Best Sweet Cherry Granita Recipes

Sweet Cherry Granita image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Time 10m

Number Of Ingredients 5

2 pounds cherries, stemmed and pitted, or 3 bags (12 ounces each) frozen cherries, thawed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup almond-flavored liqueur, such as Disaronno (optional)
Whipped cream or mascarpone cheese (optional), for serving

Steps:

In a blender, puree cherries, sugar, and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth. Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish. Freeze 6 hours, scraping with a fork every hour (mixture should be icy and fluffy).
To serve, pour 1 tablespoon liqueur into each of 12 small bowls or glasses. Top with 1/2 cup granita and a small dollop of whipped cream, if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 110 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 1 g

Sour Cherry Granita image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Yield Makes 1 quart

Number Of Ingredients 3

2 pounds fresh or frozen sour cherries, thawed and pitted
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar

Steps:

Set a colander over a bowl, and drain cherries, reserving all the liquid.
Place cherries in a food processor or in a blender, and puree. Pass the puree through a fine sieve, set over a medium bowl. Using the back of a spoon, press cherries to extract the juice. If any solids remain in juice, pass juice through the sieve again. Discard pulp left in the sieve.
Add reserved liquid from step one and vinegar to the strained juice.
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar with 2/3 cup water; cook over medium-high heat until sugar has dissolved, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, and let stand until cool.
Add cooled syrup to juice mixture, and stir until combined. Pour this new mixture into a shallow metal pan large enough to hold the liquid; place in freezer until ice crystals begin to form around edges, about 1 hour. Using a fork, stir the ice crystals into the center; return to the freezer. Stir ice crystals once an hour until all the liquid has frozen and has a grainy consistency, about 5 hours. Serve, or store in the freezer, covered, up to 2 days.