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    Home » Appetizers

    Published: Feb 18, 2021 · Modified: Aug 16, 2023 by Angela and Mark · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Blood Orange Elderflower Rosé Granita

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Just in time for blood orange season, this Blood Orange Elderflower Rosé Granita, or Italian shaved ice, will take you straight into warmer weather and sunny days!

    Blood Orange Granita
    Blood Orange Granita made with Rosé Wine and Elderflower Liqueur

    What is a Granita?

    Granitas are frozen concoctions originating in Italy and are typically made with a combination of water and sugar as well as a variety of flavors. Granitas can vary in texture from a smooth ice almost like a snow cone to a more chunky or flaky texture like these.

    The textures depend on the process of making these, but the easiest way is to freeze the contents and scrape the ice with a fork every hour or so. No machine is necessary to achieve this delicious and refreshing frozen treat!

    You can find granitas of all flavors from citrus fruits to coffee, and they typically do not include alcohol. For this version, we wanted to make an adult version using rosé as the main ingredient for a fun twist on the traditional version!

    Why add alcohol to granitas?

    Aside from the obvious reason (we love cocktails - duh!), adding alcohol to your granitas results in a texture that we absolutely love. Alcohol doesn't freeze the same as water and fruit juices, so you end up getting a flaky and delicate texture in this granita that is truly extravagant.

    Blood Orange Granita
    Adding alcohol to a granita results in a tasty adult shaved ice treat!

    We chose to use rosé because it has a fairly low alcohol percentage and freezes more readily than a vodka or gin, which allowed us to use less water and juice. Additionally, we love rosé especially with the lovely blood orange and elderflower flavors in this version. Feel free to play around with different ingredients to find your favorite version!

    How to make the Blood Orange Elderflower Rosé Granita?

    Making the granita is very easy, but does take a few hours, so plan ahead! You just need a few ingredients and your freezer, and you are set for a delicious frozen treat! Just mix water and sugar with the ingredients listed below.

    Rosé

    First, rosé wine is the main ingredient in this granita. Make sure you buy a nice Italian dry rosé for best results. And since you only use 2 cups for this recipe, go ahead and sip on the rosé while you wait for your granita to freeze.

    Blood Orange Juice

    Blood Oranges
    Blood Oranges are in season in the US between December and March

    The next most important ingredient here is blood orange juice. Of course this means you need to make these when blood oranges are in season if you are using freshly juiced oranges. For most people in the US, blood orange season starts in December and lasts through March. Outside of that time frame, you can look for blood orange flavored syrups or bottled juice, but this could be a challenge.

    On the other hand, feel free to experiment with other citruses such as lemon or grapefruit if the coveted blood oranges are not in season.

    Elderflower Liqueur

    Meyer Lemon Elderflower Cake
    We even add Elderflower Liqueur to our Cakes!

    Honestly, we add elderflower liqueur to almost any cocktail, and often desserts (case in point) because it adds the perfect sweet floral notes that compliment a ton of drinks and recipes. Seriously, give it a try on your next mimosa or cocktail. Our go-to is St-Germain, but you can find several options at your local liquor store that will work for this.

    If you decide to leave this out, we won't be too mad at you, but definitely give it a try at some point.

    Freezing and Scraping the Granita

    Now to finish your granita, all you need to do is add the contents to a freezer safe container - we like using stainless steel hotel pans like these - and wait a few hours, scraping the ice with a fork every hour.

    The scraping breaks up the ice crystals and creates that flaky, fluffy shaved ice texture. This will take about 2-3 hours, but it's very flexible if you leave it without scraping for longer. Generally, the more often and more thorough you scrape, the finer the texture will be.

    Blood Orange Elderflower Rosé Granita
    Blood Orange Elderflower Rosé Granita

    Enjoy!

    We hope you enjoy this Blood Orange Elderflower Rosé Granita recipe! If you give it a try, leave us a comment below and let us know your thoughts, or tag us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine!

    Check out some of our other similar recipes:

    • Blood Orange Shrimp and Creamy Cheese Grits
    • Peach Elderflower Frosé
    • Meyer Lemon Elderflower Cake
    • Blood Orange & Thyme Glazed Duck Breast
    • Aperol Elderflower Spritz
    Blood Orange Elderflower Rosé Granita
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    Blood Orange Elderflower Rosé Granita

    Recipe by Angela and Mark Course: DrinksCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
    Servings

    4

    servings
    Prep time

    2

    hours 

    Blood Orange Granita made with Rosé Wine and Elderflower Liqueur. Just in time for blood orange season, this granita, or Italian shaved ice, will take you straight into warmer weather and sunny days!

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup ½ water

    • ¼ cup ¼ granulated sugar

    • 2 cups 2 dry Rosé wine

    • 1 oz 1 Elderflower Liqueur

    • ¼ cup ¼ blood orange juice (strained)

    Directions

    • Add sugar to water and stir until sugar dissolves completely.
    • Combine all ingredients in a freezer safe dish or baking sheet. A shallow thin sided dish will freeze quicker and more evenly. We use stainless steel hotel pans, but use whatever you have available.
    • Place in freezer uncovered for an hour, then check to see if the liquid has started crystalizing.
    • Using a fork, scrape the crystalized liquid to create a slush.
    • Allow to freeze for one more hour, and repeat the scraping. If you feel like it needs for time, check again in another hour. This process doesn't have to be exact and your granita will still have the flaky texture if you leave it longer.
    • Scrape once more prior to serving, and enjoy!

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @cooking_with_wine on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithwineblog

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    Classically trained chef, Mark, and wife and food photographer, Angela, are the cooking duo behind Cooking with Wine! Our goal is to create delicious and approachable recipes that you can make at home. We strive to make every meal special!

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