Fancy Schmancy Citrus Granita

Sharon123's Note:

A wildly refreshing dessert that will have your mouth singing! A unique and delicious granita and it's so easy to make! This granita is a fancy schmancy way to end a meal, especially Italian. The citrus flavors refresh the palatte, while the basil gives the fresh taste of Italy When our team thought of Italy, basil came right to mind. It just shouts Italy! We thought putting it in a frozen granita would be fancy, unique and delicious! Made up by the Fancy Feinschmeckers Team for the Italian Frozen Dessert Challenge in the Zaar World Tour #4. Each team member picked an ingredient and told why they picked it: mliss29-I've always liked lemons, even since I was a little kid - Wildflower-I love orange anything! And the blossoms are so pretty, too! Alskann- Some things you don't scrimp on; pure vanilla is one of the most complex flavors in the world, its unique flavor and aroma will blend beautifully with the fresh, tart citrus flavors and the herbal essence of the basil to make this granita both flavorful and aromatic - Celticevergreen-grapefruit juice-because it's my favorite flavor and to me is like tasting liquid sunshine - Nasseh-water-It is the foundation for so many things we love & enjoy. It is in almost every food, in some form or another luvinlif2k- I'm liking the slice of lime as an optional garnish. It should look lovely with the sprig of basil and if you like your granita a bit more tart, just squeeze some lime on your granita or rub your spoon with the lime before each bite - Heydarl-Basil Sprig, as I love basil & would like to be decorative - Sharon123-I picked salt! In Matthew 5:13 it says,"Ye are the salt of the earth". Salt is also thrown over the shoulder for good luck. In ancient times, salt was precious and used to preserve meats, fish, etc. , and it also heightens the flavor of many foods. It sure works in this recpe! :lol:

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 2 quarts

• 3/4-1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaf
• 4 1/4 cups fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (or lime juice)
• 1/2 cup grapefruit juice
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• basil sprig (to garnish)
• lemon, wheel (to garnish, or lime wheel) (optional)

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and 1 cup water to a simmer over medium low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat. Stir in basil and let syrup stand for about 15 minutes.
2. Now stir together orange juice, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl. Pour basil syrup through a fine sieve into the citrus juice mixture; discard basil.
3. Move the mixture to a 9"x13" shallow glass or nonreactive dish. Chill in the freezer until edges are frozen, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the freezer; scrape with a fork, pulling from the edges into center. Return to the freezer. Repeat process every 30 minutes until the mix is the texture of shaved ice, about 4 hours. Spoon into serving bowls and garnish with a basil sprig and lemon wheel, if using. This makes it fancy! Now eat it up!

Reviews

[Maito]

This was very fresh and citrus-y. I altered the ratio so there was a lot less orange, but more lemon and grapefruit, and it tasted great. I more than doubled the basil, but it was super subtle, I think I would increase it more, since I love the flavor of basil with fruit (as in Basil-Lime Fruit Salad (Cooking Light)). The color is so beautiful in this too!

[stealthcook]

This was a hit with relatives over for lunch on a hot day. I added more grapefruit juice, and used mint instead of basil. Used half store bought fresh squeezed oj fresh squeezed with added zest.
Next time, I will reduce sugar by 1/4 and add even more fresh mint! Thanks for sharing!

[Queen of Harts]

I made this for dessert, to follow mom's lasagna. Everyone loved it and raved for days! Said my uncle "This is the most delicious thing I have ever eaten!" Thanks for sharing, I will be making this all summer.