The Granita: A state of the art snow-cone

Throw away those paper cones, and prepare to create an icy masterpiece.

Granita (photo credit: Courtesy)
Granita
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Everyone loves snow-cones, those paper cones of crushed ice with colored, (very) sugary syrup poured on top. They are so fun and refreshing on a hot summer’s day. But for those looking for something slightly more sophisticated, the grown-up version – granitas – couldn’t be easier, not to mention better and fresher tasting.
Try these recipes to impress family and friends. Serve them for dessert on Shabbat lunch with some cookies or on their own in the middle of a hot afternoon.
Blueberry GranitaServes 8 to 10
5 cups fresh blueberries1 cup sugar1-1/2 cups water2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Purée the blueberries and sugar in a food processor. Stir in water and lemon juice and pour into a glass rectangular baking dish. Cover and freeze. Every hour scrape and stir the mixture with a fork until evenly frozen – about four hours. Scrape into martini or other attractive glass dishes for serving.
Coffee GranitaThis couldn’t be easier – but it tastes so good.
Coffee Granita (Courtesy)
Coffee Granita (Courtesy)
3 cups hot brewed coffee¾ cup sugar1 cup pareve whip1 teaspoon cinnamon
Stir sugar into hot coffee until dissolved. Cool and pour into shallow glass pan. Freeze, scraping with fork every hour until icy and frozen – about four hours. In the meantime, beat parve whip until fluffy. To serve, scrape granita into glass dessert dishes. Garnish with a dollop of whip and a sprinkling of cinnamon. This makes four to six servings and can easily be doubled for more people.
Strawberry Granita
Strawberry Granita (Courtesy)
Strawberry Granita (Courtesy)
1 cup simple syrup (purchased - or you can make your own by dissolving ¾ cup sugar in 1 cup hot water)2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice3 cups sliced strawberries (about 1 pound whole)
Stir lemon juice into syrup. Purée strawberries in food processor. Stir in syrup and pour into rectangular glass pan. Freeze until icy, scraping with fork every 45 minutes to one hour. Totally freezing takes about four hours. Keep covered and in freezer until ready to serve. Scrape into glass dessert dishes for serving. Garnish with a sprig of mint if desired.
These recipes were brought to you by www.gourmetkoshercooking.com