Strawberry & Champagne Granita

Strawberry & Champagne Granita! Serving strawberries with champagne is a classic pairing; this sweet, tart, icy concoction is perfect to serve up as a refreshing celebratory or romantic treat!

What is a granita?

A granita is a semi-frozen dessert that is usually made from simple syrup (the combination of equal parts of sugar and water boiled into a syrup and used for desserts and cocktails) and fruit or other flavorings. Similar to sorbet and Italian ice, this icy treat of Sicilian origin is a bit more crystalline. The ice crystals are usually made by scraping the frozen mixture with a fork in order to create the proper texture.

Ingredients

Though "granita" might sound slightly fancy, it's really just an easy version of a slushy or a sno-cone. You can make granitas with pretty much any flavor you'd like, but the base of this particular version contains the following ingredients:

• Water
• Sugar
• Fresh strawberries
• Lemon juice
• Orange juice
• Dry champagne or prosecco
• Grand Marnier orange liqueur 

These ingredients are blitzed together in a food processor and blender until completely smooth, then frozen and periodically whisked to create the signature icy texture of the granita.

How to Make a Granita

Granitas are quite simple to make, no matter what flavor you choose. It's as easy as blending or processing your ingredients together -- fresh fruit, juices, or even coffee work great! You'll want to gauge how much simple syrup to add by the natural sweetness of your ingredients; add more for tart fruits and less for naturally sweet ones. 

Once all the ingredients are blended until smooth, the mixture is poured into a shallow pan. Why shallow? Well, the thinner the layer, the faster it will freeze and the quicker you'll be enjoying a frozen treat! I like to use a glass baking dish, but you can really use any container. 

Place the mixture in the freezer and allow it to freeze for just under an hour or until it forms ice crystals around the perimeter of the dish or pan. Use a whisk to stir the mixture and distribute the icy bits, then freeze for about another hour and repeat the process.

This will keep the mixture from freezing into a solid mass and will create that icy, slushy texture that you want in a granita. Finally, freeze the mixture for 3-4 hours until it's fully frozen. To serve, drag the tines of a fork along the top to scrape up icy bits and create the "fluffy", snow-like texture for your finished product.

Total freeze time will depend upon a few factors: ingredients, shallowness of the mixture in the container, etc. Just a note: This granita contains alcohol and freezes just fine, but using a higher proof spirit may inhibit freezing, so make sure there's enough juice or liquid to allow ice crystals to form.

Strawberries with Champagne

Have you ever wondered why so many people serve or pair strawberries with champagne? The classic combo is often showcased, especially around Valentine's Day, as the ultimate romantic pairing. 

However, it's important to note that strawberries should be paired with a champagne or sparkling wine with a similar level of acidity and/or sweetness or the pairing could actually make the berries taste bitter. A demi-sec champagne or a sweeter prosecco is a good option. 

In this recipe, I used a dry sparkling wine because the entire mixture is sweetened with simple syrup. The addition of orange juice and lemon juice also balance the flavors by adding a nice tart note, keeping it from tasting too sweet.

More Strawberry Desserts

Whether you're looking to woo a sweetheart or just love those ruby-red berries, I've got lots more strawberry desserts to try out for Valentine's Day and beyond:

• Strawberry & Chocolate Ganache Cookie Cups
• Individual Strawberry Crisps
• Strawberry Coconut Torte