Ok, I know that last post was a bit of a doozy…I just had to get it out of my system, you know? But now I’m here to bring you something more cheerful and upbeat - I mean, I can’t always be cynical, and after all, cookworm turns one this month! I’ll post something more celebratory on the official day, but for now, how about something delicious, cold, and perfect for all sorts of friendly and relaxed occasions…say, Memorial Day barbecues?

Since I don’t have an ice cream maker at my place, I’ve found granitas to be my dessert of choice for when I need a fix of something sweet and frozen. It’s outrageously easy to make a granita, and this one that I whipped up the other day was just as good if not better than any of the sorbets at my favorite ice-cream parlor.

Pineapple and basil might seem like an unusual combination, but they really pair beautifully together (think Thai food). This recipe uses mostly frozen puréed fruit and only a small amount of water/sugar syrup since the pineapple is sweet enough on its own. The texture will be more smooth than icy if you’re diligent at stirring the crystals with a fork, but it’s refreshingly yummy either way.

Pineapple-Basil Granita

18 ounces (about 1/2 large) roughly chopped pineapple (weigh after trimming and cutting, not before)
juice from half a lemon
3-4 large basil leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar

Place pineapple in a food processor and purée until smooth (a few errant chunks are okay). Transfer to a bowl. Place sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for about 5 minutes or until slightly reduced. Stir sugar syrup, lemon juice, and chopped basil into puréed pineapple, then pour into a flat 9″ square or round dish. Freeze, stirring and breaking up large pieces with a fork every 20 minutes or so, until granita reaches the desired consistency (about 1 - 1 1/2 hours). Spoon into serving cups. Makes about 4 servings.

Frozen | 7 Comments »

I made this excellent semifreddo for a visit to some friends’ house last weekend. The recipe is from Dolce Italiano, the new cookbook by Gina DePalma, the pastry chef at Babbo. I borrowed the book from the library a couple of weeks ago and have found it completely inspiring; nearly all the recipes look delicious and seem to strike a balance between sophisticated, rustic, interesting, and uncomplicated. I also like the author’s voice, as it seems to give one a sense that she is quite knowledgeable, yet down to earth and not overly caught up in trends. In other words, someone who would be pretty cool to talk to.

The semifreddo has the texture of a frozen mousse, its richness helpfully tempered by the cold. Using tangerine here seems to make the dessert little bit special and fun, and the citrus flavor is not shy - it’s nearly as powerful as the chocolate, with the two bittersweet flavors in smooth harmony. If you don’t want to make the entire dessert, the chocolate sauce is pretty terrific just by itself. Just make a batch to pour over fresh fruit or ice cream, or like me, squirt it directly into your mouth. I can’t wait for a chance to make this dessert again!

Er, why yes, those ARE oranges in the picture…but the tangerines were busy elsewhere…

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Frozen, Sweet Sauces & Fillings | 3 Comments »

It’s hard to beat a granita for an easy and cold summertime treat. No need to drag out the ice-cream machine for this one, but the rewards are abundant: fresh fruit attired in an icy texture that is just a few notches above slushy. Too granulated to be sorbet but more substantial than a frozen drink, if you’re unfamiliar with this Italian dessert, you could think of granitas as royal members of a family that is distantly related to the humble snow cone.

Strawberry and black pepper is a nice combination that is interesting enough without much danger of being off-putting to traditionalists. That is, you could probably serve it to your grandmother without complaint - I did, and I don’t think she identified the pepper at all, only that “there’s something a little different”. I did keep the pepper quantity on the low side, but feel free to add more to taste if you like a very assertive bite.

This granita recipe is a very basic one that works with just about any kind of puréed fruit - and it’s happily open to various small adjustments in the sugar and spice quantities. I tend to like them on the less-sweet side, so the fruit flavor shines through and the tartness can be tempered with a dot of whipped cream at times. For a sweeter granita, add up to 4 or 5 more tablespoons of sugar (this also can vary depending on the sweetness/ripeness of the fruit you use)

Strawberry Black Pepper Granita

1 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pound strawberries (about 3 1/2 cups sliced )
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste.

Stir sugar, lemon juice, and water in a bowl until sugar dissolves. Place sugar mixture and strawberries in a food processor and purée until smooth.

Stir first 3 ingredients in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Blend 3 cups strawberries in processor until smooth. Add sugar syrup and blend until combined. Pour into a glass or metal 13×9x2 inch pan, and place in freezer. Scrape/stir with a fork every 30 minutes or so, combining the more-frozen edges with the less-frozen center, until the whole thing is crystallized. Use a spoon to scrape into cups or small bowls.

Notes:
This recipe halves easily.
You can make this a day or so ahead, and to achieve the proper texture, take it out of the freezer to thaw a bit before serving, scraping into crystals with a fork as it softens. Alternatively, you could put hard-frozen chunks in the food processor and pulse briefly a couple of times until granulated but not slushy.

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