Happy Christmas weekend! If the stockings aren’t hung and the ham’s not in the fridge by now, it’s a little too late to stress about it. Instead, why not kick back and whip up this dessert/cocktail from Williams-Sonoma instead? Cool, Christmassy and all the right amounts of boozy, this grown-up granita is as simple as it gets, and you probably have already the ingredients sitting in your kitchen.
Style tip: Serve this to your adult guests in any simple glass tumblers or bump up the merry vibes with these incredible copper tumblers. Just remember to chill the vessels in the freezer for a while before spooning in the granita. And if you’re feeling extra generous, the hammered copper tumblers would make gorgeous take-home gifts for your guests.
If you happen to have any edible flowers growing in your garden, such as thyme blossoms or borage flowers, they make a beautiful garnish for this simple sweet.
Just remember to get started a day ahead for this recipe, to allow for freezing and scraping time. A good idea is to set the alarm on your phone to remind yourself to break up the ice crystals after the first hour, and then go back and give the granita another scrape every 2-4 hours or so until you’re ready to serve.
Red Wine and Orange Granita
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
- ½ cup (125 g) sugar
- 1 bottle (750 ml) fruity red wine, such as Pinot Noir
- Juice of 1 orange
Method
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the sugar and 1 cup (250 ml) water. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the mixture has come to the boil, remove from the heat and let cool.
When mixture has cooled completely, stir in the wine and orange juice.
Pour mixture into a shallow freezer-safe container. Freeze for about 1 hour, then, using a fork, scrape and stir to break up ice crystals. Return the granita to the freezer until firm, 8 to 12 hours, occasionally scraping and stirring with a fork.
Spoon granita into small chilled glasses or bowls and serve immediately.
–Love this idea? Head to williams-sonoma.com.au for all the best entertaining inspiration this summer.