This rose ice cream is so creamy and irresistibly delicious. Enjoy the soothing, refreshing flavor of rose water in this frozen treat with our easy recipe. Top it with pistachios or candied nuts, whipped cream and saffron honey if desired!
Dissolve corn starch in ½ cup milk and stir until smooth. In a large saucepan, combine the remaining milk and sugar, bring it to a boil over medium high heat.
Reduce the heat to low, and gradually whisk in corn starch mixture, stirring constantly. Simmer until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Take the pan off the heat and cool in an ice bath.
Using a food processor, blend chopped beets and rose water until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, to get approximately ¼ cup of beet-rosewater. Tip: If using food coloring, just stir it into rose water.
Add the beet-rosewater, salt, heavy cream, and vanilla to the cooled custard mixture. Stir until everything is well combined.Tip: Begin with 2 tablespoons of beet-rosewater and adjust color and flavor as per preference.
Refrigerate the mixture for several hours or overnight. Alternatively, for a quick cooling process, place the saucepan in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water (an ice bath).
Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add the pistachios when the ice cream is beginning to set.
Serve the rose ice cream with whipped cream, nuts, and decorate with rose petals.
Optional Candied Nuts
Make the candied almonds while chilling the ice cream base.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and bake it in the center rack until lightly toasted, about 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Tip: You can also roast nuts in the skillet.
In a small saucepan, combine maple syrup with roasted almonds, ground cardamom and salt. Stir well with a wooden spoon over medium heat. Continue cooking until the nuts are fully coated with the maple syrup, and it starts to caramelize and dry up at the bottom of the pan, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer the candied nuts to a plate and allow to cool completely. You can leave the almonds whole or coarsely chop them. Serve the ice cream topped with candied almonds, for more flavor and crunch.
Notes
Rose Pink Color: I prefer natural rose color from beets, but you can use food coloring as an alternative. Hibiscus powder (½ teaspoon) is another option for coloring the ice cream base.
Rose Water: If you are new to rose water, start with 1 tablespoon of beet-rose water and adjust to your taste.
Storage: To prevent ice crystal formation, place parchment paper on top of the ice cream and store it in an airtight container. If possible, store it in the door section of your freezer as the temperature there is slightly warmer.
Recommended Equipment: I use the ICE-100 Cuisinart model with a built-in compressor; no need to freeze the bowl or chill the mixture overnight. Keep your ice cream soft and prevent ice crystal formation with double-walled Tovolo ice cream tubs.
For easy no-churn rose ice cream, scroll up the page to the blog post. If you like pistachios, we have another deliciously nutty pistachio gelato.