Saturday, July 17, 2010

It's Hot! Cool Off With A Granita





You are most cordially invited to a party!


We're having a cookout!


Where? Right here at Mystery Lovers' Kitchen


When? Next week, Monday through Saturday



Mystery Lovers' Kitchen is proud and delighted to announce that it's our first anniversary! We're inviting you to a special cookout. Each day next week, our bloggers will create a special party dish just for our celebration. Not only that, but we'll be giving away a prize *each* day! And one special prize to celebrate our first year together. So put on your flip flops and sun hat, and come join the fun!




Cooling Off Without Cooking


It's hot everywhere. The mountains, the lake, the shore, we just can't escape it. It seems like all anyone wants is something cool and frosty. Now, I love ice cream. It's the perfect weather for ice cream, but not everyone has an ice cream maker. And there's that pesky little issue of all that fat in ice cream.

If you're a fan of Top Chef or The Next Food Network like I am, then you've watched someone make a granita. I suspect they make them for dessert because they're so easy. A granita is basically sugar, water, and fruit. The sugar and water are cooked, then pureed with the fruit and frozen. Sometimes the fruit is cooked a bit, sometimes not. But the basic idea is icy fruit. It's supposed to be more grainy and icy than a smooth sorbet, but because of that -- we can make granitas at home quite easily.


This recipe will not only cool you off, but it requires no cooking whatsoever! You don't even have to make a sugar syrup! And it's a great excuse to open the freezer and stick your head in every 1/2 hour.

The hardest part is finding a suitable tray or pan in which to freeze it. I used a simple roasting pan. Just be sure you use something shallow that fits into your freezer! And beware of using your favorite shiny silver aluminum or stainless steel pan, some of them don't like freezing temperatures and will turn dark. (They're still usable, they just aren't pretty anymore.)

Granitas can be served with a dollop of creme fraiche or whipping cream, but on these hot days, it's nice to eat something very light. This granita has such an intense punch of flavor that you might even forget about the heat while you eat it!

Peach Mango Granita


3 peaches
1 mango
1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup apricot preserves

Peel and pit the peaches and the mango and place in a food processor. Add the lemon juice and apricot preserves. Puree. Spread in a pan and freeze. Every half hour, pull the pan from the freezer and scrape across the top with a fork. Mine took about two hours to reach a good consistency. To serve, rake the fork across the top and spoon into a fun glass, like a martini or wine glass. And if you happened to pour a little peach schnapps or vodka over top of it, I wouldn't tell! ; )



Enjoy!

11 comments:

  1. What a perfect summer dessert! I've made watermelon granita, but this sounds like it would have a much more intense flavor. Love it. :)

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  2. Oh this sounds wonderful, Krista! So perfect for these sweltering days. I'm heading out to my local farmer's market in a few and I know what I'll be looking for.

    Wonderful recipe!
    Julie

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  3. This does look delicious and refreshing. The perfect thing for the 100-plus temperatures we've been having. Thanks.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

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  4. I should have mentioned that one can also make chocolate and coffee granita!

    Wendy, I'm amazed by the punch of flavor in this.

    Julie, I hope you love it. Fresh peaches from the farmer's market would be perfect.

    It's not 100, but it's already muggy and oppressive here, Mason. Just the right kind of day for something icy.

    ~ Krista

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  5. wow, wow, wow. Love this. Adore peaches, my favorite fruit, and it sounds so easy and refreshing! Thanks, Krista.
    ~Avery

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  6. Brilliant -- *especially* loving the excuse to stick my head in the freezer ever thirty minutes. And a chocolate and coffee granita? I'm so there!

    Stay cool (if you can)
    ~ Cleo
    Coffeehouse Mystery.com
    Cleo Coyle on Twitter

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  7. Happy One Year Anniversary!

    Chocolate granita...love it.

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  8. Avery, then you would love this. It has the peach taste of a cobbler, except icy with very saturated flavor.

    Cleo, north to south, I think we're all looking for excuses to crawl into the freezer.

    Thanks, Dru! Stay cool!

    ~ Krista

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  9. This sounds like a real heat and humidity buster! Cold and fruity is always a good thing this time of year.

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  10. I just *happen* to have a bag of peaches from the farmer's market on my kitchen counter! Now I know how I can use it. :)

    Thanks Krista! And I'm looking forward to our cookout next week!

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  11. we made this today using apricots and raspberries...it was wonderful!! I can't wait for the Michigan peaches to come into season. Thanks for the brilliant and cool idea :-)
    Nanc

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