Looking for refreshing and fun treat for your summer days? This Cherry Granita with Mascarpone Cream is made with fresh cherries. It’s little tart and sweet with a creamy mascarpone topping. Easy and no shaved ice machine is needed!
Summer is here, and honestly, I’m not excited. It gets really hot where I live, sometimes hitting 100°F. For me, the best way to beat the heat is with a frozen treat. Ice cream is always at the top of my list, but when I want something more refreshing, granita is the one!
Granita is an Italian dessert that is kind of like shaved ice. The best part? You don’t need an ice cream maker or shaved ice machine, just a bit of patience. At its core, granita is a mix of fresh fruit purée (or sometimes coffee), a simple sugar syrup, and a touch of acidity. You freeze it in a shallow pan and scrape it every 30 minutes with a fork to break up the ice into ice flakes. That’s it!
Over the years, I’ve made a few different versions: coffee granita and jelly, strawberry mint limeade granita, and lychee-ginger granita.
This time, I used fresh dark cherries. They’re sweet, a little tart, and perfect for granita. I added lime zest and juice for extra brightness, and to make it a little extra special, I paired it with a simple mascarpone whipped cream. Totally optional, but totally worth it.
How to Make Cherry Granita
1. Make the syrup:
Combine water and sugar in a small pot. Heat until the sugar fully dissolves, then let it cool to room temperature.
2. Prepare the fruit:
Remove cherry stems, rinse the cherries and pat dried with paper towels. Pit the cherries and blend them with lime zest and juice until smooth. For a better texture, strain the mixture to remove the skins.
3. Mix and freeze:
Stir the cherry juice with about half of the syrup. Taste, and add more syrup if needed. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish (I used a 9×13 Pyrex) and cover it with plastic wrap.
Before placing it in the freezer, make sure you have a flat, stable surface. Carefully transfer the dish to the freezer.
4. Scrape and repeat:
After 30 minutes, take it out and run a fork through the mixture, even if it still looks mostly liquid. This helps prevent large ice crystals from forming. Cover and return it to the freezer.
Repeat this scraping process every 30 – 45 minutes, focusing especially on the edges. Keep going until the granita has fully transformed into fluffy ice crystals. It usually takes a few hours, depending on your freezer.
Optional Upgrade: Mascarpone Whipped Cream
For something creamy to go with the granita, I whipped up a quick mascarpone cream. In a bowl, whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add softened mascarpone (let it sit out for about 30 minutes beforehand) and whisk until fully incorporated. It’s creamy, lightly sweetened, and pairs beautifully with the tart granita.
When ready to serve, scoop the granita into serving cups and, if using, top with a dollop of mascarpone whipped cream. It’s sweet, a little tart, super refreshing, and creamy all at once. No doubt the perfect dessert for a hot summer day. It would be a hit at a small dinner party, too.
Cherry Granita with Mascarpone Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups drinking water
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2½ cups fresh dark sweet cherries (stems removed, rinsed, pat dried, pitted) (about 356 grams)
- Zest of ½ lime
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 – 2 limes)
Mascarpone Cream (optional):
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese (slightly softened, but still a bit cold)
- ¾ cup heavy cream (cold)
- 3½ tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water and sugar. Cook and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for about 45 minutes.
- Place the cherries, lime zest, and lime juice in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add half of the cooled sugar syrup. Taste and adjust with more sugar syrup. Make sure the mixture is slightly sweeter than you want, because it will be less sweet once it is frozen. Strained the liquid through a sieve into a medium bowl. Discard the bits of cherry skins.
- Transfer the liquid to a flat-bottomed 9 x 13-inch metal, glass or ceramic dish. Keep in the freezer and chill for 30 minutes. Cover with a plastic wrap.
- Remove dish from the freezer, lift back the plastic wrap, stir the mixture throughly with a fork, cover with plastic wrap and freeze again for 30 minutes. Continue to freeze for another 4 hours, scraping and breaking the mixture with a fork every 30 – 45 minutes. All the liquid should be frozen into tiny ice flakes.
- For the mascarpone cream (optional), in an electric mixer fitter with a whisk attachment, add heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk over high speed until soft peaks form. Add the mascarpone and whisk until combined, about 30 seconds.
- To assemble, scoop granita into serving cups, top with a dollop of mascarpone cream if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
- How to remove cherry pits without a cherry pitter? Use a rounded pastry tip! Place a rounded pastry tip on a chopping board. Hold the cherry stem side down and over the pastry tip. Press down the cherry until the pit pop out on top. Remove the pit. It looks like this.
- For the syrup, I used about 1½ cups sugar syrup total. It depends on how sweet your cherries are. Taste and adjust to your liking.
- Avoid using a nonstick pan. You don’t want to scrape up any nonstick coating into your granita.
- For storage, transfer the granita into an airtight container and keep in the freezer. Enjoy within a week.
- Mascarpone cream can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s best to use on the same day, but can last for 2 days. It may deflate a bit, so you may need to whip them quickly before using.
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