Champagne Granita With Strawberries 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.

SPARKLING GRAPEFRUIT GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar with 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a 9 x 13 x 2-inch rectangular (non-metal) baking dish. Stir in the grapefruit juice, Champagne, and fleur de sel.
• 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. Continue to rake the granita every 30 minutes, until it's firm and granular. This might take as long as 3 hours. Serve frozen in pretty bowls or stemmed glasses.

WATERMELON GRANITA WITH CHAMPAGNE

Steps:

• Place cubed watermelon and sugar in the pitcher of a blender. Blend for 1 minute. Stir in the champagne. Pour the watermelon mixture into a plastic container, cover and place in the freezer. Stir the mixture with a fork every 30 minutes until frozen, about 2 hours.
• Before serving, remove the frozen granita from the freezer and stir well using a fork or place in the food processor and process until it reaches the desired consistency. Serve in tall glasses garnished with sliced watermelon.

CHAMPAGNE GRANITA

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Combine sugar and 2 1/2 cups water in medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Transfer to a large bowl set over the ice bath, and cool completely.
• Add champagne to sugar, and stir to combine. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch pan, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Stir with tines of a fork, scraping up icy parts. Return to freezer, and stir every 20 minutes until mixture is frozen and texture is similar to shaved ice. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.

CHAMPAGNE GRANITA WITH STRAWBERRIES

Steps:

• Mix the 3/4 cup of sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Let cool. Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl, combine the berries, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, sliced mint and Grand Marnier, if using. Cover and let stand for at least 2 hours.
• In a shallow nonreactive pan, combine the sugar syrup, Champagne, orange juice and 4 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours.
• To serve, scrape the granita with a fork into large crystals. Spoon into chilled martini or other wide-mouthed glasses. Surround with berries and garnish with mint. Serve immediately.

POACHED PEACHES IN CHAMPAGNE

Steps:

• Make a very light incision all around peach skins.
• Plunge the peaches briefly into boiling water, then into cold water, and peel.
• Place in a shallow pan and douse with champagne.
• Add the syrup and vanilla bean.
• Bring to a slow boil over low heat, and poach peaches at about 185°F, but do not allow to boil.
• If peaches are very ripe, they will be poached after 5 minutes.
• Place peaches and syrup in a cool place, but do not refrigerate.
• Drain peaches, reserving the poaching liquid.
• Wash strawberries, remove any leaves, and purée in a blender or food processor.
• Place in a bowl and stir sugar into the purée.
• Stir romance whipped cream into the strawberry purée and add lemon juice.
• Serve on round plates, or in glass dishes or small bowls.
• Line the bottom of the dishes with strawberry cream and arrange the cooled, but not chilled, peaches on top.
• Garnish each peach with a mint sprig. Serve the chilled poaching liquid separately in a sauce boat.
• ROMANCE WHIPPED CREAM:.
• Using a wire whisk or electric mixer, beat heavy cream over ice cubes in a chilled mixing bowl, just until cream thickens. When peaks start to form, add sugar and vanilla. Then whip to the desired consistency.
• Yield: 1 1/4+ cups.

PINK GRAPEFRUIT, STRAWBERRY, AND CHAMPAGNE GRANITA WITH SUGARED STRAWBERRIES

Steps:

• Stir 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup water in large saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Cool. Puree 1 cup strawberries in processor. Whisk 1/2 cup puree into sugar syrup. Mix in grapefruit juice, then Champagne. Pour mixture into 8-inch square metal baking pan. Freeze mixture until firm, stirring every 2 hours, about 6 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; keep frozen.)
• Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar and lemon peel in pie plate. Spread 1/2 teaspoon mascarpone around pointed tip half of each whole strawberry. Dip in lemon sugar to coat mascarpone.
• Moisten rims of 6 Martini glasses with water; dip rims into remaining lemon sugar. Scrape fork across surface of granita to form ice shavings. Mound granita in glasses. Garnish with sugared berries and serve immediately.
• *Available at Italian markets and some supermarkets.