Rachael's Daytime Talk Show
Red, White and Blue Fruit Granita -- 06/29/09

Red, White and Blue Fruit Granita

Ingredients

  • 1 pound red fruit (such as strawberries and raspberries), rinsed, cleaned and sliced thin if needed, divided
  • 1 pound blue fruit (such as blueberries and blackberries), rinsed, divided
  • 1/2 cup sugar, divided
  • 4 pinches salt, divided
  • 4 teaspoons lemon juice, divided
  • 1 cup water, divided
  • Sweetened whipped cream or crème fraiche, for garnish
  • Spirit or liqueur of choice, such as spiced rum, coconut rum, vanilla vodka or triple sec, for garnish (optional)

Yields: 2 quarts

Preparation

Place half of the red fruit into a mixing bowl and set the other half aside in a shallow 8x8” freezer-safe dish. Place half of the blue fruit into another mixing bowl and set the other half aside in another shallow 8x8” freezer-safe dish.

Divide the sugar, salt, lemon juice, and water between the mixing bowls and toss each separately to combine. Let the fruits marinate for about 30 minutes.

Step

Once the fruits have marinated, purée them separately in a blender or food processor until smooth. Stir together the puréed red fruit and reserved red fruit in the freezer-safe dish. Stir together the puréed blue fruit and reserved blue fruit in the other freezer-safe dish. Transfer both dishes to the freezer.

Step

Stir the mixture every 30 minutes until it freezes into a slushy consistency, about 3 hours total.

To serve, break up the granita with a fork and layer into a serving dish or glass. Top with whipped cream, crème fraiche and/or a few splashes of your favorite liqueur as desired.