Almond Granita: The Original Sicilian Recipe
Almond granita is a traditional Sicilian recipe. It's a creamy, fragrant, and frozen dessert made with almonds, water, sugar, and bitter almond extract. It's typically enjoyed for breakfast, stuffed into a soft brioche bun, but it's also perfect as a sweet ending to a meal, garnished with a couple of whole almonds.
- Water, 750 ml
- Sugar, 225 g
- Peeled almonds, 225 g
- Cannella, q.b.
- Bitter almond essence, 2 drops
- Shelled almonds, to taste
- To prepare the almond granita, first pour half of the water into a saucepan, add the sugar and, if you like, a few cinnamon stick shards (1).
- Bring to the boil and cook gently until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear (2). Turn off the heat, set aside and leave to cool.
- Place the peeled almonds in a kitchen blender fitted with powerful blades and blend them (3) to create a fine flour.
- Pour in the rest of the water (4) and blend everything again for a few moments.
- At this point, add the syrup kept aside (after removing the cinnamon pieces) and flavour with a couple of drops of bitter almond extract (5).
- Blend everything again until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous mixture. At this point, transfer it to a large glass or ceramic baking dish (6) and place it in the freezer for approximately 6-7 hours, or until it is completely frozen.
- After these hours, take the mixture out of the freezer and cut it into squares, using a knife (7).
- Place the pieces of mixture in the blender and blend well to create a very creamy granita (8).
- Transfer the granita back into the baking dish, level it well (9) and keep it in the freezer until ready to serve.
- Remove the granita from the freezer about 15 minutes before enjoying it, so that it can soften slightly. Then, take it out with a special measuring spoon (10) and distribute it into individual cups.
- The almond granita is ready: garnish it with a couple of whole almonds, bring it to the table (11) and enjoy it.
The preparation is simple and accessible to everyone: for a flawless result, be sure to purchase high-quality blanched almonds. For an even more intense flavor, you can replace the water with an equal amount of almond milk, or use about 300 grams of homemade marzipan in place of the sugar and dried fruit.
Learn how to make almond granita with step-by-step instructions and tips. If you liked this recipe, also try the lemon granita, coffee granita, and pistachio granita.
How to make Sicilian granita
To prepare the almond granita, first pour half the water into a saucepan, add the sugar and, if you like, a few cinnamon stick shards 1.
Bring to the boil and cook gently until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear. 2. Turn off the heat, set aside and let cool.
Place the blanched almonds in a food processor fitted with a powerful blade attachment and blend them until they form a fine powder.
At this point, add the syrup kept aside (after removing the cinnamon pieces) and flavor with a couple of drops of bitter almond extract 5.
Blend everything again until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous mixture. Then, transfer it to a large glass or ceramic baking dish and place it in the freezer for about 6-7 hours, or until completely frozen.
After these hours, remove the mixture from the freezer and cut it into squares, using a knife 7.
Transfer the granita back into the baking dish, level it out well 9 and keep it in the freezer until ready to serve.
Remove the granita from the freezer about 15 minutes before serving, so it can soften slightly. Then, scoop it out with a measuring spoon and divide it into individual serving bowls.
The almond granita is ready: garnish it with a couple of whole almonds, bring it to the table 11 and enjoy.
