Pink Grapefruit and Campari Granita with Fresh Mint
- Yield 6 to 8 servings
This classic aperitif is a supremely refreshing summer dessert.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons firmly packed coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves, plus 6 to 8 mint sprigs for garnish
- 1 tablespoon firmly packed, finely grated grapefruit zest
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups fresh pink grapefruit juice (3 to 4 grapefruits)
- 1/3 cup Campari
- 12 to 16 pieces candied grapefruit peel for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Stir together the sugar, chopped mint, grapefruit zest, and water in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring or swirling the pan until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and let steep for 5 minutes. Stir in the grapefruit juice and Campari.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a 13-by-9-inch glass dish, pressing on the solids to extract all their flavor. (Discard the solids.) Freeze until thickened and slushy, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the dish from the freezer, scrape the surface and sides of the mixture with a fork to break up any clumps, and return the dish to the freezer. Continue to scrape every 30 to 60 minutes until you have a pile of light, icy slivers, about 3 hours total.
- Spoon the granita into chilled martini glasses. Crisscross two pieces of candied grapefruit peel (if using) over each serving, and top with a mint sprig. As you complete each glass, refrigerate it until all of the servings are assembled. When they are all ready, serve immediately, as the granita melts quickly.
- Freeze leftover granita in a tightly covered plastic container for up to 5 days. It will become more compact over time, but the flavor will be just as lively. Fluff with a fork just before serving.
–This recipe reprinted with permission from the cookbook Farmers’ Market Desserts by Jenni Schacht
