Almond-milk cremolata - Cremolata alle Mandorle
“If you’ve been to the Caffè Sicilia in Noto, it’s likely you’ve had your way with a warm brioche dipped into a bowl of slushy granita di mandorle made with freshly pressed almond milk. It’s a deliciously fragrant contrast of textures and temperatures. Although they call it a granita, it’s more like a cremolata. Unlike granita, where you want a bit of crunch, the ice crystals in cremolata are very tiny, making it smoother and creamier on your tongue than granita. It isn’t solid, but cold and slushy. The name cremolata is deceiving, giving the impression that there’s cream in it, but here the word means “creamy.” If you have an ice cream maker, by all means use it, but you can make this cremolata quite nicely this way. Just please make the almond milk from scratch; commercial almond milk doesn’t have enough flavor or creaminess.” - Victoria Granof
MAKES 1lt
1lt almond milk
200g sugar
¼ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp pure almond extract (optional)
In a large saucepan, whisk together 1 cup (240ml) of the almond milk, the sugar, and the salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then boil gently for 5 minutes, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the remaining almond milk and the extract, if using.
Cover the pan loosely and let the mixture cool to room temperature. If you’re using an ice cream maker, chill the mixture in the fridge, then proceed according to the directions for your ice cream maker.
Otherwise, pour the cooled mixture into a 2-quart (2 L) metal baking dish or cake pan. Freeze for 1 hour until the mixture has begun to freeze around the edges. With a fork, stir and mash the frozen part, combining it with the unfrozen part. Do this again 30 minutes later, then every 15 minutes when it really starts freezing quickly. Depending on your freezer, it should take about 2½ hours for the cremolata to freeze fully, with a fine, flaky texture.
For an extra-creamy texture, whir the frozen cremolata briefly in a food processor or high-speed blender just before serving. Serve in–or with–a brioche col tuppo.
This is an edited extract from Sicily, My Sweet by Victoria Granof, published by Hardie Grant Books. RRP $59.99. 📷 Louise Hagger.
