Pineapple Orange Granita Food

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.

PINEAPPLE GRANITA

Steps:

• Place the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves into a clear liquid (simple sugar). Set aside to cool. Cut the pineapple into chunks, discarding the skin and core. Put some pineapple and some simple syrup in a blender or food processor and puree. Repeat until you've pureed all the pineapple and syrup. Pour into an 8- or 9-inch baking pan and freeze partway, stirring occasionally (so it doesn't become too solid to dish up). Scoop the partially frozen mixture into a tub or compote dishes to freeze up completely; it should be somewhat granular and scrape off the pan in long strips with the spoon. Serve garnished with the berries and the mint.

PINEAPPLE GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine sugar with 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer until sugar is dissolved, stirring once or twice. Whisk juice into the sugar syrup and pour into a 9 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Freeze 2-3 hours, pulling a fork through the mixture every 30 minutes to make granules. Serve in glasses garnished with mint.

PINEAPPLE ORANGE PANCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat a lightly oiled griddle over medium heat.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a small bowl, beat together egg, orange juice, buttermilk, and canola oil. Whisk into the flour mixture. Stir in pineapple.
• Pour batter about 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared griddle. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, until bubbly. Flip, and continue cooking until lightly browned.

PINEAPPLE-ORANGE GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a heavy-duty quart size resealable plastic bag. Seal tightly and store flat in freezer until firm.
• Fifteen minutes before serving, remove from freezer to soften slightly.
• Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound to crush ice mixture. Spoon into wine goblets or dessert dishes and serve garnished with orange segments and mint sprigs.