Tropical Fruit Granita Recipes

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.

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.

TROPICAL FRUIT CHAMPAGNE GRANITA

Steps:

• In a saucepan bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and cool syrup.
• In a blender or food processor purée pineapple with 1/4 cup plus
• 2 tablespoons syrup (reserving remaining syrup for another use). Stir in nectar or juice and Champagne. Pineapple mixture may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Transfer pineapple mixture to a shallow metal baking pan and freeze, stirring and crushing lumps with a fork every hour, until mixture is firm but not frozen hard, about 3 to 4 hours. Granita may be made 2 days ahead and frozen, covered. Just before serving, scrape granita with a fork to lighten texture.
• Scoop granita into serving bowls.

TROPICAL FRUIT GRANITA

Steps:

• Stir juice and sugar in large bowl until sugar dissolves. Add rum, lime juice and vanilla. Pour mixture into shallow baking dish. Freeze until mixture is entirely crystallized, stirring frequently and scraping crystals from around edges, about 5 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and keep frozen.)
• Using tines of fork, scrape frozen juice mixture to form small flakes. Spoon granita into goblets and serve.

TROPICAL GRANITA

Steps:

• Mix together all ingredients in a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Freeze overnight (or at least 6 to 8 hours). With a fork, scrape frozen mixture until it reaches shaved ice consistency.
• Scoop into bowls and serve garnished with a sprig of mint.

FRUIT GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a deep-sided metal pan, and place in freezer, uncovered, until it is nearly set, at least 4 hours, whisking mixture every hour.
• Remove mixture from freezer, and scrape surface with the tines of a fork until it is the texture of shaved ice. (Mixture can be frozen overnight without whisking; remove from freezer in the morning, and let sit at room temperature about 10 minutes to allow it to slightly soften before scraping with a fork.) Serve.

CLEMENTINE GRANITA

Steps:

• Slice the top 1/2 inch off each clementine; reserve. Cut around flesh and scoop out into a sieve set over a bowl; reserve skins and be careful not to tear them. Press flesh to extract juice. Squeeze in juice from tops. (You'll have about 1 cup.) Juice more clementines to yield 2 cups.
• Moisten clementine skins with some juice or water. Roll skins in 1/4 cup sugar to coat. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
• Bring remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, and ginger to a boil in a saucepan, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Let stand for 30 minutes; discard ginger. Stir in 2 cups juice and the lemon juice; transfer to a nonreactive 8-inch square baking dish. Freeze until solid, about 3 hours.
• Scrape granita with a fork to fluff. Spoon granita into clementine "cups." Freeze for 10 minutes before serving.

TROPICAL CITRUS GRANITA

Steps:

• Stir together the orange juice, mango punch and water. Pour into large shallow glass baking dish.
• In small saucepan (or a small microwave bowl) heat water with sugar until dissolved. Whisk together with coconut water and coconut cream. Pour into shallow glass baking dish.
• Place both dishes in the freezer for 2 hours. Remove from freezer, scrape edges and mix with a fork. Return to freezer, scraping every hour until no liquid remains, 6-7 hours total. Layer fruit granita on bottom of glass, followed by coconut mixture, and another layer of fruit granita on top. Garnish with tropical fruit.