Granitas, like sorbets, appeal to dessert eaters who want to have their cake and eat it too. Made from nothing but fruit and sugar, they are naturally low-calorie sweets. But you know what tastes really good with many granitas? A big dollop of whipped cream.
Black raspberries are a real treat, and will produce a rich granita the color of grape jelly. But if you can’t find them, don’t fret: Red raspberries will be just as good. The fruit you use should be the best and sweetest you can find, but it need not be the best looking, since it’s going to be puréed. Ask the vendors at your market if they have any slightly smashed berries they might be willing to sell at a discount. As long as they’re not moldy, you’re in business.
Plain or lightly sweetened cream would be fine with this dessert, but cream is easily infused with all kinds of things. Herbs, citrus zest, nuts, spices, and teas can all be used to flavor cream. I bought a verbena plant at the Greenmarket last week, and was excited to use some of it to flavor the cream for this dessert. But I spent a long weekend in Boston and the poor thing suffered in my absence. I think it’s still alive, but the leaves have all shriveled up to nothingness. Luckily, I almost always have a few lemons around. To infuse the cream, gently heat it and, once hot, add the zest (or herbs, or whatever you like) and remove it from the heat to steep. Once the flavor is strong enough, strain the cream and chill it thoroughly before whipping. I get the best results by letting it chill overnight.
You’ll need a fine mesh strainer for this recipe, to remove all of those tiny raspberry seeds. You will also need some simple syrup. Made by bringing equal parts sugar and water to a full boil, this is not a bad thing to have around if you do a lot of dessert making (or cocktail drinking!), so go ahead and make extra.
To freeze the granita, a shallow metal pan is best. Many people think there is a lot of stirring involved in granita production, but I usually just let it freeze all the way and then scrape it, partly because I am lazy and partly because I forget it’s there in the freezer waiting for me and by the time I remember it’s already frozen. In any case, it seems to work just fine.
Once scraped, the granita will keep for a few days, but you will have to stir it before serving, to restore the texture and redistribute the sugar.
This recipe comes from my good friend and pastry chef Heather Miller, and she will be the first to say that it is more a set of guidelines than a strict formula. Why? Because some raspberries are sweeter than others.
Black Raspberry Granita with Lemon Cream
for the granita:
4 pint baskets black raspberries (or red, or a mix)
1 c cold simple syrup
the juice of 1-2 lemons
1. In a blender or food processor, purée the raspberries with the simple syrup.
2. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.
3. Taste the puree and add lemon juice to taste. It may also need a bit more syrup, depending on the sweetness of the fruit.
4. Transfer the puree to a shallow dish, cover it, and place in the freezer.
5. When the puree is frozen, remove from the freezer and scrape it with a fork to produce a fluffy pile of ice. Make sure it is well stirred, as the heavier, sweeter part of the mix will have sunk to the bottom of the pan.
6. Return the granita to the freezer until ready to serve.
for the lemon cream:
1 c heavy cream
the zest of one lemon ( I use a Microplane)
2 T powdered sugar
1. In a small saucepan, gently heat the cream until hot but not boiling.
2. Add the lemon zest to the cream and remove it from the heat. Let the mixture steep for at least an hour. If it is lemony enough, strain it and refrigerate. If not, refrigerate it without straining. Chill several hours or overnight.
3. To sweeten and whip the cream: Place the sugar in a bowl big enough to whip the cream, add just a splash of the cream and whisk to dissolve the sugar (making this little “slurry” is the best way to get rid of any clumps of sugar). Add the rest of the cream and whip to soft peaks.
to serve:
Gently pile the granita into glasses and top with the whipped cream. Or you can layer it, which looks really pretty in a tall glass. Garnish with fresh berries, if you like, and serve immediately.
serves about 4
Heather Miller is an acclaimed pastry chef and wonderful friend. Her career has included stints at Rialto in Cambridge, Mass., and AZ, Washington Park, and Cookshop in NYC. When she lived in San Francisco she rode a motorcycle to deliver cakes she had made.
where the heck does one find fresh black raspberries in Paris? good find!
David: Malheureusement, I am in NYC for the summer, so it’s the Union Square farmers’ market, not Boulevard Raspail, that I’m frequenting these days. I’ll be back to France in September, if everything goes according to plan!