Beetroot Ice Cream

1. Put a pan of water on to boil. Scrub the beetroot clean. Add them to the boiling water. Pop on a lid and simmer for 1 hr till cooked through. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside to cool. If you have a microwave, you can scrub the beetroot and pierce all over with a fork then place in a microwave-proof bowl. Add 4 tbsp water to the bowl, then microwave for 10 min on high. Flip the beetroot over, then microwave on high for 8-10 mins again, till cooked through. Set aside to cool.

2. Peel and roughly chop the beetroot. Blitz in a food processor till smooth.

3. Pour the cream and milk into a pan. Add a pinch of salt. Gently heat, stirring often, for 5 mins till the mixture comes to the boil. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.

4. Crack the egg yolks into a bowl (keep the whites for meringues) and add the sugar. Whisk together till the mix turns pale – this will take a few mins with an electric whisk, or around 10 mins if you're using elbow grease.

5. Slowly trickle the cream mix into the eggs and sugar, whisking as you add it. Once all the cream is added, stir in the beetroot.

6. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to churn. No ice cream mixer? Pour into a freezerproof tub and freeze till solid, stirring with a fork every 2 hrs to break up any ice crystals till the ice cream is smooth.

7. To serve, take the ice cream out of the freezer 5-10 mins before you want to eat it to let it soften. Serve topped with grated dark chocolate or warm chocolate sauce. This ice cream is also great served in cones with a chocolate flake.

8. The ice cream will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.