Champagne Cassis Granita Recipes

CHAMPAGNE GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and place in the refrigerator until cold, about 1 hour.
• Using the finest grater you have, lightly scrape the skin of 1 lemon, removing only the top surface of the peel. Squeeze out the juice and remove the seeds from both lemons.
• Open the Champagne or sparkling wine, and pour it into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch pan. Mix in the simple syrup, lemon juice, and grated zest. Place mixture into the freezer. Check after 30 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, break up any ice formed on the sides and stir into the rest of the liquid. Continue to freeze and repeat this procedure every hour for at least 3 hours. Before serving, fluff the granita by "chopping" up any clumps with the spoon or gently whisking the frozen mixture. Spoon into small glasses or cups and serve.

CHAMPAGNE CANTALOUPE GRANITA

Steps:

• Puree the cantaloupe in a blender until smooth. In a mixing bowl, combine the wine and sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved; allow the bubbles time to settle. Add the pureed cantaloupe, the lime juice and the lime zest to the bowl. Stir well.
• Pour the mixture into a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish. Freeze for 2 hours. Remove from the freezer and, using a fork, scrape the granita into flakes. Freeze for another 2 to 3 hours.
• Serve the granita in martini glasses, garnished with a mint leaf.

WATERMELON GRANITA WITH CHAMPAGNE

Steps:

• Place cubed watermelon and sugar in the pitcher of a blender. Blend for 1 minute. Stir in the champagne. Pour the watermelon mixture into a plastic container, cover and place in the freezer. Stir the mixture with a fork every 30 minutes until frozen, about 2 hours.
• Before serving, remove the frozen granita from the freezer and stir well using a fork or place in the food processor and process until it reaches the desired consistency. Serve in tall glasses garnished with sliced watermelon.

CHAMPAGNE-CASSIS GRANITA

Steps:

• In a medium, nonreactive saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the Champagne. Stir in the crème de cassis. Freeze according to the instructions for freezing granita on page 145.
• Although Champagne-Cassis Granita is delicious just as it is, a scoop of Raspberry-Champágne Sorbet (page 132) at the bottom of the glass is an elegant touch.

CHAMPAGNE GRANITA

Steps:

• Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until sugar dissolves and the foaming just starts to subside (some foaming will help the granita stay light and airy as it freezes).
• Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
• Freeze on the floor of the freezer for about 2 hours, stirring with a fork every 20 minutes.
• When the granita is frozen but soft, smooth out the crystals and cover the pan with plastic wrap.
• Tightly sealed, the granita can stay in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
• Serve by scraping up the ice crystals with a fork and mounding them in cups, bowls, or glasses.

CHAMPAGNE GRANITA

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Combine sugar and 2 1/2 cups water in medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Transfer to a large bowl set over the ice bath, and cool completely.
• Add champagne to sugar, and stir to combine. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch pan, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Stir with tines of a fork, scraping up icy parts. Return to freezer, and stir every 20 minutes until mixture is frozen and texture is similar to shaved ice. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.

RASPBERRY-CHAMPAGNE GRANITA

Steps:

• Place the raspberries and lime juice in a blender; process until smooth.
• Combine water, sugar and champagne in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat; simmer 1 minute or until sugar melts.
• Remove from heat, stir in raspberry puree.
• Pour the mixture into a large, shallow baking dish.
• Cover and freeze 8 hours.
• Remove dish from freezer and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Scrape entire mixture with a fork until fluffy.

PLUM GRANITA

Steps:

• Remove seeds from plum and place the plums with syrup in a blender or food processor puree the plums.
• Stir in the lemon juice and the vanilla puree the mixture,.
• Transfer the mixture to a freezer proof dish.
• Chill for eight hours or overnight.
• When your ready to serve scrape the granita with a fork to lighten the texture and serve it in chilled bowls.

CHAMPAGNE-CASSIS GRANITA

Steps:

• In a saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Remove from heat and add the Champagne; stir in the creme de cassis.
• Pour mixture into 2-quart container (sides should be about 2 inches high) and place in the freezer.
• Begin checking it after about 1 hour; once it begins to freeze around the edges, take a fork and stir the mixture, breaking up the frozen parts near the edges into smaller chunks and raking them toward the center.
• Return dish to freezer, then check mixture every 30 minutes afterward, stirring each time and breaking up any large chunks into small pieces with a fork, until you have beautiful, fine crystals.
• Because the granita may melt rapidly, suggest spooning into chilled goblets and letting rest in the freezer until ready to serve.