Champagne Raspberry Granitas Recipes

RASPBERRY CHAMPAGNE GRANITA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, mix the water, sugar, and raspberries. Heat on high, mashing the raspberries so that they infuse the syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil, then take it off the heat and strain it into a large heatproof bowl. Chill for 1 hour or until completely cooled.
• Combine the raspberry syrup (all of it) with the bubbly and lemon juice. Transfer to a 9×13″ Pyrex and freeze for 1 hour.
• Stir the slushy granita base with a fork, scraping down the sides and mashing any big clumps of ice. Put the pan back in the freezer, stirring it every 30 minutes.
• Continue stirring and freezing for about 2 hours or until you have what looks like shaved ice. Keep the granita frozen until you are ready to serve

CHAMPAGNE GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and place in the refrigerator until cold, about 1 hour.
• Using the finest grater you have, lightly scrape the skin of 1 lemon, removing only the top surface of the peel. Squeeze out the juice and remove the seeds from both lemons.
• Open the Champagne or sparkling wine, and pour it into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch pan. Mix in the simple syrup, lemon juice, and grated zest. Place mixture into the freezer. Check after 30 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, break up any ice formed on the sides and stir into the rest of the liquid. Continue to freeze and repeat this procedure every hour for at least 3 hours. Before serving, fluff the granita by "chopping" up any clumps with the spoon or gently whisking the frozen mixture. Spoon into small glasses or cups and serve.

RASPBERRY SORBET OR GRANITA

Steps:

• Place raspberries in work bowl of a food processor, and process until smooth. If an extra smooth sorbet is desired, press pureed raspberries through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Whisk together pureed raspberries and honey in a large bowl.
• Combine 3 cups of water, sugar, and corn syrup in a large saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes; do not stir. Stir the sugar water and the remaining 1 cup of water into the raspberry puree.
• Make an ice bath by filling a very large bowl with water and ice. Set the bowl of raspberry puree in the ice bath, and whisk until cool. Pour cooled puree into a 9x13 baking dish, and cover; freeze until solid, 6 to 8 hours.
• To make a coarsely textured granita, use a fork to scrape frozen puree into small crumbs. For a deliciously silky sorbet, transfer frozen puree to a food processor and process until smooth.

CHAMPAGNE-RASPBERRY GRANITAS

Steps:

• In blender, puree raspberries and lemon juice until smooth. Set aside.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat water, sugar and champagne over high heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in raspberry puree.
• Pour mixture into shallow dish; cover with foil. Freeze 8 hours.
• Remove dish from freezer; let stand at room temperature 5 minutes.
• Scrape frozen mixture with fork tines until fluffy. Scoop into serving dishes. Garnish with fresh mint.

BERRY-MINT GRANITAS

Steps:

• Remove lemon zest in 1- to 2-inch sections using a vegetable peeler, avoiding the bitter white pith. Squeeze and reserve 2 teaspoons of juice.
• Stir lemon zest, water, sugar, and mint together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let cool, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and chill, covered, for 45 minutes. Remove and discard lemon zest and mint.
• Process blueberries and raspberries in a food processor until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl with chilled syrup; discard seeds. Stir in reserved lemon juice.
• Pour berry mixture into a 9x13-inch baking pan. Cover and freeze until edges are slushy, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Stir with a metal spoon, scraping frozen mixture off bottom and sides of pan. Cover and freeze, stirring every 30 minutes, until mixture is slushy, about 3 hours more. Cover and freeze until firm, 4 to 24 hours more.
• Let stand and soften slightly at room temperature, 5 to 10 minutes. Scrape surface of granita with a fork and spoon into chilled dessert dishes.

RASPBERRY GRANITA

Steps:

• Using a large sauce pot, combine the water and sugar. Cook until a syrup forms and all of the sugar has dissolved. Add the raspberry puree to the mixture and cool.
• Pour the mixture into a shallow pan and place it in the freezer. As the mixture freezes, occasionally scrape and stir the mixture to form crystals. After a few hours the granita is ready to serve. To serve place in small glass cups with freshly whipped cream.

CHAMPAGNE-CASSIS GRANITA

Steps:

• In a medium, nonreactive saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the Champagne. Stir in the crème de cassis. Freeze according to the instructions for freezing granita on page 145.
• Although Champagne-Cassis Granita is delicious just as it is, a scoop of Raspberry-Champágne Sorbet (page 132) at the bottom of the glass is an elegant touch.

CHAMPAGNE GRANITA

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Combine sugar and 2 1/2 cups water in medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Transfer to a large bowl set over the ice bath, and cool completely.
• Add champagne to sugar, and stir to combine. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch pan, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Stir with tines of a fork, scraping up icy parts. Return to freezer, and stir every 20 minutes until mixture is frozen and texture is similar to shaved ice. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA'S RASPBERRY CHAMPAGNE

Steps:

• Place the sugar in a small dish.
• Place the 1 tbsp chambord in a small dish.
• Dip rim of a flute glass (or other tall thin glass) into chambord then into sugar.
• Let dry completely.
• Place a few raspberries in bottom of glass.
• Fill with 2 tbsps of chambord.
• Fill rest of glass to top with champagne.

RASPBERRY GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine water and sugar in medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Chill syrup until cold.
• Meanwhile, mash 3 cups raspberries in medium bowl. Stir in lemon juice. Mix in sugar syrup. Pour mixture through strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Pour mixture into shallow baking dish. Freeze until almost firm, stirring frequently, about 2 hours.
• Continue freezing granita until firm (do not stir), at least 3 hours or overnight. (Granita can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and keep frozen.)
• Using fork, scrape surface of granita to form crystals. Scoop crystals into glasses. Garnish with raspberries.

CHAMPAGNE GRANITA WITH STRAWBERRIES

Steps:

• Mix the 3/4 cup of sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Let cool. Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl, combine the berries, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, sliced mint and Grand Marnier, if using. Cover and let stand for at least 2 hours.
• In a shallow nonreactive pan, combine the sugar syrup, Champagne, orange juice and 4 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours.
• To serve, scrape the granita with a fork into large crystals. Spoon into chilled martini or other wide-mouthed glasses. Surround with berries and garnish with mint. Serve immediately.

RASPBERRY-CHAMPAGNE GRANITA

Steps:

• Place the raspberries and lime juice in a blender; process until smooth.
• Combine water, sugar and champagne in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat; simmer 1 minute or until sugar melts.
• Remove from heat, stir in raspberry puree.
• Pour the mixture into a large, shallow baking dish.
• Cover and freeze 8 hours.
• Remove dish from freezer and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Scrape entire mixture with a fork until fluffy.

CRANBERRY-CHAMPAGNE GRANITA

Steps:

• Place the lime zest in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Drain and discard liquid; set the zest aside. , In a small saucepan, bring cranberry juice and sugar to a boil. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat; stir in champagne and lime zest., Transfer to a 13x9x2-in. dish; cool to room temperature. Freeze for 1 hour; stir with a fork. Freeze 2-3 hours longer or until completely frozen, stirring every 30 minutes., Stir granita with a fork just before serving; spoon into dessert dishes.