Gotta get your veggies in!! (even in cake)

I wasnt going to post this recipe because I 'lost' the pics of the actual cake and final plating. Talk about a blonde moment! ( please do not send angry emails , I am a natural blonde, so I can say that!) But it was just so much fun to make and so yummy, I figured it was better than nothing.

As usual....I've been wanting to make this recipe for quite sometime. I found it in a Pastry & Baking magazine January 2009. Its from Johnny Iuzzini, the Executive Pastry Chef at Jean Georges in NYC and, as you might now know, currently one of the judges on Top Chef:Just Desserts.

I also have his book Dessert Foreplay, which I picked up at the bookstore for 2 reasons: 1- the name of the book, & 2- his hair. Yes, I said his hair. Anyone over 30 who still refers to himself as Johnny AND rocks a pompador, is either crazy or confident. Or......crazy confident!

Ok, let's begin.....
A pic of 2 beautifully roasted beets above.

Rough chop the beets once they're cool, before you puree them.

Such a pretty color!!

Make sure you strain it.

Put it in a bowl on the side with the rest of the mise en place.

After slicing the rest of the beets to about 1/8 of an inch, add them to simple syrup and boil.

After they've cooled and you've patted them dry, dip them in sugar.

Once thats done, place them on a silpat and put in a cool dry place overnight.

Candied Beets

2 bunches baby beets
2 cups (400g) simple syrup
Sugar
Peel the beets and slice them about 1/8
inch thick.
Bring the simple syrup to a boil in a
saucepan over medium heat. Add the
beets and bring to a simmer. Reduce the
heat and simmer the beets gently until
they’re translucent, about 1 hour. Keep
the heat low, so the beets don’t curl as
you cook them. Let cool completely in
the syrup.
Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or
parchment.
Drain the beets gently, so they don’t
break, and dredge them in sugar. Arrange
on the baking sheet and place in a cold
oven overnight to dry.
Store in an airtight container for up to
a week.

Cake

3 large beets
Coarse salt
1 ounce (28g) unsweetened chocolate –
chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp (80g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (2g) baking soda
11/2 cups plus 1 tbsp (160g) †sugar
1 large egg
6 tablespoons (80g) grapeseed oil ( i used vegetable oil)
1 teaspoon (2g) vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 425ºF or 400ºF on
convection.
Trim the tops from the beets, leaving
about 1 inch of the stems. Tear off a large
piece of aluminum foil and make a bed
of coarse salt in the center. Set the beets
on the salt, wrap the foil to make a tight
package, and roast the beets until very
tender, about 1 hour.
Let the beets cool. Peel them and cut
them into chunks. Put them in a food
processor and process to a very fine
puree. Strain and measure out 1/2 cup.
Reserve the rest for the sauce.

Heat the oven to 350ºF or 325ºF on
convection. Butter and sugar a 9-inch
square baking pan.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave, in
30-second bursts, stirring after each
burst.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, and 1/8 tsp
salt together in a bowl.
Put the sugar, egg, and oil in the bowl
of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk.
Whisk for 2 minutes at medium-high
speed, until pale and light. Beat in the
vanilla extract, then the dry ingredients,
then the chocolate, then the beet puree,
mixing well after each addition.
Scrape the batter into the pan and rap
it on the counter to remove air bubbles.
Bake until a knife comes out clean, 18
to 20 minutes, rotating the pan after 10
minutes. Let cool completely before
removing the cake from the pan
Serve
Cut the cake into cubes.
Dip one cube in the beet sauce,
coating it completely. Pair it with a plain
piece of cake on a dessert plate and
garnish with a few candied beets,
crumbling some of the beets if you want,
and a spoonful of sauce.

It makes a beautiful presentation, especially on a white plate, it really makes the colors POP!.

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed making it.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Jess