by Abby Morrison
August 03, 2021
Peach is an iconic summer classic. Perfect for anything from cobblers to pies, ice creams to shakes, and even to top off that perfect pork chop, they're a versatile fruit whose flavor can span the full spectrum from sweet to savory, rich to light, and everything in between.
Today, in honor of summer, we'd like to introduce a new combination you may not have tried before: The Peach Serenita.
Granitas are iced fruit desserts similar to shave ice. They're made by pureeing and freezing fruit, sugar, and other liquids such as water or citrus juice. In our version, we'll be swapping out the water for our
Peach Serenity, which will help temper the sweetness, add depth, and pack an extra punch of peach.
For peaches, we went with white peaches, though either white or yellow peaches can be used. White peaches are sweet whether they are firm or soft. Yellow peaches are tart when firm, then grow sweeter as they soften.
The full recipe for our Peach Serenita can be found below.
Recipe Summary
To start your Peach Serenitas, you'll start--as with many good things--with tea (or, in this case, a tisane). You'll need 1 1/2 cups of Peach Serenity, brewed at triple strength, which is done by using three times the amount of tea, rather than by steeping for longer. As you'll be using a fair amount of tea (about 5 tsp) and Peach Serenity contains real peach pieces, we suggest using our
paper infusers so the tea will have room to expand. We also suggest brewing your tea the night before and then chilling it overnight to help speed the freezing process for your granitas the next day.
Next, you'll want to cube your peach. You can leave the skin on or off as you desire. Then, just pit it and cut it into manageable pieces. As everything will be pureed, the size is not super important, just enough to keep your blender from stalling.
Once that's done, put your tea and peach into your blender with a cup of sugar, 4 tsp of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. You can also add a few leaves of mint to add an extra cool burst if you desire. Blend until everything is pureed, then pour your mix into a casserole dish. You'll want your granita to be between a half an inch and an inch to make for easy scraping as it freezes.
As the granita freezes, you'll want to occasionally mix it up a little with a fork to help ensure an even freezing and to break up the larger pieces. This helps keep the granita light and fluffy and makes it easier to scrape once fully frozen. We suggest doing this every 30 to 45 minutes, though you can go as long as an hour. The amount of time it takes to freeze will depend on how deep your dish is, though if you're starting with cold tea, three hours is about right.
When your granita is fully frozen, use a fork to scrape the top, which will peel off thin layers of ice crystals. Scoop them into your bowl or glass of choice, garnish with mint, and you're ready to serve.
Granitas are light, refreshing desserts that help keep things cool on hot summer days. We hope you enjoy this version, and if you do, make sure to let us know on social @Adagioteas!
Peach Serenita Recipe
This tea-inspired spin on the classic granita combines fresh peaches, Peach Serenity, sugar, and lemon to make a light and refreshing summer treat. Add mint for an extra burst of cool flavor.
Makes: 4 servings
Time to make: 3 hours (longer if starting with hot tea)
Ingredients
11/2 cup
Peach Serenity, brewed at 3x strength
1 peach, cubed
4 tsp lemon juice
1/8 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
Mint (optional)
Brew 1 1/2 cups of Peach Serenity, using 3x the amount of tea. Chill overnight.
Instructions
Puree all ingredients in blender.
A few leaves of mint can be added now or put on top later as garnish.
Pour puree into a glass dish. It should be about ½-1 inch deep.
Place in freezer. Every 30-45 minutes, remove from freezer and use a fork to break up larger pieces.
When the granita is fully frozen, use a fork to scrape the surface. Spoon the scraped ice into bowls or glasses and serve.
Tea Chef
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