Saturday, September 5, 2009

Imagination: Mojito Granita

When making ice cream, one scientifically awesome fall-back is alcohol. Unlike sugar, which chemically alters ice cream differently than sorbet...alcohol makes both treats gloriously smooth. In most situations it can also strengthen the flavor quality of the ice cream or sorbet. In those cases, however, it's better to cook out the alcohol to keep the flavor without effecting the texture of your product.

Some great flavor combinations are port wine & plum, amaretto liquor & cherry, and rum & banana. Another very obvious combination would be rum & mint. I had rum in the cabinet from my banana-bread-ice cream experiment (which I shall post about once I get pictures), a mint plant growing in the window, and some lime juice in the fridge (it's seriously one of those things that will just stick around the fridge for months...like ketchup or maple syrup!) so it seemed pretty clear...Time to attempt a granita!

Granita is a Sicilian ice dessert that is essentially the consistency of a snow cone. This is achieved by continually freezing and scraping flavored ice. It takes some time, but is definitely worth it.



Mojito Granita
3c. water
1c. raw sugar
1/4c. Meyer's dark rum (better for cooking/baking)
2 bunches of mint
3/4c. lime juice

In a pot, combine the water and sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar is disolved. Add the rum while the syrup is still hot (this will cook out the alcohol, while still leaving the flavor). Allow to cool. Put mint and lime juice in blender, and add cooled syrup. Pour into metal cake-pan and freeze. Scrape mixture with a fork every half hour for 4 hours. Scrape into bowls to serve.




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