Best Mango Vanilla Granita Recipes
MANGO GRANITA RECIPE
There is something to be said about undertaking a complicated recipe. The thrill of a new challenge, flying solo with nothing more than your blind faith in the written word and the lure of a pretty picture. Then the labor, the cost, the sweat-inducing stress. Finally, at the end of it all, wondering if the whole experience was more of a religious encounter, or an exercise in masochism.Rewarding? Perhaps. Personally, I like to keep it simple in the kitchen.My latest obsession is granita: Place a flavored liquid in a shallow dish and freeze, whisking or scraping with a fork every half-hour or so until frozen. Voila.No special equipment. No hard labor. And the payoff is amazing.A lightly sweetened liquid -- wine, juice, even coffee -- is frozen, agitated periodically to keep it from freezing solid, then shaved into ice crystals or grains (hence the name) before serving. It's perfect as a palate cleanser between courses, served at the end of the meal as a light dessert or dished up as a quick sweet -- or savory -- snack.Simple as it is, the flavor variations are endless. Take a basic note, complement it with an herbal element or spice, then sweeten. Recently, I've taken my inspiration from the summer produce at the market.Take those temptingly sweet cherries at the market. Puree a pound of them, folding in a little orange and cherry liqueur. Add a touch of almond extract -- the tart, nutty extract works so well to bring out the flavors in the stone fruit. Sweeten to taste, then freeze. In mere hours you have a refreshing summer snack, fresh and light, the bold flavors of cherry complemented with a hint of bright orange. Ultimate coolness, in a dish.Or puree a pound or so of mangoes (I use the ones sold as "Champagne") with a touch of fresh lime and grated ginger. Sweeten with sugar and thin the puree with a little water. Strain the base and freeze. Not too sweet, the mango flavor is rich and pure, brightened with a subtle punch of ginger and the fresh, almost floral, notes of lime.Crystal clear flavorThat simplicity is what makes granita different from other frozen desserts. Because the ingredients are so basic -- no dairy, eggs or gelatin -- the flavor is clear.I think what I love most about granita is that the actual work is so minimal. The shape of the ice crystals will vary depending on how often you stir, and how you scrape the finished granita before serving. Frequent stirring will shorten the crystals, giving you a much finer grain, like fresh-fallen snow. Stir less frequently (or forget it, as I sometimes do), and the crystals are coarser, more rustic.That range of texture -- the shape of the final crystals -- affects the perception of taste. Imagine eating a smooth slushy dessert, the flavors quickly blending as the ice melts on the tongue. Then take the same dessert but imagine eating it as a coarser snow cone, the flavor coming in bursts as the ice is chewed. Same ingredients, but different results.Experiment to find out which texture you prefer with different flavors. Not happy with one texture? Simply melt the granita and try again.Branch out and experiment with flavor. Traditional flavorings are a sure thing, but feel free to improvise. Consider fresh herbs, a hint of spice, even soda, as a granita base.I was playing with the idea of a rose water granita the other day, combining it with a bottle of bright and fruity Prosecco and adding pureed raspberries for a hint of color. A delicate pink when frozen, the granita was lightly floral when shaved, the fragrant rose water more an essence than a solid flavor.Simple as it may be to make, keep in mind that a granita's flavor will develop and evolve as it freezes. I recently tried a green tea granita, sweetening first with honey, then in another batch with sugar, rounding out the flavors with lemon and fresh mint.Though the flavors seemed perfect when warm, I found that the herbal, grassy notes of the tea increased as the granita chilled, overpowering it to the point of bitterness. No worries. I reduced the amount of tea and shortened the steeping period -- and a fresh batch of granita was back in the freezer.Find you don't like the flavor base, or want to tweak it some? You can also thaw it and adjust. Granitas are forgiving that way.I'm a big fan of Mexican iced pops, or paletas. I recently tried a spicy cucumber granita, combining vibrant green cucumber puree with simple syrup that had been steeped with dried chiles and lime juice. I added a little salt to tone down the sweetness and give it a touch of savory.Frozen, the granita was sweet and spicy, refreshing like a regular sorbet but wonderfully layered.A complex harmony of flavors using little more than a baking dish and a fork. Wonderfully simple.
Provided by Noelle Carter
Categories DESSERTS
Time 15m
Yield Serves 6 to 8
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Peel the mangoes and remove as much flesh as possible from the pits. Dice the flesh into large pieces.
- Place the mango pieces into a blender along with the sugar, lime zest and juice, ginger and water. Puree the mixture until liquefied to form the granita base. This makes about 5 cups.
- Strain the granita base and place in a large baking dish. Freeze, stirring every half-hour or so until the granita is frozen. To serve, shave the granita, raking the tines of a fork across the surface to break up the crystals. Serve immediately.
MANGO-LIME GRANITA
This simple, icy dessert will transport you to more tropical climes thanks to the tart and sweet flavors of lime and mango.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Place chopped mango in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, and process until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the water, lime juice, and sugar, and stir to dissolve.
- Pour mixture into a 9-by-5-inch deep-sided metal pan, and place in the freezer until nearly set, about 3 hours, whisking mixture every hour. Remove from freezer, and scrape surface with the tines of a fork until it is the texture of shaved ice. Return to freezer until ready to serve. Granita can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 108 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 1 g, Sodium 4 g
GINGER MANGO GRANITA
Provided by Dave Lieberman
Categories dessert
Time 12h10m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Whisk together all the ingredients in a large baking dish. Freeze overnight until solid. Scrape with fork to serve.
MANGO-CHILE GRANITA
This frozen treat is loaded with delicious mango and a refreshing punch of lime. A dusting of ancho chile powder before serving provides a nice warming kick.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Time 4h20m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Combine the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute; transfer to a blender and let cool completely.
- Add the mango nectar, cubed mango, lime juice and a pinch of salt to the blender and puree until smooth. Press through a fine-mesh sieve into an 8-inch-square stainless-steel or glass baking dish.
- Freeze until ice crystals begin forming around the edges, about 45 minutes. Use a fork to scrape the crystals toward the center of the pan, then continue freezing, scraping every 30 minutes, until frozen, about 4 hours. Serve topped with chile powder.
MANGO-LIME GRANITA
Steps:
- Place the chopped mango in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, and process until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the water, lime juice, and sugar, and stir to dissolve.
- Pour the mixture into a 9 × 5-inch deep-sided metal pan, and place in the freezer until nearly set, about 3 hours, whisking the mixture every hour. Remove from the freezer, and scrape the surface with the tines of a fork until it is the texture of shaved ice. Return to the freezer until ready to serve. The granita can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer up to 2 weeks.
- FIT TO EAT RECIPE
- (Per serving)
- Calories: 108
- Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Carbohydrate: 28g
- Sodium: 4mg
- Protein: 1g
- Fiber: 1g
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