Nectarine Granita

Photo: flickr user _e.t

Ingredients

2 pounds ripe juicy nectarines (8 to 10)

1 tablespoon mild-flavored honey (such as clover or 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

teaspoon almond extract

teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg white

Preparation

Blanch the nectarines and remove the skins. Pit and cut into quarters. Puree in a food processor or blender and blend in the honey or sugar, lemon juice, almond extract, and vanilla extract.

Beat the egg white until it forms stiff peaks. Quickly beat into the nectarine puree. Transfer to a stainless steel bowl or ice trays without the dividers, cover, and place in the freezer. Every 2 to 3 hours, break up the granita with a fork or a food processor and return to the freezer It should not be frozen solid when you serve it, but should break apart easily.

NOTES : A granita is a fruit ice, made here by just pureeing the fruit with a very small amount of sweetening, folding in an egg white, and freezing until not quite solid. You break up the granita a few times with a fork or in a food processor during the freezing process so that it won't have too many ice crystals.

I probably wouldn't use a raw egg white in the Granita due to the risk of contamination. I would try pasteurized egg whites.