is over and things are finally getting back to normal. No more standing in the cold, watching the parades, and pining for beads. Back to the daily grind...and back to normal eating! I have eaten way too many pieces of king cake, too many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (rushing back and forth from the parades), and probably a little too much beer. So when it came time to make an ice cream this week, I decided to make something refreshing, light, and seemingly healthy. Lemon yogurt came to mind. The tangy taste of the yogurt pairs perfectly with sweet and sour of Meyer lemons. I also had some leftover roasted beets in the fridge. I decided that beets would make a great addition to the yogurt by adding color and a hint of earthiness. Taste achieved. Enjoy!
Lemon Beet Yogurt
2 Tablespoon butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup (2 oz) roasted beets (about one small beet)
1/2 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon guar gum
1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 cups plain whole milk yogurt
**If you do not have guar gum or xanthan gum, you can substitute 1 Tablespoon cornstarch and 3 Tablespoons cream cheese, see vanilla ice cream recipe for instructions.
Melt butter in a medium sauce pan and stir frequently until butter begins to brown. Remove from heat and add cream and sugar. Turn heat down, return pan to heat, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat once again and mix in yogurt; set aside. Place beets, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a blender and blend until smooth. Leave blender on low and slowly add xanthan gum and guar gum (the slower the better to prevent clumping). Once smooth, add beet mixture to yogurt mixture and stir until combined. Cover (or pour into a baggie) and place mixture in the refrigerator to chill, at least 2 hours.
Once chilled, pour yogurt base into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pack the frozen yogurt into a plastic container when finished. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the yogurt (to prevent ice crystals) and close with an airtight lid. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
Reader Comments (2)
Wacky. =) I never would have thought to put beets in ice cream or frozen yogurt. The color is gorgeous.
What a gorgeous color! I have to admit beets are one of the few things I haven't yet tried in ice cream and since I come from one of the world's biggest beet producing areas, that's unforgivable - I'm going to have to rectify that immediately! Lovely photo, too, by the way.