Chocolate, Beetroot, & Pine-Nut Gelato

Upon spying a packet of cooked beetroot lying atop the kitchen counter, my thoughts immediately
jumped to 'gelato!' maybe it was bake-off. Maybe it was my sudden craving for chocolate ice cream. Who knows? What I did do is go ahead and make a gelato containing beetroot. And chocolate. And pine nuts for an added texture and crunch. And so the chocolate, beetroot, and pine-nut gelato was born.

I really do not know how to make chocolate ice-cream
look more appetising. I tried. It's brown. 'nuff said.

I used cooked, packaged, whole beetroot for this recipe. The chocolate required should have at least 60% cocoa solids, the more the better. And although the original recipe I adapted calls for a sugar thermometer, I do not own one (yet) so I made do without. Also, if you have an ice cream machine, it would be extremely helpful. I do not, so I had to make do with beaters, and then clean up a lot of mess. (Ah, the joy.)
The original recipe can be found in a book called 'Ices Italia', by Linda Tubby, which is an absolutely amazing book. I love it. You should definitely do yourself a favour and purchase it. It's great, I swear. So, without further ado, here we go:

CHOCOLATE, BEETROOT, AND PINE-NUT GELATO

INGREDIENTS:
175ml Whole milk
65g Caster sugar
2 Eggs
125g Good quality dark chocolate
142ml Whipping cream
3oz Pine nuts, lightly toasted
3 cooked whole beetroots, Pureed.

METHOD:

1. Pour the milk in a saucepan and heat over low heat until bubbles start to appear around the edges.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and sugar together in a heatproof bowl. Pour in the hot milk and stir well.
3. Wash out the pan and pour the mixture back in. Cook over a medium heat with a heat diffuser mat under the pan, whisking constantly, for 8-10 minutes, until the foam begins to disappear from the surface. (if you have a sugar thermometer, let the temperature reach 75oC/167oF. Do not let it get any hotter, otherwise it will curdle. If you do not own a heat thermometer, continue cooking whilst whisking until most of the bubbles disappear from the

   

   Adding in the chocolate.
   Gorgeous colour, isn't it?

   surface, then remove from the heat.
4. Add in the beetroot and the chocolate squares, stir until melted, and then leave to cool. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5. Whip up the cream until soft peaks form, then fold into the chilled gelato mixture.
6. Churn using on ice-cream machine as per manufacturer's instructions, or alternatively, follow this method: -Pour the chilled gelato into a suitable container, with at least 3cm clearance between liquid and lid. -Put the container uncovered into the coldest part of the freezer. Freeze gelato for two hours, checking after 1&1/2 hours. Use a fork to dig out the frozen edges into the slushy middle and whisk the gelato with beaters until it is broken and slushy. -Repeat the freezing and whisking method and then refreeze until the gelato is frozen firm but not solid. Transfer to a food processor, and process until smooth. -Transfer to a freezer proof container, then fold in the pine nuts. Cover and freeze until firm and frozen through, approximately two hours before serving.
7. If the gelato is frozen for longer and is too solid, remove from freezer 20 minutes before serving.

(My blogger is messing up again. It's not letting me add any pictures. I'll try again later. However, you can find picures on my Instagram page, @emmyjay19 , and on my twitter page, @MyraJay7 if you wish.)
EDIT: Using google chrome. Pictures working again. (i hate google chrome)