Parsnip Walnut Cake

Parsnip Walnut Cake

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Prepare a quarter sheet pan with parchment and spray with nonstick spray.
2. Sift together dried ingredients; set aside. Cream the sugar and oil well in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until thoroughly emulsified. Add dried ingredients, mixing only until incorporated. Fold in parsnips, apples and walnuts.
3. Transfer batter to prepared sheet tray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden and cake springs back with a light touch. Cool completely. Refrigerate or freeze before cutting.
4. Trim edges off cake and cut into 3 X 1-inch rectangular portions. Cut each portion in half on the diagonal. Reserve until serving.

Walnut Praline Crumble

1. Place walnuts and tapioca starch in blender. Blend until walnuts are finely ground.
2. Combine with remaining ingredients, mixing to a crumbled consistency.
3. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 300°F until lightly golden and crunchy.

Parsnip Candy

1. Combine parsnip with sugar, water and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and lightly simmer until parsnips are translucent, about 4 to 5 hours.
2. Strain from the syrup and lay on a silpat-lined sheet pan. Allow to dry at room temperature for 2 to 3 days until sugar crystallizes and parsnips are chewy.

Walnut Butter

1. Toast walnuts 300°F until lightly golden and scent begins to waft through the oven.
2. Immediately transfer to a blender and blend on low speed, then increase speed to high, blending until walnuts become mealy and powdery.
3. Slowly add oil and salt, blending until smooth. If you need to add a little more oil, that is fine. Just make sure it is completely emulsified with the nuts.
4. Pass through a fine mesh sieve.

Lavender & Candied Walnut Ice Cream

Ice Cream

1. Combine heavy cream, milk, dry milk powder, lavender, glucose, salt and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk together sugar and stabilizer.
2. Bring to a boil, and whisk in sugar mixture. Simmer for 30 seconds; add gelatin and let dissolve.
3. Strain through fine meshed sieve.
4. Chill in ice bath and allow syrup to mature for at least 4 hours.
5. Process in ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions.

Candied Walnuts

1. Combine sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Add just enough water to make the sugar sandy in texture.
2. Cook to 240°F over medium heat. Immediately add walnuts and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon,
3. Remove from heat once walnuts are entirely coated with sugar and continue stirring until sugar begins to crystallize around walnuts. Transfer to a parchment lined sheet pan to cool.
4. Roughly chop and fold into freshly spun ice cream.

Blackberries

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Allow to macerate 30 minutes.
2. Transfer to small saucepan and cook over low heat just until sugar dissolves and blackberries release their juices.
3. Transfer to another container to cool.

Parsnip Crisps

1. Just before serving, heat oil to 350°F.
2. Fry parsnips strips just until beginning to turn golden.
3. Immediately remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt.

Assembly

1. Using a small offset spatula, spread a swoosh of Walnut Butter across plate.
2. Place triangles of Parsnip Walnut Cake perpendicular to each other over top the Walnut Butter with one standing upright and one laying flat. Sprinkle some Walnut Praline Crumble over Cake and Walnut Butter. Place Parsnip Candy and Blackberries around and over cake. Place a quenelle or small scoop of Lavender & Candied Walnut Ice Cream on top of the flat piece of cake. Garnish with a few curls of Parsnip Crisps.