Beets in Cocoa

Beets, usually a deep and brilliant color red, are often used in cakes for a particular effect. They create color. Red cake is not something often thought of, unless you are a red velvet cake aficionado, and yet it is part of the American baking vernacular. Since we have seen so many cakes made with the essence of beets we decided to switch things around and serve red velvet ice cream or sorbet with cake. We have been working on an accompaniment to cheese cake, goat cheese cake. We made a cocoa syrup with Swiss cocoa and Steen's cane syrup. Once the cocoa syrup was made, we pressure cooked beets in the base. After the beets were cooked, they were cooled in the syrup and then the syrup was strained off and frozen into sorbet. The beets, dripping in glaze, are sliced and served on the side. The goat cheese cake is the final piece that brings it all together. The combination is earthy, decadent, and utterly beguiling.