Pineapple-Rum Granita #ImprovCookingChallenge

 

Welcome to the July 2021 Improv Cooking Challenge. This group is headed up by Nichole of Cookaholic Wife. And I haven't been very consistent, but I love the idea of the group, so I will try to be better in the coming months.

The idea behind Improv Cooking Challenge: we are assigned two ingredients and are challenged to create a recipe with those two things. This month's items: pineapple and rum. Here's what the crew is sharing with those ingredients...

• Bloody Painkiller by Palatable Pastime
• Goldilocks Cocktail by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Homemade Pineapple Rum by Sneha's Recipe
• Pineapple Mojitos by Cookaholic Wife
• Pineapple-Rum Granita by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Pineapple Tiramisu by Magical Ingredients

Pineapple-Rum Granita

Granitas are great because they have so few ingredients and even fewer rules! Use any watery fruit. Use any citrus. I've made Watermelon-Tequila Granita, Pluot-Port Granita, and even a Cuba Libre Granita. Okay, there's not real fruit in that last one, but you really can't go wrong with rum and coke! 

Three ingredients and three hours. That's all it takes for this light, fresh dessert to be on your table. It's a great palate cleanser between brunch courses. Or you can top it with your favorite alcohol for a seasonal cocktail. Jake and I enjoyed this with some rum a and a splash of sparkling water! 

 Granita is a frozen dessert that I remember mostly from Sicily. It may have been available throughout Italy, but I remember sitting in piazze all over Palermo, eating granita, and talking about our next day's adventure. I don't remember that gloriously cool rush of icy sugar from when I lived in Rome. My favorite part: It's amazingly simple and flexible. 

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 cups cubed pineapple*
• 1/4 cups organic granulated sugar
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed citrus juice (I had some bergamot)
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons rum
• Also needed: blender

*I usually use 1 Tablespoon citrus to 1 cup fruit, but adjust as you see fit.

Procedure

Trim off pineapple tops and remove skin and eyes. 

Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor.

Pulse until smooth. Pour mixture into a rimmed pan; I usually use a glass pyrex though I've heard that metal pans work faster.

Using the tines of a fork, stir the mixture every 30 minutes, scraping edges and breaking up any ice chunks as the mixture freezes, until the granita is slushy and frozen, approximately 3 hours.

To serve, spoon into individual dishes and serve immediately.

That's a wrap for our July pineapple and rum Improv Cooking Challenge. Next month we'll be back with eggplants and tomatoes. Stay tuned...