Pineapple and Lychee Granita (AIP)

Granita is a frozen dessert originating from Sicily, made most typically made with water, sugar and various natural flavorings–it’s something like if a slushy and a snowcone had a baby that managed to not inherit any of the crazy chemicals or food dyes.  What I’m trying to say is that granita is a tasty, naturally dairy-free frozen dessert and a perfect target not just for creating a Paleo version but also for creating a delightful fully autoimmune protocol-friendly dessert!

My version skips over the water and sugar completely in favor of pureed whole fruit, using one of my favorite exotic fruit combinations:  lychee and pineapple.  The texture is light and fluffy and decadent, melting in your mouth nearly instantly.  Even better, while there’s some timer setting involved in the making of this granita, there’s no special equipment needed other than a blender, a rimmed baking sheet or large cake pan, and a fork.  Serve it in a wine glass, and you’ve got a romantic dessert for a Valentine’s Day dinner in.

Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: None
Serves: 8

Directions

1. Peel and pit the lychee.
2. Zest the limes and reserve zest as a garnish, then cut the remaining peel off the limes.
3. Add peeled limes, lychee, salt and pineapple to the blender and blend until completely smooth.
4. Pour puree onto a rimmed baking sheet or into a cake pan or lasagna pan and place in the freezer.
5. After 1 hour, remove from the freezer and scrape and mash with a fork to make little ice crystals. Return to the freezer.
6. After another hour, remove from freezer and mash a second time. Return to freezer.
7. After a third hour, remove from the freezer and mash a final time. Store in the freezer until ready to serve.