Grown Up Granita Recipes

GROWN-UP GRANITA

Steps:

• Put the sorbet and gin in a food processor or blender and blend until well combined but still slushy. Pour into champagne flutes, top with Prosecco, garnish with mint leaves and serve immediately.

FRESH STRAWBERRY GRANITA

Steps:

• Rinse strawberries with cold water; let drain. Transfer berries to a blender and add sugar, water, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and salt.
• Pulse several times to get the mixture moving, then blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into a large baking dish. Puree should only be about 3/8 inch deep in the dish.
• Place dish uncovered in the freezer until mixture barely begins to freeze around the edges, about 45 minutes. Mixture will still be slushy in the center.
• Lightly stir the crystals from the edge of the granita mixture into the center, using a fork, and mix thoroughly. Close freezer and chill until granita is nearly frozen, 30 to 40 more minutes. Mix lightly with a fork as before, scraping the crystals loose. Repeat freezing and stirring with the fork 3 to 4 times until the granita is light, crystals are separate, and granita looks dry and fluffy.
• Portion granita into small serving bowls to serve.

CANTALOUPE GRANITA

Steps:

• Purée cantaloupe in processor; transfer to large bowl. Add remaining ingredients; stir to dissolve sugar. Pour mixture into 9-inch square metal baking pan. Freeze mixture until partially set, whisking twice, about 2 hours. Freeze uncovered without whisking until completely set, at least 3 hours or overnight. Run tines of fork across surface of granita to form icy flakes. Cover with foil; freeze until ready to serve or up to 2 days. Mound granita in 6 ice-cold Martini glasses. Serve immediately.

COFFEE GRANITA

Steps:

• In a bowl combine the coffee and sugar. Mix until the sugar dissolves.
• Transfer mixture to a baking dish 8 by 8 square. Put in freezer and freeze until ice granules start to form around the edges. Scrape the swap with a fork. Do this every 20 minutes or so until the mixture becomes and icy slush.
• Serve in 4-ounce glasses topped with whipped cream.

STRAWBERRY-ROSE GRANITA

Steps:

• Put the hulled strawberries in a bowl and set aside. Cut off and discard the tops of the 12 large strawberries and trim the bottoms so that they sit upright. Use a small melon baller to scoop out the inside of each strawberry to make a small cup, adding the scooped flesh to the bowl with the hulled strawberries. Wrap and store the berry cups in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
• Combine the rose, sugar and bowl of strawberries and scooped flesh in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into an 8-inch square metal pan. Freeze 3 to 4 hours, scraping the mixture with a fork every hour to make it slushy. Wrap and freeze until ready to serve. The granita can be made a day ahead and stored overnight.
• Working in batches, remove the strawberry cups from the refrigerator and fill with a spoonful of the granita, mound some more on top and top with a sprig of mint. Store the assembled granita cups in the freezer while assembling the remaining cups to prevent them from melting.

SIMPLE FRUIT JUICE GRANITA

Steps:

• Mix sugar and water together in a glass, microwave-safe, 8x8-inch dish. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Mix with a fork until all sugar is dissolved. Stir in juice.
• Freeze for 1 hour. Scrape mixture with a fork. Return to the freezer in increments of 30 minutes, scraping with a fork to create small granules after each one. The granita is ready when it resembles icy sand, about 3 hours total.