Welcome back to my Red, White, and Blue Series, where I’m sharing a collection of summer recipes inspired by the colors of the American flag. For the white installment, I’m taking you straight to Sicily with one of my favorite discoveries from my recent trip: authentic Sicilian Almond Granita.
Before visiting Sicily, I thought granita was simply a flavored shaved ice. What I quickly learned is that true Sicilian granita is something entirely different. The texture is smoother and creamier—almost like an icy sorbet, and they serve it alongside a soft brioche bun called a brioche col tuppo. The bun is named for the small round knob of dough baked on top. To eat it, you pull off the top, scoop up the granita, and enjoy the two together. I love any country that’s on board with eating ice cream for breakfast!
Almond granita is one of Sicily’s most beloved flavors, and it’s easy to understand why. Made from fresh almonds blended with water and sugar, it has a rich marzipan-like flavor that tastes both luxurious and refreshing at the same time. When you blanch and peel the almonds before making it, the finished granita becomes almost pure white in color, looking remarkably similar to a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and making it perfect for the WHITE part of this series.
For the next installment of the Red, White, and Blue Series, stay tuned for the blue recipe.
Almond Granita (Granita di Mandorla)
YIELD: 4 cups
12 oz raw blanched almonds (can use whole, sliced or slivered)
3½ cups water
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp almond extract
Method:
Place the almonds and water in a high-speed blender. Blend for several minutes until completely smooth and milky.
Pour through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a saucepan, pressing firmly to extract as much liquid as possible.
Add the sugar and salt and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon (do not less it boil agressively). Remove from the heat, cool and pour into a shallow pan.
Freezing options:
Freeze for about 2 hours, until icicles begin to form and use a fork to scrape/mash it. Return to the freezer and do this again every 1-2 hours until flaky.
Alternatively, freeze for 6–8 hours or overnight. Break the frozen mixture into chunks.
Transfer to a food processor or blender and pulse until the texture becomes smooth, fluffy, and creamy, like a soft sorbet.
Serve immediately, or freeze for another 15–20 minutes if needed to firm up slightly.
Related Recipes
Chunky Monkey Marzipan Nice Cream
Goat Cheese Ice Cream
Persimmon Coconut Ice Cream