Granita, or granita siciliana, is a semi-frozen dessert of sugar, water, and flavorings, orginating from Sicily. Granita is all about texture - the ice crystals should be quite chunky, certainly more so than a smooth sorbet.

Common Italian flavors include lemon juice, coffee, mint, mandarin oranges, almonds, and in season, strawberries and black mulberries - even chocolate! Use your imagination…
Try this recipe for a fruit granita or a watermelon granita
Or try your own with this standard recipe for granita…

Classic Granita Technique
Pour the granita mixture into a wide, shallow container, eg a stainless steel baking dish - the shallower the container, the quicker the granita will freeze.

Cover with a lid, foil or plastic wrap. Freeze the mixture 1 to 2 hours, until it is solid around the edges. Take the container out of the freezer and scrape the ice with a fork, dragging it from the edge into the center.

Repeat this process about every 30 minutes or so (at least 3 times) until the entire mixture has turned into small ice flakes. When ready to serve, “rake” with a fork to loosen the granita and spoon into serving dishes.

Posted in desserts by Sarah - October 26th, 2006 |
Tags: recipes, cuisine, cooking, recipe

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