Orange Granita – The Original Italian Ice

Granita (grah-nee-dah) is the OG of the Italian Ice world we know today! No machine is required to make this citrusy, crunchy dessert and the base takes all of a few minutes to make!

I needed a simple recipe because this week has been hectic.
I’m currently in the process of moving (which is always awful) and despite my meticulous planning, I still feel like I’m no where near where I need to be half way through the month. Between purging through my things, selling furniture to randos on FaceBook Marketplace (which is never not the most annoying experience in the world), color coding all my boxes, packing (and then re-packing three times) all these little things, I may just lose my damn mind. *Insert crazy smile here*

My moving drama aside, this is truly a wonderfully simple recipe. You can use any fruit you want. No seriously – any. One of my ice cream books even has a recipe for cranberry granita and even kiwi! The less water the fruit holds naturally, the more you’ll have to add in when you make your base but any recipe you find will account for that.

I chose orange because oranges are currently in season and it’s one of the easier ones to make. The true labor of love comes into play with the constant stirring and scraping of the granita as it freezes but hey – it’ll be worth it!

Orange Granita

A bright and citrusy shaved ice dessert that doesn't require a machine!

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Ingredients

  

• 4 cups orange juice no pulp
• 6 tbsp sugar

Instructions

 

• Heat the orange juice and sugar on the stove until the sugar is dissolved.
• Pour mixture into freezer safe container and freeze for 30-45 mins.
• Using a fork, stir the mixture to break up any freezing particles. (Especially around the edges!)
• Repeat this process 4-5 times and then freeze overnight.
• When ready to serve, scrape the softly frozen mixture into shaved ice that resembles fluffed snow.
• Enjoy on it's own or with your favorite scoop of ice cream!