The high in Seattle today was 95F, so it felt like the perfect day to share the recipe for this Cherry-Lime Granita. My brain may be foggy, and my hands may be melting from the mere heat of my keyboard, but at LEAST I have this bright and tangy dessert to get me through my least favorite season: Summer.
A granita is kind of like a blend between a snow cone and an Italian ice texture-wise. They are incredibly simple to make, and they can also double as a drink: just add wine or liquor.
Use any fruit, watermelon, strawberry, peaches, you name it!
What’s that you say? The whole stirring every hour for five hours? Oh that. Well, it’s not so bad. The most important time is to stir within the first two hours, and then ideally again before the five hours are up. Two stirs– that’s not so bad! Of course, I put the *proper* once-an-hour-for-five-hours instruction in the recipe because it does yield the most even texture, but I promise it will be delicious even with some lumps.
Cherry-Lime Granita Recipe
Cherry-Lime Granita
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 lb fresh cherries pitted
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- zest of 2 limes
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, stir together the sugar and ⅓ cup water and bring to a simmer. Simmer and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, blend the cherries, salt, and ⅓ cup water in a food processor or blender until smooth. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl, and use a spoon to stir and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Stir in the lime juice and lime zest. When cooled, stir in the sugar syrup.
- Pour into a wide and shallow dish (I used a 9” glass pie pan. Liquid should be no deeper than 1”)
- Cover and freeze. After 1 hour, remove from the freezer and use a fork to scrape and mix up the ice. Repeat every 1-2 hours for 5 hrs. When the granita is finished, it can be transferred to an airtight container and stored for up to 3 months.
Find more frozen treat recipes here!
