Beet maple walnut ice cream

Directions

1. Soak walnuts in filtered water overnight. Drain and rinse.
2. Place the soaked walnuts and measured filtered water in blender; process until smooth (taking breaks to scrape down the sides and blend again if you have a less-than-high-powered blender like mine).
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wrap each beet in a double layer of foil and place in oven on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour, or until very tender. Unwrap and let cool; peel and set aside. (May be done ahead and stored in refrigerator).
4. Heat walnut cream, sugar, maple syrup and a pinch of salt in a saucepan set on medium heat, stirring occasionally. In a separate bowl, mix water with cornstarch; stir until the mixture is smooth and without lumps. Once saucepan contents are warmed through, add in slurry and lemon zest.
5. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, 4 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat.
6. Combine roasted beets and lemon juice in a blender; puree until smooth. Add ice cream base to blender and puree again. Cool in refrigerator several hours or overnight.
7. Process in your ice cream maker per manufacturer’s instructions. Cover and store in freezer. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving.