Are your kids turning away from beets and you're tired of trying to persuade them to eat "something healthy"?
Prepare some candy that they will mistake for store-bought sweets.
The secret is to turn beets into caramel. Cut them into thin slices, sprinkle with sugar 1:1 and leave for a day. During this time, the vegetable will release juice, which will mix with sugar into a thick syrup.
Simmer the mixture until the slices become translucent, like candy.
Add orange zest, vanilla and a pinch of salt to cut through the earthy flavor.
Pour the mixture into silicone molds, sprinkle with coconut flakes and let it harden. You will get marmalade that is indistinguishable from fruit.
But that's just the beginning. For chocolate candies, puree boiled beets with dates and cocoa. The dates will add natural sweetness, and the cocoa will add a slightly bitter note.
Roll them into balls, roll them in grated coconut - no one will suspect that there is a vegetable inside.
Another option is “truffles”. Mix beetroot puree with walnuts, honey and cinnamon. Wrap the mixture in cling film, cool, cut into cubes and dip in melted dark chocolate. After hardening, these will be candies that you won’t be able to tear yourself away from.
And if you want healthy chewy candies, dry the beets in a dehydrator. Cut them into strips, sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg, and dry for 8 hours at 50°C.
It has a sweet, slightly chewy texture, like dried cherries. Store in a jar for a perfect snack for school or the office.
But why does it work? Beets contain more sugar than carrots or pumpkin. Cooking them intensifies their sweetness and removes their earthy flavor.
The bright color makes the candies appetizing, and the fiber and vitamins turn them into a healthy dessert. Children will ask for more, without even realizing that they are eating a vegetable.
Author: Kurchev Anton