Peach Cherry Granita

… Delicious Shaved Ice for the Win!

On hot summer days all we can think about is trying to stay cool, right? This naturally gluten-free, dairy-free granita recipe made with fresh fruit, a hint of honey (which can certainly be omitted if you choose), and a merely subliminal essence of basil will have you refreshed with the first sampling.

The process is easy – the waiting is definitely the most difficult part.

I chose to combine white flesh and yellow flesh peaches. You can go with all one type if you prefer. The key is that you’re choosing ripe pieces of fruit. They’ll provide the most flavor and will yield more juice. They’ll also make the peeling process easier. My peaches were just the right ripeness so I was able to accomplish the peeling process with ease simply by using a sharp knife to start a section of the skin to peel back, then it pulled off with my fingers. If you have peaches that are a bit more resistant to peeling, you can use the blanching method to release the skins without cooking the peach flesh.

To blanch peaches, score the bottom of each peach with an X. Add the peaches to a pot of boiling water, however many will fit into the pot at one time. Let sit in boiling water for 1-3 minutes. Immediately transfer the peaches to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Use a knife to peel back a corner of the scored X. The skin should pull away from the flesh easily. No need to peel the cherries. Just be sure to remove all the pitts (the juicer really complains if a pitt makes its way into the machine).

Make your juice, if using fresh fruit. Strain

Pour the peach juice into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Drizzle the cherry juice over the peach juice.

Cover and freeze for at least 2 hours. Remove from freezer. The juice will only be frozen around the edges. Using a fork, scrape the frozen sections into the unfrozen areas. Cover and return to the freezer for another 2 hours. Repeat until all the juice has frozen and been scraped into a fluffy, shaved ice texture.

If necessary, the juice can be frozen overnight or for about 8 hours without scraping. It will still scrape and fluff just fine, it just is a more tedious process. Either way works with perfect results.

This recipe will make about 12 servings of naturally sweet, delightfully summer fresh, shaved ice. Once fully frozen and scraped, the granita lasts in the freezer for up to a month. Should it clump or create pockets of solid areas, simply use a fork to scrape and fluff before serving. The flavor will be just as pronounced and delicious as at the initial serving. These qualities make this the perfect dessert for a party, since the make-ahead time required is so versatile.

Should you get a hankering for a fresh summer fruit treat in mid-winter and peach and cherry “off season”, you can certainly use frozen, then refrigerator-defrosted, fruit. You can also use bottled juice with no sugar or other added ingredients, but I prefer to rely on fresh whenever possible.

This is such a light and refreshing dessert that I love to pair a light cookie with it to embellish the offering to the next level. A perfect pairing choice is Basil Lemon Shortbread Cookies. They pair well while still keeping with the not-too-heavy dessert theme so appreciated in the hot summer months. This has been a successful combination many times with my friends, family, and even restaurant guests (who never detected that this dessert does not contain any gluten, dairy, or soy). That’s a major win! No need to make two different dessert choices just to ensure everyone can be served. Yes!

Granita? Shaved Ice? Either way … Enjoy!

Safe food is a journey … Thrive!™

Other recipes you might enjoy:

Rustic Apple Peach Pie

No-Bake Lemon Coconut Balls

GF DF Tropical Whipped Cream Salad