Peaches are in season and recently we hosted a wine pairing dinner where peaches were the star. Our introduction to dinner was a glass of champagne with peach mint granita; a play on the Italian Bellini. It should be called the drink of summer, you’ll want to drink this every sunny summer day.
Keep in mind that the exact measurements for granita can vary depending on how ripe your fruit is, how sweet or sour it is, and how much liquid it holds. Use the following as a base and then adjust to your taste and need of ingredients.
- 4 cups cubed fruit: You’ll need about 1 1/2 pounds of fruit total.
- 1/4 cup flavorful liquid: Lemon and lime are the standard, but you can use liquor or wine or kombucha here. Pick something with a little acidity that balances the fruit’s sweetness.
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar: You can add more or less depending on the sweetness of your fruit.
- A pinch of salt herbs or spice. Not required however this will bring complexity and fun to the fruit.
Ingredients:
4 large ripe peaches
½ cup fresh mint leaves
¼ cup sugar (more or less as needed)
¼ cup champagne
Instructions:
- Blend the fruit, juice, and sugar. Combine the fruit, lime juice, sugar, and salt in a blender or food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Purée until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Freeze the purée in a shallow pan for 30 minutes. Pour the purée into a 9×13-inch metal pan. The purée should be about 1/2 inch deep, although it’s OK if the purée is deeper; it will just take longer to freeze. Freeze for 30 minutes.
- Scrape the granita with a fork and freeze again. Take the pan out of the freezer. The purée should have begun to freeze, especially around the edges and top. Scrape the mixture with a fork and return to the freezer. Repeat this process every 30 minutes for a total of 4 hours. The granita is done when the mixture is completely frozen and appears dry and flaky in texture.
- Scoop into bowls and serve. Scoop the granita into bowls alone or with yogurt. Top with sugared lime zest mixture if using.
You can store granita for up to a week covered in the freezer. Granita will get hard eventually. To serve again simply pull it out of the freezer and let it defrost a bit. Scrape with a fork and you should be good to go.