The best of Italian ice dessert: Granitas and Sorbettos

Italy has plenty of ice creams, but what about Italian iced dessert? We aren’t talking about the ice golas from our local neighborhood, we are talking a slightly more complicated ones that use ice but don’t shave it down. Italy loves its lemons and come summer, they pair perfectly with these two special ice desserts – granita and sorbetto. Sicily, in particular, is known for its gigantic lemons whose hollowed-out peels make delightful cups to serve the freshly made granita in. 

Granita vs Sorbetto

Despite what recipes you might have been swimming in, there is a difference between the two, and the difference lies in how they are made, the ingredients remaining the same. Sorbetto is finer in texture and churned well, traps air, which gives it a smoothness, unlike the chunky Granita. Okay, you could say, that granita is kind of like a shaved ice dessert, but it's chunkier so perhaps, it's not that close to shaved ice we know. To drive this point home, we have provided both recipes of granita, and sorbetto, that you should try for yourself and tell the difference in their texture. 

1. Granita al Limone

Ingredients

• 470 ml water
• 150 gm sugar, adjust to taste
• 235 ml fresh lemon juice (from 5-6 large lemons)

Instructions

1. Carefully slice a small piece off one end of each lemon to create a flat base. Cut a larger slice from the opposite end to make an opening. 
2. Juice the lemons without squeezing too hard. Then using a spoon, hollow out the lemon without puncturing the bottom.
3. Strain the juice and pulp and store the empty lemon cups in the freezer for later.
4. Add water and sugar to a saucepan, heating over medium-high heat. Make sure to stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
5. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and mix in lemon juice. Refrigerate for 1 hour to chill.
6. Pour the chilled mixture into a large, flat, freezer-safe container with a lid. 
7. Freeze for 45-60 minutes. Break up the ice with a fork, mixing thoroughly. Return to the freezer for another 45-60 minutes.
8. Repeat this process two to three more times, fluffing and mixing each time. Continue until the crystals are light, separate, and fluffy.
9. Spoon the granita mixture into the lemon cups prepared earlier. 
10. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve with a spoon to enjoy your homemade lemon granita, ideally as part of a summer breakfast. 

2. Sorbetto al Limone 

Ingredients

•  160 ml fresh lemon juice (from 4- 5 lemons) + lemon peels
•  150 gm sugar
•  For garnish: fresh mint leaves (optional)

Instructions 

1. Freeze a large stainless steel mixing bowl at least an hour before starting.
2. Wash and dry the lemons thoroughly and carefully peel the zest in strips, scalping out the bitter white pith. Set aside the peeled lemons for juicing.
3. Add sugar, lemon zest strips, and 240 ml water in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and discard lemon peels using tongs. Refrigerate the strip for 45 minutes or more. 
4. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Cut the peeled lemons in half and juice them via the strainer. Cover the extracted juice and refrigerate it, while the syrup cools.
5. Add the chilled syrup and lemon juice to a blender and run it for two minutes until frothy.
6. Pour the mixture into the chilled bowl from the freezer. Then cover and place in the freezer.
7. Every 30-45 minutes, use a whisk or electric mixer to break up ice crystals and vigorously mix the freezing sorbet. Repeat this process for about four hours until completely frozen and smooth.
8. Scoop the sorbet into chilled serving glasses. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and serve immediately. 

Other Flavor Variations

Many flavors are popular among Italian Ice dessert, so let’s take a look at granita and sorbetto separately for fruit-based and non-fruit-based are popular for both.

For granita, the coffee (granita di caffè) flavored one is enormously popular, especially in Sicily where it's typically enjoyed with a brioche for a nice summer breakfast. Another beloved version is almond (granita di mandorla), made with sweet almond milk that is a must-try because it is made with Sicily's renowned almonds. Among fruits, watermelon, strawberry and peaches are more common. 

For the sorbetto, chocolate (sorbetto al cioccolato) is quite popular, as a rich, dairy-free alternative to gelato, that achieves its remarkable creaminess through thorough churning coule with high cocoa content. Fragola (strawberry) sorbetto is another classic, loved for its concentrated berry flavor and the churning process helps incorporate air into the fruit puree.  Fragola sorbetto is thus refreshing, and lighter than traditional ice cream.