Before there were sorbet makers, there was granita, hand-scraped in ice cube trays as the mixture freezes (it‘s also known as shaved ice).

Granita is a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and flavoring—typically fruit or coffee. A precursor of sorbet and Italian ice, it originated in Sicily, where the texture remains coarser and more crystalline (crunchier) than in other parts of Italy.

The preferred texture varies from region to region: chunkier in the western regions and smoother in the eastern regions.

The texture is the result of how little or much the mixture is agitated while freezing.

But no matter how smooth the granita, it is never as smooth as sorbet (sorbetto in Italian). A little “crunch” on ice makes it unique, and is why some people prefer granita to sorbet.

[1] Grape granita: crunchy, grapey ice crystals (both photos © Melissa’s Produce).

This recipe for grape granita was created by chef Chris Faulkner for Melissas.com.

Ingredients

 
For a more adult flavor profile, add a tablespoon of grappa or vodka.
 
_______________

*Muscato grapes are available in red or green. Red grapes add a pinkish color to the granita; green grapes produce a paler product. Muscato, Muscat and Moscato are the same grape.

1. COMBINE the wine, sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan; bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer the syrup for 5 minutes and let it cool.

2. PURÉE the grapes with the syrup in a blender or food processor and strain the purée through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on the solids.

3. STIR in 1 cup cold water and the lemon juice; chill the mixture, covered, until cold. Stir the mixture and transfer it to 2 metal ice cube trays without dividers, or a shallow metal bowl.

4. FREEZE, stirring with a fork every 20 to 30 minutes and crushing the large frozen clumps. Do this for 2 to 3 hours, or until the granita is firm but not frozen solid.

5. SCRAPE the granita with a fork to lighten the texture and serve it in chilled bowls.
 
 
MORE GRANITA RECIPES

 
 
CHECK OUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FROZEN DESSERTS IN OUR ICE CREAM GLOSSARY.

While you can purchase peach purée (The Perfect Purée makes a great one), with peaches plentiful and affordable, it’s cost effective to make your own.

We picked up a flat of a dozen peaches from Trader Joe’s for $5.99. We had planned to snack on them, but the more they ripened, the more we had other eating priorities.

The next thing we knew, we had a dozen very ripe peaches. When life gives you peaches, make peach purée. We peeled them and tossed them in the food processor.

We snacked on the tasty peelings, full of the antioxidants vitamins A, C, E and K and chlorogenic acid. (Peaches are also a rich source of calcium, fiber, folate acid and potassium.)
 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE BELLINI COCKTAIL

While many people use Champagne to make a Bellini, the original recipe, created in 1948 by Giuseppe Cipriani, head bartender at Harry’s Bar in Venice, is made with Prosecco.

The dry, sparkling Italian wine is lighter than Champagne and doesn’t contribute Champagne’s chalk and mineral flavors to the drink. (Some people confuse the Bellini with the Mimosa, a cocktail made of Champagne and orange juice.)

[1] Celebrate summer with Bellini cocktails. See the photo below to understand why it was named the Bellini (photo © Chocolate By The Bay | San Francisco).

It is said that the original Bellini was made with white peach purée. White peaches were plentiful in the area and were often marinated in wine as a dessert.

If you can’t find white peaches, don’t worry. When mixed with the Prosecco, the flavor difference between white and yellow peaches is indistinguishable. And yellow peaches provide more of the color for which the drink was named. Feel free to use whichever are more affordable.
 

BELLINI COCKTAIL RECIPE

Ingredients Per Cocktail

Preparation

1. POUR purée into a Champagne flute.

2. ADD a squeeze of fresh lemon.

3. TOP with chilled Prosecco. You don’t need to stir, but if you do, do it just once and very gently so that you don’t break the bubbles.

 
 
FIND MORE OF OUR FAVORITE COCKTAIL RECIPES.

Cheddar ice cream with grilled pineapple and balsamic reduction. Photo courtesy WMMB.

Most of these ice creams don’t pair with caramel, chocolate or berry sauces. Instead:

 
FIND MORE OF OUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM
RECIPES IN OUR GOURMET ICE CREAM SECTION.