Photo: Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post
This refreshing frozen treat is creamy yet light, with the pure, subtle taste of almonds gently sweetened with honey. It’s as close as I can get to conjuring the dreamy granita experience I had in Taormina, Sicily at Bam Bar. (I cannot wait to get back there!) My version here is uncomplicated to make, but you do need to need to stir it every half-hour until it is frozen, so the ice crystals form into a soft-serve-like texture instead of a solid block. The granita may be covered tightly and frozen for up to 1 week.
Ingredients
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, almonds and honey and heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the mixture comes to a gentle boil, about 12 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside for 30 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth, then strain through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the solids (discard them after). You should get about 2 cups (480 milliliters).
Transfer the liquid to a medium high-sided pan, such as an 8-inch square baking dish; cover and place in the freezer for 4 hours. Every 30 minutes, stir the mixture with a fork, breaking up the ice crystals as they form, until the mixture has frozen into a soft, creamy ice.
Serve right away or keep frozen until ready to eat. (The granita will solidify somewhat with additional time in the freezer but will break up into small crystals again when softened at room temperature for a few minutes and scraped with a fork.)
Makes 4 servings
No nutrition analysis available as there are too many variables in the method for meaningful analysis
