Raspberry Granita

Granita, originating in Sicily, is found all over Italy.  It's a cinch to make and really, there isn't a wrong way to make it! In Italy, you will find a crystallized granita in the west to a smooth almost, sorbet-like, granita in the east.  It seems to differ between each city.  I really enjoy both textures, although I made this recipe a little smoother.  

The key to granita is a little patience and a lot of scraping.  As the raspberry mixture is chilling, scrape the outer edges of the pan every 45 minutes.  No ice cream maker needed! 

This is a wonderful recipe to make with your little ones.  Ky (5) loved watching the crystals form and helping me scrape them up.  Once it was finally finished (which took A LOT of patience for the girls, who wanted to eat it each time it was taken out of the freezer) they quickly devoured this fun treat and promptly demanded more.  

I'm thinking a refreshing green tea or lavender water granita is soon to come!  

Raspberry Granita

Recipe created by Epicurean Mom

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh raspberries, rinsed

1 cup water 

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water and sugar.  Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Take off heat and let cool in the fridge for 30-45 minutes, or until cool to the touch.   

Blend raspberries in a blender, until smooth.  Run raspberry puree through a sieve into a medium bowl; or skip this step if you prefer the seeds.  Add the cooled sugared water and lemon juice, stir well.  Pour raspberry mixture into a shallow pan and place in the freezer for 1 hour.  Remove and scrape the crystallized raspberry puree from the sides of the pan.  Return to the freezer.  Repeat this process every 30-45 minutes, until completely frozen, about 4 hours.  Fluff flakes with a fork, and serve immediately or store in an airtight freezable container and fluff before serving.