Cherry Merlot Granita Recipes

CHERRY MERLOT GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine water and sugar in a small pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ice.
• Meanwhile, grate rind and squeeze juice from orange to measure 1 T and 1/2 c, respectively.
• Place cherries and sugar mix in blender, process 1 minute or until pureed. Stir in rind, juice, and merlot and pour all into an 8 x 8 pan. Cover and freeze until firm (about 8 hours).
• To serve, remove from freezer and scrape with fork until fluffy.

SOUR CHERRY GRANITA

Steps:

• Set a colander over a bowl, and drain cherries, reserving all the liquid.
• Place cherries in a food processor or in a blender, and puree. Pass the puree through a fine sieve, set over a medium bowl. Using the back of a spoon, press cherries to extract the juice. If any solids remain in juice, pass juice through the sieve again. Discard pulp left in the sieve.
• Add reserved liquid from step one and vinegar to the strained juice.
• In a medium saucepan, combine sugar with 2/3 cup water; cook over medium-high heat until sugar has dissolved, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, and let stand until cool.
• Add cooled syrup to juice mixture, and stir until combined. Pour this new mixture into a shallow metal pan large enough to hold the liquid; place in freezer until ice crystals begin to form around edges, about 1 hour. Using a fork, stir the ice crystals into the center; return to the freezer. Stir ice crystals once an hour until all the liquid has frozen and has a grainy consistency, about 5 hours. Serve, or store in the freezer, covered, up to 2 days.

SWEET CHERRY GRANITA

Steps:

• In a blender, puree cherries, sugar, and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth. Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish. Freeze 6 hours, scraping with a fork every hour (mixture should be icy and fluffy).
• To serve, pour 1 tablespoon liqueur into each of 12 small bowls or glasses. Top with 1/2 cup granita and a small dollop of whipped cream, if desired. Serve immediately.

CHERRY-NUT GRANOLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, whisk together apple juice, honey, brown sugar, canola oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until combined. Add oats, almonds, and pecan; toss until mixture is well combined and evenly moistened. Divide mixture between 2 baking sheets and transfer to oven. Bake, shaking pans occasionally, until light golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Transfer warm granola to a large bowl and stir in cherries and currants. Let cool completely; store in an airtight container up to 1 week.