Mother’s Day is almost here!!
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My mom still lives in New Jersey, so we don’t get to celebrate each year. But if we could celebrate together, I would definitely finish off a special Mother’s Day dinner with this Raspberry Elderflower Granita. Originally from Sicily, granita is a sweetened shaved ice that can be flavored many different ways. Here, I’m using a simple combination of fresh Driscoll’s Raspberries, lemon juice and fragrant elderflower liqueur. The lemon brings out the tartness of the berries while the liqueur compliments their floral notes. Each bite of this ruby-toned snow packs a big punch of raspberry flavor. Serve this dessert on Mother’s Day simply garnished with fresh raspberries or pair with vanilla ice cream. A little champagne on the side wouldn’t hurt either 😉 Raspberry Elderflower Granita is extremely easy to prepare, but does take a little time to freeze, so I would recommend preparing it a day or two in advance. Continue reading for the granita recipe plus other Mother’s Day dinner ideas!
Because there are only three main ingredients in this recipe, you’ll want to make sure they are all high quality. Driscoll’s berries have always been a favorite of mine, and their flavor is top notch. Their raspberries in particular have a nice balance of sweet and tart with a juicy floral aroma. Organic lemons would be good here, and definitely don’t use the bottled stuff! Finally, try to get your hands on a beautiful bottle of elderflower liqueur. Recently, I’ve been obsessed with small batch St. Elder. Sweet and aromatic, this golden elixir is rich with notes of white elderflower, alpine herb and citrusy grapefruit. Just a little bit added to this granita really adds wonderful depth of flavor.
If you’d like to treat mom to a special dinner on Mother’s Day, try these recipes:
Cocktail: El Guapo or Summer Crush
Appetizer: Blue Cheese, Caramelized Onion and Pear Puffs or Plum Butter, Goat Cheese and Thyme Toasts
Main: Porchetta Pork Tenderloin or White Bean Risotto with Garlicky Greens
Dessert: Butterscotch Budino or Raspberry Elderflower Granita (recipe below)
And don’t forget the flowers!!
Raspberry Elderflower Granita Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3 packages (6 ounces each) Driscoll's Raspberries
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons elderflower liqueur
- Kosher salt
Fresh raspberries, for serving
Instructions
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Warm sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Let cool completely.
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Mash raspberries in a large bowl using a potato masher or fork. Stir in the sugar syrup, lemon juice, elderflower liqueur and a pinch of salt. Season to taste with additional kosher salt and lemon juice. Pour mixture through a fine mesh basket strainer into a clean bowl, pressing on the solids to extract all the juice. Discard solids.
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Pour raspberry mixture into a baking dish. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and freeze mixture for 1 1/2 hours. Take the dish out of the freezer and scrape the icy bits from the edges to the center. Repeat this scraping process every 30 minutes until the entire mixture is frozen and flaky.
To serve, spoon granita in small bowls and top with fresh raspberries. This is also divine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
This post was written in partnership with Driscoll’s. All thoughts, opinions and recipes are my own. Visit the Driscoll’s website for more berry recipes & enter to win the Sweetest Berry Sweepstakes.
Here are some other berry recipes on Kitchen Konfidence:
Raspberry Apricot Jam
Blueberry Ice Cream with Oat Crumble Topping
Strawberry Rhubarb Chia Cups
Meyer Lemon Coeur à la Crème with Raspberry Sauce
Strawberry Infused Bourbon
Suchi @elegantmeraki says
I am always intrigued by how does elder flower tastes. Looks like this is perfect way as it is with alcohol!
Brandon Matzek says
This liqueur is sweet, citrusy and floral. Very nice 🙂 I use elderflower liqueur all the time. Thanks Suchi!
Boastful Food says
What a wonderful recipe for Mother’s Day! I’ve never used elderflower liquor, but have seen it on a lot of cocktail menus. This sounds like the perfect floral and refreshing dessert for Mom:)
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks so much!! I find myself using elderflower liqueur a lot in both cooking and cocktails. It’s an easy way to add a floral notes to a dessert/drink.
Mica @ Let's Taco Bout It Blog says
Now this is something new for me! I’ve never heard of Elderflower Liquer before. I gotta say I love raspberries and their tart flavor. Three ingredients, I’m so excited about that! Do you think I’d be able to buy a bottle of the liqueur? I’m from Austin, Texas.
Brandon Matzek says
Hi Mica! Elderflower liqueur is readily available all over the US. St. Germain is the most recognizable brand, and you should be able to find it at BevMo (do they have those in Austin?). St. Elder is a small batch brand that you can order online. Thanks and enjoy!
Jessica {Swanky Recipes} says
I have got to try this recipe! I’ve never used elderflower liqueur but hopefully I can find it to try it and it sounds like it pairs wonderfully. This would be great for Mother’s Day, yum!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Jessica!! Check out my comment above on where to find the liqueur. Enjoy your weekend!
Matt says
Love the flavors and color!!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Matt!
naomi says
I bet the elderflower in this granita makes it!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Naomi and enjoy your Mother’s Day weekend 🙂
gerry @ foodness gracious says
Raspberries are such an awesome ingredient! Love this granita 🙂
Brandon Matzek says
I agree!! Thanks Gerry.
Naina says
That is indeed a gorgeous Mother’s Day dessert! I have my own Elder tree and make my own cordial every summer, definitely trying this later in the year 🙂
Brandon Matzek says
I am SO jealous!!! I wish they grew in San Diego, so I could make my own liqueur. I was in Sweden last year where they grow wild all over, and I couldn’t stop picking/smelling the flowers. Thanks Naina!!
[email protected] Eats says
This is beautiful!! The color from the raspberries is incredible. I’ve never tried the elderflower liqueur, I keep seeing it used so I will definitely have to try it soon.
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Megan!!
Whitney says
Brandon, your granita looks amazing! I love the depth of color it has. I’ve never tried elderflower liquor before, but it sounds really lovely. Do you have a cocktail using it that you’d recommend?
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Whitney! Yes, the color (thanks to the raspberries) is so pretty. Elderflower liqueur is a favorite of mine! Just search for “elderflower” in the sidebar, and a few cocktail options will pop up. This is a good place to start: https://www.kitchenkonfidence.com/2013/12/st-germain-and-champagne
Christine | Vermilion Roots says
This is definitely something to make on a special day. Or we can see it this way: Make the day special for someone by making this! I’m going to remember this recipe when the need arises. 🙂
Brandon Matzek says
So true!! This dessert would be a treat for anyone 🙂 Thanks Christine!
Beth @ Binky's Culinary Carnival says
My goodness! I was thinking this morning about making Mom a granita for Mother’s Day! She is gluten and dairy intolerant so it’s hard to make her ‘desserts’. I love the sound of elderflower liquor. I’ve never had it but even the name sounds good! Have to try it! Thanks for the inspiration!
Brandon Matzek says
This is a perfect dessert for anyone avoiding dairy!! Thanks Beth.
sippitysup says
Such a vibrant color. GREG
Brandon Matzek says
Yes!! And that’s the color for reals. No excess saturation adjustments 🙂
Renz says
My mom is visiting from Trinidad. This is the first time in a long time we have spent Mother’s day together. I would for sure love this to be on our menu!! 🙂
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Renz!! Did you end up making this recipe for mom :)?
Sarah says
Big fan of this idea! I love elderflower liqueur and the color of this granita is just stunning.
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Sarah!!
Brian @ A Thought For Food says
I just can’t wait for a nice warm day on the Cape… because I’m whipping up a batch of granita. And I may have to put some rum over it. Because, I think that’d be pretty darn tasty.
This is a beautiful combination of flavors and a brilliant way to use those vibrant berries!
Brandon Matzek says
YES!! That would be perfect. I like to make melon granita as well – that would be good with the rum 🙂 Thanks Brian!