Granita di mandorle tostate......toasted almond granita at home

For my Sicilian dessert recipes today I write about a summer favorite of mine, granita!
Whether they call it Ulysses or Circe (this year chosen names for Italy's summer heat waves), there is only one remedy against the humidity and hot air of a heat wave in Sicily: GRANITA!
From a fruity cremolata (or gremolata) with pieces of fruit in the mixture, peach, strawberry or mulberry, to a classic icy lemon or coffee one, from a nutty pistachio or almdon flavoured one to a rich chocolate one, granitas just conquer your summer.
Most popular at breakfast time, they offer a great relief during a hot day and give you plenty of energy.

One of my favourite flavours is the toasted almond granita which you find only in the South-Eastern corner of the island. Many people have asked me for a recipe so I decided to share a simple one with you that gives you a good result without requiring special equipment, just a powerful blender.

Ingredients

600 gr ice cubes
150 gr icing sugar
100 gr cold water
100 gr toasted almonds (possibly Sicilian Avola Almonds)

Place the unpeeled toasted almonds in a blender and grind them roughly. Add the sugar, ice cubes and cold water, and continue grinding everything together stopping to check the consistency every so often and mixing with a spoon. As soon as the mixture is finely ground and with a smooth consistency your granita is ready.
Enjoy it with a nice brioche or a simple piece of bread!

Of course you can try this recipe with whatever good almonds you find in your area, but if you can try it with Sicilian Mandorle di Avola, especially of the pizzuta kind, you will definitely enjoy a top mark granita. Ask my friends at www.blanqa.com how you can get them in your area. I am sure they will know how to help.