Blood Orange Granita

"Granita" is a Sicilian-style frozen dessert made from water, sugar and other flavorings. Some classic flavors include citrus fruit, coffee, jasmine, almond extract and mint. Granita's texture is smooth, but pieces of ice can be found throughout. Think of granita as a cross between a snow cone and a sorbet.  

Making granita at home is very simple! All it takes is a few ingredients and several hours in the freezer. This Blood Orange Granita is light in flavor but very sweet — the perfect treat to enjoy (in moderation) on a hot late-summer day.

Blood Orange Granita

Recipe by Zachari Breeding, MS, RDN, LDN

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1½ cups blood orange soda

Directions

1. Heat water and sugar together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil until mixture reduces in volume by half, to approximately ¾ cup. Remove from heat. Stir in blood orange soda.
2. Pour fluid into a shallow dish. Freeze for 3 hours. Remove and stir.
3. Return to the freezer for an additional 1 to 3 hours. Remove and stir every 30 minutes until mixture is completely frozen and can form a firm scoop.

Zach Breeding, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND, is a Philadelphia-based registered dietitian nutritionist, professional chef and clinical dietitian of the Cystic Fibrosis Clinic at Drexel University College of Medicine. He is the author of The Slice Plan: An Integrative Approach to a Healthy Lifestyle and a Better You. Connect with Zach on his website, The-Sage: Nutritious Solutions, and on Facebook and Twitter.