In summer, it is a tradition for my husband and me to have breakfast on Sunday morning at the café, enjoying a fresh and delicious pistachio granita, almond or mulberry flavors, our favorite. But as soon as we wake up, sometimes the desire to get dressed and go out has made us give up on this tradition. On those occasions, I remember thinking how nice it would have been to have it homemade to enjoy what is almost a ritual for us in the peace of our own home! Moreover, homemade granita offers the undeniable advantage of being able to choose the raw materials, which must all be of quality! At the base of this simple yet somewhat intricate recipe, especially if starting, as I did, with shelled pistachios still to be peeled and toasted, are certified Sicilian ingredients. A choice I strongly recommend because it will really make a difference in the final quality of the product when tasting. This way, you will get a pistachio granita like the best cafés in Catania, to enjoy with the inevitable brioche col tuppo. Creamy, full-bodied, and super aromatic, it will be the perfect treat for an afternoon snack to cool off from the sultry summer heat or for breakfast. Did you know it’s even enjoyed as an evening meal in Catania? Try it, because it’s spectacular!
If you love summer desserts typical of Sicilian pastry, also try these recipes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 6 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 3 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Sicily
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATION LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it will not cost you anything extra!
- 2 1/8 cups water
- 5.3 oz unsalted pistachios
- 4.6 oz pistachio paste
- 4.2 oz brown sugar
- to taste pistachio crumbs
Tools
- 1 Small pot
- 1 Strainer
- 1 Dish towel
- 1 Pan
- 1 Knife
- 1 Mixer
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Manual whisk
- 1 Mold
- 1 Plastic wrap
- 1 Food processor
Steps
The preparation of pistachio granita is very simple: in a small pot, blanch the shelled pistachios in water for 1′ , then turn off and let them soak for another 5′.
At this point, strain them with a strainer, and you’ll see that the skin comes off easily.
Transfer them to a dish towel and dry them very well, gently rubbing to facilitate this operation.
Once they are peeled*, toast them for 5′-7′ on a hot pan, stirring them continuously to prevent burning, and turn off as soon as the typical aroma of toasting is released.
Let them cool for a few moments and transfer them first to the work surface or a cutting board to roughly chop them with a knife, keeping 1.4 oz aside for the final decoration.
Add the rest directly into a mixer.
Operate the mixer and grind in several attempts until you get a sort of flour**.
Pour the water into a small pot and add the sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve completely.
When the water is about to reach boiling point, turn off, add the pure pistachio paste*** and dissolve it with a manual whisk or a spoon.
Make several tests to ensure there are no more traces of residues at the bottom. This is very important for the success of the granita.
Only at this point, you can complete by adding the toasted pistachio flour.
Stir with the whisk until you get a mixture of all the ingredients well combined, then let it cool completely at room temperature.
Once cooled, transfer the pistachio milk obtained into a container and immediately place it in the freezer.
After about 30′, stir the mixture with a spoon and repeat this operation three more times every half hour to break the ice crystals. This way, the granita will be creamier. Finally, put it back in the freezer covered with plastic wrap for at least 4 hours.
After this time, take the container out of the freezer and let it stand at room temperature for about 10′-15′. Then cut the granita into small portions with the help of a knife.
Immediately transfer them into a food processor, powerful blender or sorbet maker and you will have obtained the original Sicilian pistachio granita.
Serve it with a generous sprinkle of the pistachio crumbs you set aside.
And voilà… the toasted pistachio granita is ready to be enjoyed!
Enjoy your meal from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉Toasted pistachio granita keeps well in the freezer for several weeks and up to a maximum of 3 months.
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣* If you want to skip the tedious step of removing the pistachio skins, you can choose to buy pre-peeled pistachios, the important thing is that they are of quality and not imported.
🟣** The choice not to use pistachio flour: ultimately, nothing prevents you from buying the pre-ground product to speed up some steps of the recipe, but I usually find that toasting is an essential phase that offers an extra slight aromatic note to the palate.
🟣*** If you don’t want to add pistachio paste or can’t find it, you can omit it by adding 100 more grams of pistachios, but the same rule applies here, the final texture will be less creamy to the detriment of the product.
🟣The original pistachio granita, like the almond or mulberry one, just to mention a few, are made strictly without cream, at most you can add whipped cream on top if you want an extra touch of indulgence; however, some patisseries in the Catania area also add 150 grams of liquid cream along with the water in the pot. It would certainly be amazing that way!
