Almond & Pistachio Granita

A play on a Sicilian classic, with just a hint of rosewater

Almond granita is a Sicilian classic, that is often eaten for breakfast, with a croissant or brioche bun, and maybe some homemade whipped cream.

Even though I lived in Italy for the first 27 years of my life, I have never been to Sicily, and this is one of the recipes I have always been excited to try the most.

Sicily was ruled by the Arabs between the year 827 and 1091, during which products like oranges, lemons, sugarcane and pistachios were brought to the island.

Sicily is knows today as the grower of one of the most sought after kind of pistachios, the Bronte pistachios. Bronte, a village on the slopes of Mount Etna, where this “green gold” is produced, with a perfect balance of sweetness, saltiness, and creaminess.

I wanted to infuse this granita with a sliver of Sicily’s past (the island has also been under Byzantine, Germanic, and Norman rule, before the unification of Italy, in 1860. The Expedition of the Thousand, led by Giuseppe Garibaldi conquered it, and Sicily became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861). So I decided to add rosewater extract, popular in many Middle Eastern recipes, and often paired with pistachios.

Pistachios also pair beautifully with almonds, and this granita, more creamy than a classic lemon or mint one, because of the fat content from the nuts, will make you want to take a flight to Palermo to visit the island, or maybe, it will make you want to sit outside, in your yard, terrace or balcony, and enjoy a few rays of lights while we wait for spring and summer.

Tip: I have used store bought almond paste (and probably so will you). Even though really tasty, I found it a little too sweet for my liking.

You can make your own almond paste combining 300 gr. of shelled almonds with 200 gr. of sugar and 50 ml of sucrase syrup, 1 tsp of vanilla and 1/4 tsp of almond extract.

To make the syrup, add 50 ml of water and 50 gr. of sugar to a saucepan Bring to a boil, stirring to help the sugar melt. Allow to reach a temperature of 225 F (5-6 minutes). Turn off the heat and allow to cool down. This syrup will prevent the formation of too many ice crystals.

In a food mixer, pulse sugar, syrup, almonds, almond and vanilla extracts until it becomes a paste. Now transfer to a rectangular container and allow to rest in the fridge for 2 hours before using.

Now, clearly this requires some work, but if you are game, sometimes, especially if you can get your hands on a good quality almond, definitely give it a try and have fun with it (good almonds and homemade paste is what makes the authentic Sicilian granita a special treat).