Best Lemon Granita Recipes

ITALIAN LEMON ICE (GRANITA)

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups of the water with the sugar in a medium nonreactive saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Add the salt, stir, and remove the pan from the heat.
• Stir in the remaining water and let cool to room temperature.
• Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, place a shallow metal 2 1/2 qt container (such as a large cake pan) in the freezer to chill.
• Add the lemon juice, lemon peel, and extract to the chilled sugar mixture; stir until well blended.
• Pour into the chilled metal pan.
• Place the pan in the freezer for 30-60 minutes, or until ice crystals form around the edges.
• Stir the ice crystals into the center of the pan and return to the freezer.
• Repeat every 30 minutes, or until all the liquid is crystallized but not frozen solid, about 3 hours.
• To serve, scoop the granita into chilled dessert bowls or goblets.
• (If the granita has become too hard, scrape it with a large metal spoon to break up the ice crystals.) Serve at once.
• Advance Preparation: The granita can be stored, covered, for up to four days in the freezer, but it will have become frozen solid.
• To serve, either allow the granita to thaw in the refridgerator until you can scrape the crystals, or break it up into chunks and process with on/off motions in a food processor fitted with the knife blade until fairly smooth.

ZESTY LEMON GRANITA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and thyme. Transfer to an 8-in. square dish; cool to room temperature., Remove thyme sprigs. Freeze for 1 hour; stir with a fork. Freeze 2-3 hours longer or until completely frozen, stirring every 30 minutes., Stir granita with a fork just before serving; spoon into dessert dishes. Garnish with lemon zest.

LEMON GRANITA

Steps:

• With a vegetable peeler remove zest in long pieces from 2 lemons. Squeeze 1/2 cup juice from lemons.
• In a small heavy saucepan heat water and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in zest and transfer syrup to a bowl to cool. Chill syrup, covered, until cold. Discard zest and stir in lemon juice.
• For eastern-Sicilian granita:
• Freeze lemon mixture in an ice-cream maker until spoonable but not crumbly and serve immediately.
• For western-Sicilian granita:
• Freeze lemon mixture in a metal bowl, stirring every 30 minutes to remove ice crystals from side of bowl, until liquid has become granular but is still slightly slushy, about 3 to 4 hours. Serve granita immediately.

LEMON-BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar with 3 cups water in a medium saucepan. Warm the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from the heat, and cool to room temperature.
• Add the basil to the sugar syrup and muddle the leaves with the base of a wooden spoon. Let steep for 1 hour. Strain the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish (discard the basil). Stir in the lemon juice and vodka, if using. Freeze until the mixture begins to set, about 2 hours. Scrape with a fork to form small crystals in the ice every 30 minutes to an hour until the mixture is fully frozen, about 1 hour more.
• Serve the granita in chilled glasses, garnished with the small basil leaves.

LEMON GRANITA

Steps:

• Clean and wash the lemons. Cut off the top 1/4 of the lemons and shave a small slice off the bottom so it stands easily.
• Using a grapefruit knife, cut out the flesh of the lemon and place in a strainer set over a bowl. Be careful not to cut through the bottom. Stand the lemons on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer and freeze until solid.
• Press the flesh of the lemons through the strainer to extract all of the juice. You should end up with about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of lemon juice. Add the water to the lemon juice. Stir in sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is of desired sweetness. Add the thyme and limoncello and let sit for 15 minutes.
• Strain the mixture into a roasting pan or baking dish. The dish should be large enough so the liquid is not more than 1-inch deep. Freeze the mixture for 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and scrape with 2 forks to break up ice. Return to the freezer and freeze until solid, about 2 to 3 hours, scraping with forks every hour or so.
• When the granite is frozen, scoop it into the frozen lemon shells and serve immediately.

LEMON RICOTTA GRANITA

Steps:

• Stir the water and 3/4 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat just until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the lemon juice. Pour the lemon mixture into an 8-inch square glass dish. Cover and freeze, stirring occasionally, until the liquid just becomes slushy, about 2 hours. Using a fork, scrape the granita every 30 minutes until it is completely made up of ice crystals. (The granita can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cover and keep frozen, and scrape every so often so that the crystals stay loose.)
• Whisk the ricotta, remaining sugar, and pinch of salt in a medium bowl to blend. Spoon the granita into dessert bowls. Top with a dollop of the ricotta. Zest the lemon peel over the desserts and serve.

LEMON VODKA GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the lemon zest and juice, syrup and vodka and transfer to a metal 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Freeze for 4 hours.
• Remove baking pan from freezer and scrape surface with a spatula or fork to create large crystals. Transfer crystals to wine goblets and garnish with fresh berries and toasted almonds.
• Bring water and sugar to a boil and boil until sugar is dissolved. Cool to room temperature and transfer to a jar. Store in a cool pantry or refrigerate.

ITALIAN GRANITA LEMON ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Boil the sugar and water for 5 minutes. Then let the syrup cool down and add the lemon juice and grated lemon zest. Boil everything again. Let it cool down again and put it in the freezer in a metallic container. Turn the mixture while it is freezing every 20 minutes. The Granita will be ready after 3-4 hours.

MEYER LEMON GRANITA

Steps:

• Place the zest, water, mint springs, and agave or sugar in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir for about one minute.
• Remove from the heat, and allow the syrup to cool slightly in the refrigerator.
• When chilled, strain out the lemon zest and the mint sprigs.
• Stir the lemon juice into the chilled syrup. Taste to make sure the mixture is not too tart; if it is, add a little more sugar.
• Pour the mixture into a 9x13-inch shallow baking dish (metal, ceramic, or glass), so the mixture is about an inch deep.
• Place in the freezer.
• Every 30 minutes stir with a fork, scraping the crystals down from the side of the dish.
• When the granita is slightly slushy, but definitely frozen hard, with small firm granules of ice, it's done. It will take 2-3 hours to get to this stage.
• The granita may be transferred to an airtight container and stored for a couple hours before serving.
• Remove the granita from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving, so it softens slightly.
• Serve in dessert bowls or glasses.

COBIA POACHED IN OLIVE OIL WITH JICAMA, AVOCADO AND LEMON BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• For the lemon basil granita: Place the cardamom, shallots, chile, salt, sugar and 2 cups water in a pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook for 1 minute and remove from the heat. Add the basil, lemon zest, cucumber juice and vinegar and stir. Cover and let steep for 20 minutes.
• Strain the mixture and place it in the refrigerator to chill. Pour into a shallow glass pan and freeze for 4 hours, stirring occasionally, until the liquid becomes slushy. Continue to freeze, scraping the top of the granita every 30 minutes to produce fine crystals of shaved ice. Freeze until the granita is completely made up of ice crystals.
• For the white pickling marinade: Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Immediately remove from the heat and set aside.
• For the pickling marinade: Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sweat the shallots, garlic, salt and sugar until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of the white pickling liquid (reserve the remainder for another use) and cook until almost completely reduced and very little liquid remains. Cover with the remaining 3 3/4 cups of olive oil and add the thyme and tarragon. Immediately remove from the heat and set aside.
• For the avocado coulis: Place the avocado, lime juice, salt and 1/4 cup water in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
• For the cobia: Set aside 1 cup of the pickling marinade for the salad and bring the remaining 3 cups to a quick simmer in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Season the cobia with the salt and slip it into the marinade for 30 seconds, then remove the pan from heat. Transfer the cobia to a baking dish, pour the marinade over the top and chill in the refrigerator so that the cobia is rare to medium-rare in the center, about 10 minutes. The fish will cure slightly. If you prefer the fish to be more cooked, leave it in the hot marinade for up to 1 minute.
• For the salad: Remove the cobia from the marinade, pat it dry with paper towels and slice it into thin pieces. Mix the cobia with the oranges, avocado, jicama and chile oil to taste, using some of the reserved cup of pickling marinade to dress the salad. Season to taste.
• To plate, spread a layer of the avocado coulis on the bottom of 4 wide bowls and top with equal portions of the salad. Scrape the granita into 4 portions, each about the size of a golf ball, and top the salads with the the granita. Garnish with the lemon basil and jalapeno. Serve immediately.

CUCUMBER, MEYER LEMON AND LAVENDER GRANITA

Steps:

• In a blender, blend the Meyer lemon juice and cucumber together, creating cucumber water. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds.
• Place 1/2 cup water into a saucepan and add the sugar and lavender. Bring the mixture to a simmer to dissolve the sugar and infuse the simple syrup with the lavender flavor. Then set aside to cool.
• Once the syrup is cool, remove the lavender sprigs and mix the syrup into the cucumber water. Add in the Meyer lemon zest and then pour the mixture into a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Place the dish into the freezer to chill. Every 30 minutes, scrape the mixture with a fork to break up the ice crystals and to keep it light and fluffy. Continue scraping every 30 minutes for at least 2 hours.
• Scrape the granita into elegant glasses and sprinkle with fleur de sel.

WATERMELON GRANITA WITH SWEET LEMON CREAM

Steps:

• Combine water, sugar, vanilla extract, and fresh mint in a heavy bottomed saucepan; bring to boil. Remove from heat; mix in lime juice and salt.
• Place watermelon in batches in a blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Strain through a sieve into a large bowl, using a spoon to press out as much juice as possible; stir in sugar mixture.
• Pour watermelon mixture into a 10x14-inch glass pan. Freeze, scraping the surface every 30 minutes with a fork until ice crystals form throughout, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Mix labneh, honey, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Whisk in water 1 teaspoon at a time until consistency is light and creamy. Top granita with cream.

LEMON VERBENA ICE MILK WITH STRAWBERRY GRANITA

Steps:

• Prepare the ice milk: heat milk and 3/4 cup sugar in a heavy pan until bubbles form around the milk edges, then remove from heat. Crush lemon verbena leaves in your fists. Add to milk; steep 5 minutes. Taste the mixture; add more leaves if desired. Strain and chill.
• Whip the egg whites to soft peaks, slowly add 2 tablespoons sugar and continue to whip until peaks are shiny. Whisk the egg whites into the milk mixture and pour into an ice cream machine. Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Make the granita: in a pan, bring 3/4 cup water and 6 tablespoons sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and cool. Purée halved berries in a food processor; strain.
• In a bowl, mix together strawberries, sugar syrup and lemon juice. Taste and add more sugar or lemon juice if needed. Pour into a wide shallow container, and place in the freezer for an hour. Remove the granita and scrape the ice with a fork. Repeat every hour six times, until granita is fluffy and icy.
• To serve, toss quartered strawberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Let sit 5 minutes. Scoop lemon verbena ice milk into chilled dessert bowls, and sprinkle the strawberry granita over the top. Garnish with fresh strawberry slices.

LEMON-POMELO GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• Pour pureed pomelo and lemon juice into a pie plate. Stir in lemon zest and cooled syrup until combined. Place the dish, uncovered, in the freezer until mixture is just starting to freeze around the edges but still slushy in the middle, about 45 minutes. Use a fork to scrape the mixture from the outer edges inward. Place back into the freezer, and continue to scrape with a fork about every hour until the granita is light and fluffy.

LEMON VODKA GRANITA

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium heat, combine the water and sugar. Cook and stir until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup looks clear, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool the syrup by pouring it into a bowl and putting it into the refrigerator or over an ice bath. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice; stir to combine. Mix in the lemon vodka.
• Pour the lemon mixture into a shallow baking pan and freeze for 1 hour. Using a fork or a couple of chopsticks, break up all the ice crystals on the bottom and sides of the pan. This incorporates air so the final product literally melts in your mouth. Freeze for 3 to 4 hours, until the mixture has reached a frozen granular consistency. You can serve it two ways: Either rake the granita with the tines of a fork for a snow-cone-like product or run an ice-cream scooper down the length for a smooth Italian-ice-like result. Spoon it into a wine or martini glass.

VANILLA-INFUSED OLIVE OIL AND LEMON GRANITA SALAD

Steps:

• Split vanilla bean lengthwise with the tip of a sharp knife. Holding the pod open, scrape seeds from each half using the flat side of your knife.
• Combine vanilla bean, scraped seeds, and olive oil in a small saucepan over very low heat. Warm the oil until fragrant, 2 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, about 5 minutes. Strain into a small bowl and refrigerate, at least 1 day.
• Combine sugar, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a pot over medium-low heat; heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let granita mixture cool, about 10 minutes.
• Pour granita mixture into a freezer-safe baking dish and freeze until half-way frozen, 1 to 2 hours. Scrape thoroughly with a fork. Freeze, 8 hours to overnight, scraping granita again the following day.
• Place 6 large leaves of lettuce on 6 serving plates. Chop the remaining lettuce and divide among the lettuce leaves. Slice each strawberry and fan out on each plate.
• Season mahi mahi with salt and pepper and cook in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat until opaque, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Divide mahi mahi among plates.
• Scrape out 1 tablespoon of granita, form into a ball, and place next to mahi mahi. Repeat for remaining plates. Drizzle vanilla-infused olive oil over each plate.

LEMON GRANITA

Steps:

• 1. In a medium bowl combine lemon juice, water, sugar, and liqueur and stir until sugar is dissolved.
• 2. Strain mixture into a baking dish large enough so that the liquid is no more than 1 inch deep.
• 3. Freeze mixture for 1 hour. Remove mixture and scrape with a fork to break it up a little. Put it back into the freezer for 3-4 hours, or until frozen solid continuing to scrape every hour or so.
• 4. When Granita is frozen, scoop into little dishes and serve immediately.

LEMON VERBENA GRANITA

Steps:

• Place a small metal tray into the freezer to chill. Put the lemon verbena, lemon zest, and sugar into the boiling water and allow to infuse for 10 minutes. Add your ice cubes to bring the temperature down and then sieve the liquid into the cold metal tray (keep the lemon zest and verbena for later) and place in the freezer for about 2 hours. Mash with a fork, scratching up the ice, then freeze for a further 2 hours.
• To prepare the apple compote, put 2 tablespoons of sugar into a small pan and heat on a medium heat until it is syrupy and light caramel color. Finely chop the reserved lemon zest and lemon verbena and add to the caramel with the apple and lemon juice. Mix and cook for a couple of minutes.
• To serve, spoon a little compote into 4 small shot glasses, then a spoonful of creme fraiche, and finally top with the granita and a small sprig of lemon verbena.

LEMON-BASIL GRANITA RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• 1. In medium sauce pan bring water and sugar to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat; cool slightly (about 20 minutes). Add basil and let stand 30 minutes more. Pour through a fine mesh sieve; discard basil. Stir lemon peel and juice into syrup. Pour into a shallow baking dish. Cover; freeze 2 hours (edges should be firm and center almost firm). 2. Transfer mixture, half at a time, to blender. Cover; blend until slushy, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Spoon back into dish, spreading evenly. Cover; freeze 2 hours more or until firm. 3. To serve, scrape across surface of mixture with a small ice cream scoop. Place scoops in small dishes. Top with lemon slices, fresh mint leaves, and/or edible flowers. Makes 6 servings. Each serving = 4 Weight Watchers points.

LEMON-GIN GRANITA

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, bring honey, lemon juice and 1 cup water to a boil, whisking until honey dissolves. Remove from heat and whisk in zest and gin. Pour mixture into a shallow dish. Freeze for 1 hour, then stir with a fork. Freeze for 40 minutes more, then rake with fork, repeating every 40 minutes until granita is icy and slushy (about 3 hours total). Serve in cocktail glasses.