Passionfruit Sorbet with Margarita Granita
This recipe screams summer in a nutshell! It’s refreshing, it’s exciting and hits all the right spots- just how summers usually go. A super refreshing tart no-churn passionfruit sorbet on a bed of boozy lemony granita- pretty darn delicious if I may say so myself :D
Here in the southern hemisphere, summer is just about over but I’m holding on for a little bit longer with this tall glass of sunshine, quite literally ;) For all you northern hemisphere folks, this is THE recipe to make in celebration of spring! This is one of those easy, no fuss desserts that is quite the rage and justifiably so. I may sound biased when I say this, but this might be my favourite frozen dessert so far and I think you’re gonna love it!
Okay enough with the pleasantries, let’s get a little deep and talk about this beautiful dessert! ‘
#NerdAlert
What is a sorbet?
Sorbets are the lighter and fruitier siblings of our old mate, ice cream. There’s no dairy in a sorbet, making it lighter and more refreshing than ice cream. The basic principle of a sorbet is the combination of sugar and fruit puree, that is then churned and frozen. Pretty straightforward and super versatile. You can make sorbet with literally any fruit. Some fruits need to be processed (like roasted or poached) before you can puree them to extract better flavour, like stone fruits, but majority of them can be juiced or pureed used straight up.
The ratio of sugar plays a big part in making a good sorbet. Sugar does not only add sweetness, but also affects the texture of the sorbet. A simple rule to remember: higher the concentration of sugar, lower the freezing point. Meaning, the more sugar you add to your sorbet, the less likely it is to freeze completely. And if you don’t add enough, your sorbet is going to be quite icy. So you can probably tell by now, sugar is a key player in this game of sorbets. However, the natural sweetness of a fruit plays a part in determining the level of added sugar. You don’t want the sugar to overpower the flavour of the fruit.
While sugar is the major playaaa in the sorbet game, there are other factors that affect the texture of your sorbet- the pectin and fibers present in the fruit. These act as stabilisers or thickening agents and add creaminess to sorbets. Fruits that are naturally high in pectic and fibers like stone fruits would always produce a creamier sorbet as compared to fruits like watermelon or citrus that are quite low in pectin and fibers. You can always add additional stabilisers that will help with the desired texture.
That’s the basic gist and science behind sorbet making. Now unless you want to go pro, you don’t need to worry about the ratios because I have done the math for you. However, for all you curious souls, the pros use a handy little tool called a refractometer which measures the concentration of sugar in liquids. In my personal opinion, 40-50 brix is the ideal level of sugar in your sorbet base. If you’re curious to know more, may I recommend this absolutely cracking book- Frozen Desserts by Francisco Migoya . It’s honestly one of the best books out there for frozen desserts and it’s a treasure trove of information.
Margarita granita
Granita is one of the easiest and by far the most stunning frozen dessert you’ll ever have. It’s versatility is one of its many charms. You can make a granita out of anything. This Marg granita in particular is an absolute bomb and I kid you not when I tell you that I could eat this by the spoonful all day every dayyyyy! SO good! And do NOT skip out on the lime salt rim- it makes the dessert, seriously!
Combine that with a scoop of sorbet and it makes for a great textural dessert that is well balanced. Pro tip: Use a tart sorbet with a slightly sweeter granita to balance the flavours.
I have talked about granita at length in my Watermelon Granita recipe so if you’re after a little nerd sesh, you can find the full deets here.
If I were you, I would just make a BIG batch of this and keep it ready to go at all times, yassss! I’m gonna stop talking and let you get to this deliciousness asap. Okay bye, happy baking and drink responsibly kids hehe xx
Recipe
Serves: 6
Ingredients
For the passionfruit sorbet:
360g passionfruit juice
200g sugar
200g water
For the margarita granita:
150g sugar
360g water
80g tequila
100g lime juice
For the lime salt:
zest of 2 lime
3 tsp salt
Method
For the passionfruit sorbet:
Heat the sugar and water together in a pot until all the sugar has dissolved. This is called a simple syrup. Let it cool.
Mix the simple syrup and passionfruit juice together in a freeze safe bowl. If using a churning machine, churn as per manufacturer’s instructions.
For a no-churn version, freeze the sorbet base completely until frozen. Break into chunks and add to a blender. Blend until smooth. Freeze for 1 hour.
Repeat the blending process two more times, allowing the sorbet to freeze for an hour in between each between. Freeze completely until ready to use.
For the margarita granita:
Heat the sugar and water together in a pot until all the sugar has dissolved. Let it cool.
Add the tequila and lime juice and mix well.
Transfer the mix to a baking tin and freeze until completely frozen.
When ready to use, use a fork to break up the ice crystals.
Serve:
Freeze margarita glasses.
Combine the lime zest and salt together in a small plate.
Rub a lime around the rim of the glasses and roll in the lime salt.
Spoon a generous bit of granita into the glasses and add a scoop of passionfruit sorbet on top. Microplane some lime zest on top as garnish. Serve immediately.
Notes:
Ensure your baking tray isn’t too big for the granita mix or else you’ll end up with a very thin layer of granita which won’t scrape nicely and will become super icy.
If you enjoyed that and tried it at home, please tag me at @myyummyspatula on Instagram so that I can see all your bakes! For more BTS stories, updates and fun, you can follow along here:
