Champagne And Orange Granita Cocktail Food

CHAMPAGNE GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and place in the refrigerator until cold, about 1 hour.
• Using the finest grater you have, lightly scrape the skin of 1 lemon, removing only the top surface of the peel. Squeeze out the juice and remove the seeds from both lemons.
• Open the Champagne or sparkling wine, and pour it into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch pan. Mix in the simple syrup, lemon juice, and grated zest. Place mixture into the freezer. Check after 30 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, break up any ice formed on the sides and stir into the rest of the liquid. Continue to freeze and repeat this procedure every hour for at least 3 hours. Before serving, fluff the granita by "chopping" up any clumps with the spoon or gently whisking the frozen mixture. Spoon into small glasses or cups and serve.

ORANGE GRANITA

Steps:

• Clean and wash the oranges. Cut off the top 1/4 of the oranges and shave a small slice off the bottom so it stands easily.
• Using a grapefruit knife, cut out the flesh of the oranges and place in a strainer set over a bowl. Be careful not to cut through the bottom. Stand the oranges on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer and freeze until solid.
• Press the flesh of the oranges through the strainer to extract all of the juice. You should end up with about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups of orange juice. Add the extra 4 cups orange juice. Stir in sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is of desired sweetness. Add the basil and orange-flavored liqueur and let sit for 15 minutes.
• Strain the mixture into a roasting pan or baking dish. The dish should be large enough so the liquid is not more than 1-inch deep. Freeze the mixture for 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and scrape with 2 forks to break up ice. Return to the freezer and freeze until solid, about 2 to 3 hours, scraping with forks every hour or so.
• When the granite is frozen, scoop it into the orange shells and serve immediately.

ORANGE GRANITA

Steps:

• Squeeze 5 to 6 oranges to yield 3 cups of juice. In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup orange juice and 1/2 cup sugar. Boil over high heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a shallow 2-quart dish, and add remaining orange juice.
• Freeze, scraping around sides and breaking into crystals with a fork every 30 minutes, 2 to 2 1/2 hours total. Cover with plastic wrap; keep in freezer until ready to serve.

CHAMPAGNE-AND-ORANGE GRANITA COCKTAIL

Steps:

• Combine orange juice and sugar, and stir until sugar dissolves. Transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish. Freeze, scraping around sides and breaking any lumps with a fork every 30 minutes, until evenly frozen, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Cover with plastic wrap. Granita can be made 1 day ahead and kept in freezer until ready to serve.
• Spoon 1/2 cup granita into each of 12 glasses, and add 1/2 teaspoon liqueur. Top off with Champagne.

ORANGE CHAMPAGNE GRANITA

Steps:

• Place a 9 x 13-inch metal baking dish in the freezer to chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
• Combine the orange juice and champagne in a large bowl. Stir the sugar syrup into the orange mixture, and pour the mixture into the chilled pan. Place the pan in the freezer and chill until ice crystals form around the edges, about 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the freezer and stir the mixture with a fork to incorporate the ice crystals. Continue freezing and stirring every 30 minutes until all the liquid is frozen, about 2 hours.

CHAMPAGNE ORANGES

Steps:

• Combine the marmalade and sugar in a small saucepan. Mix well, place over low heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
• Cut the peel from the oranges, cut into slices and then quarter each slice, removing the white center pith from each. Put into a medium bowl.
• Pour the sugar/marmalade mixture and Champagne or grape juice over the sliced oranges. Refrigerate for 8 hours.
• Sprinkle with almonds before serving and add a sprig of mint.

CAMPARI & ORANGE GRANITA

Steps:

• First make the sugar syrup: Combine the sugar and water in small saucepan and boil over high heat until the sugar is dissolved.
• Pour the sugar syrup into a 10 x 13 x 2-inch ceramic dish and stir in the orange juice, Campari, and lemon juice. Carefully place the dish on a level surface in the freezer. Freeze for one hour, rake the granita with a large dinner fork, and return it to the freezer. Rake the granite every 30 minutes, until it's firm and granular. This should take a several hours. Serve frozen in pretty bowls or stemmed martini glasses.

STRAWBERRY, CITRUS, AND CHAMPAGNE GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup water in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil 1 minute. Cool. Refrigerate syrup until cold, about 45 minutes.
• Puree enough strawberries (about 6 large) in blender to yield 1/2 cup puree. Transfer strawberry puree to large bowl. Mix grapefruit juice, Champagne, lemon juice and chilled syrup into strawberry puree. Pour mixture into 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan.
• Freeze Champagne mixture until icy at edge of pan, about 55 minutes. Whisk to distribute frozen portions evenly. Freeze again until icy at edge of pan and overall texture is slushy, about 40 minutes. Whisk to distribute frozen portions evenly. Cover and freeze until mixture is solid, about 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, slice remaining strawberries. Place in large bowl and toss with remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup Grand Marnier. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.
• Using fork, scrape granita down length of pan, forming ice flakes. (Granita can be prepared up to 2 days ahead of time. Cover and freeze until ready to serve.) Divide sliced strawberries equally among 6 wineglasses. Top with granita and serve immediately.

BUCK'S FIZZ - CHAMPAGNE AND ORANGE COCKTAIL

Steps:

• Chill your Champagne & Orange Juice.
• Select tall and elegant shaped wine glasses!
• Pour about one third of orange juice into the glass first and then top up with champagne.
• Serve as a toast or as a celebration cocktail.
• P.S. The quantities have been known to change to almost NO orange juice to nearly ALL champagne at very "Festive" Frolics! Sante!