Italian Granita Lemon Ice Cream Recipes

ITALIAN LEMON ICE (GRANITA)

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups of the water with the sugar in a medium nonreactive saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Add the salt, stir, and remove the pan from the heat.
• Stir in the remaining water and let cool to room temperature.
• Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, place a shallow metal 2 1/2 qt container (such as a large cake pan) in the freezer to chill.
• Add the lemon juice, lemon peel, and extract to the chilled sugar mixture; stir until well blended.
• Pour into the chilled metal pan.
• Place the pan in the freezer for 30-60 minutes, or until ice crystals form around the edges.
• Stir the ice crystals into the center of the pan and return to the freezer.
• Repeat every 30 minutes, or until all the liquid is crystallized but not frozen solid, about 3 hours.
• To serve, scoop the granita into chilled dessert bowls or goblets.
• (If the granita has become too hard, scrape it with a large metal spoon to break up the ice crystals.) Serve at once.
• Advance Preparation: The granita can be stored, covered, for up to four days in the freezer, but it will have become frozen solid.
• To serve, either allow the granita to thaw in the refridgerator until you can scrape the crystals, or break it up into chunks and process with on/off motions in a food processor fitted with the knife blade until fairly smooth.

GRANITA DE LIMONE (SICILIAN LEMON ICE)

Steps:

• Begin the preceding night by squeezing the lemons into a strainer formed by placing a coffee filter in a strainer. Strain the lemon juice into a small bowl containing the cold water - this is a very slow drop-by-drop process.
• Add the sugar the next morning.
• Mix very well with a wooden spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Pour into a tin or aluminum pan.
• Place the pan in the freezer.
• Let rest for about 5 hours, breaking up the solid layer of ice which forms at least once every hour.
• Remove the pan from the freezer.
• Cut the ice into pieces with a knife.
• Place the ice pieces in an ice crusher (or into a blender running at low speed).
• The ice should form a smooth consistent texture of imperceptible grains (almost like ice cream - no large grains or chunks).
• Transfer to individual serving glasses.