How to make Sicilian almond granita

• There are several methods you can use to prepare the granita; let’s start with the first method, which is the one I use, and then we’ll look at the others. To begin, place the almonds in a skillet and toast them over medium heat until they turn amber in color, then let them cool.

  1) – Put the ice, the almonds and the almond paste (broken into small pieces) into the bowl of a food processor, start the blades and gradually increase the speed from low to high. Process everything for 90 seconds, or until you obtain a smooth, grain-free mixture. You can serve immediately, or if it turns out too soft, place it in the freezer for about 30 minutes, stirring continuously. If you like, add some almonds chopped with a knife directly to the serving glass or blend them together with the other ingredients.

  I used a powerful food processor like a Thermomix; if you do not think your processor can handle it, follow the alternative method I explain below.

  2) – Blend 3 3/4 cups (about 900 ml) of ice-cold water (which will replace the ice) with the rest of the ingredients in the recipe. Once you have a uniform mixture, pour it into ice cube trays. When frozen, you can break the cubes and process them in the blender; because of the sugar content (the almond paste is sweet), the cubes will remain slightly soft and can be blended easily;

  3) – Blend 3 3/4 cups (about 900 ml) of ice-cold water (which will replace the ice) with the rest of the ingredients in the recipe. Once you obtain a uniform mixture, pour it into a bowl and place it in the freezer. Wait one hour and stir, then continue stirring every thirty minutes until you reach the desired consistency.

  Using toasted almonds with their skins on will give your granita an exceptional flavor and a unique aroma.

  Leftover granita should be stored in the freezer in a well-sealed container; to revive it, take it out of the freezer 10–15 minutes before serving, let it soften a little and work it with a spoon to rewhip it.

  4) If you have an ice cream machine, after preparing the mixture with the blender, pour the now-cooled mixture into the ice cream machine and wait for the machine to reach the proper churning. Starting from a cold base, churning will take less time. Ideally, use a compressor-type ice cream maker, because a freezer-bowl (accumulation) machine, especially on hotter days, may not maintain the correct temperature to produce a good ice cream. Freezer-bowl machines also allow you to prepare only one flavor at a time, and the bowls must be returned to the freezer for at least 24 hours before reuse.
  Typically, the churning time for a cold base is 35–40 minutes; depending on the size of your machine, proceed by dividing the mixture in two and churning first one half and then the other.

• Enjoy your granita accompanied by a delicious Brioches col Tuppo, and you will feel satisfied and happy for the rest of the day!!

  

• If you want a granita similar to ice cream, you can also add 3/4 cup (about 200 ml) heavy cream and 1/4 cup (about 50 g) sugar to the mixture. I prefer it without, like the true traditional granita.