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Spicy Pineapple Margarita Granita

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If you’re looking for a refreshing, icy, adults-only sweet treat during these hot summer months, then look no farther than my spicy pineapple margarita granita. This granita is super easy to make, can be made in advance and doesn’t require an ice cream maker. Made with sweet, fresh pineapple, lime juice, jalapeño, tequila and orange liquor, this sweet, tart and spicy spin on a pineapple margarita cocktail is perfect for sunny, summer days and is absolutely delicious.

Spicy Pineapple Margarita Granita

What is granita?

Granita generally falls somewhere in between shaved ice and a sorbet. It’s not as coarse as shaved ice, but not as smooth and fine as a sorbet. Typically, granita is made with a flavored liquid, water and a sugar syrup that is frozen and is scraped with a fork every couple hours to create small ice crystals. Granitas are more intense in flavor compared to shaved ice, or snow cones, but can come close to sorbets in the intensity of their flavors – particularly when using purées. Sorbets and granitas are usually made with the same ingredients, though sorbet is churned and granita is not. The stirring and scraping of granita every few hours allows for fine ice crystals to form, allowing the mixture to freeze in a shaved ice-state, but with smaller and more delicate ice crystals.

Granitas can be made with just about any sort of liquid, usually being some sort of fruit juice or puree. But other liquids like coffee, wine and even chocolate are used often as well. I prefer to use purées for the most concentrated flavor.

Spicy Pineapple Margarita Granita

About the ingredients

A super ripe, fresh pineapple is the best for this recipe. Ripe pineapples are super sweet and have intense flavor, so not much sugar is added to this granita. Fresh lime juice is also needed for this recipe, as well as a small jalapeño. Don’t be scared of the jalapeño. A bit of spicy heat goes so, so well with pineapple and really makes this granita special. There are ways to control the heat level in the granita that I’ll hit on further down in the post.

Two different kinds of alcohol is used in the granita – tequila and orange liquor. I used Jose Cuervo Especial Silver Tequila. Use the tequila you like to drink in your margaritas. You can use any orange liquor – I used Grand Marnier because it’s what I use in my margaritas.

Spicy Pineapple Margarita Granita

How to make this spicy pineapple margarita granita

This granita is super quick to pull together and involves little work. Make a simple syrup by combining the water, sugar and jalapeño in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, until the sugar is dissolved. This allows the jalapeño to steep and for the simple syrup to get infused with the heat and flavor.

*A note on jalapeño heat.* Heat and spice tolerance is subjective. What’s spicy to you, may not be noticeable at all to me, and so on. I want you to love this granita with the jalapeño, so I’m going to give you some tips on how to get a sweet, even heat and not an overpowering spicy nightmare. The goal here is to have a perfectly balanced pineapple margarita granita with a smooth hint of heat.

Spicy Pineapple Margarita Granita

When steeping the jalapeño, you can remove the seeds if you would like. This will help you err on the side of less heat in your syrup. I steep mine with the seeds to get the most flavor. The pineapple, lime juice, tequila, and orange liquor are blended until smooth in a blender. Then I determine how much heat I like in my granita but mixing in a little bit of the simple syrup at a time to the pineapple mixture, tasting it after each addition to determine if I need more. Remember, you can always add more, but you can’t remove it. Jalapeños don’t all have the same heat intensity – another reason to add the syrup little by little.

I should also mention that alcohol levels can be decreased or increased depending on your preference as well. This recipe is not intended to be a choose your own adventure type of recipe, but I’m merely pointing out, that it’s 100% customizable to YOUR preferences, but can still create a delicious spicy pineapple margarita granita.

Spicy Pineapple Margarita Granita

The mixture gets poured into a 13×9 or a shallow pan and popped in the freezer. Stir and scrape the granita every 30 minutes or so, mixing it up to break up any large chunks and ice crystals. This will also keep the mixture from separating. You will want to do this for 3 to 4 hours so that the ice crystals remain delicate and uniform and the consistency is close to that of a sorbet. At this point you can serve it or store it in the freezer.

I like to serve my spicy pineapple margarita granita in salt rimmed glasses and a sprig of mint. Enjoy!

 

Spicy Pineapple Margarita Grantita
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Spicy Pineapple Margarita Granita

Made with sweet, fresh pineapple, lime juice, jalapeño, tequila and orange liquor, this sweet, tart and spicy spin on a pineapple margarita cocktail is perfect for sunny, summer days and is absolutely delicious.
Prep Time10 mins
Chill4 hrs
Course: Dessert
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 small jalepeno, or 1/2 of a large jalepeno, cut into pieces
  • 1 lb (2 cups) fresh, ripe pineapple, peeled and cored
  • 1/3-1/2 cup tequila, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons orange liquor - I used Grand Marnier
  • Juice of 1 lime

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar and jalapeño over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer, until the sugar is fully dissolved. Cool until just warm.
  • Place the pineapple, lime juice, orange liquor, and tequila in a blender. Blend to combine
  • Add the simple syrup a few tablespoons at a time, stopping to taste the mixture to determine if you want more heat. It's possible you will not use all of the syrup.
  • Pour the pineapple mixture out into a shallow dish. I use a 13x9. Place the dish in the freezer.
  • Stir and scrape the mixture every 30 minutes for 3-4 hours or until chilled through. Serve immediately or store for up to one week in the freezer.

Chocolate Dipped Key Lime Pie Pops

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Can we just talk about how it’s August already?! Like, where did summer go? It went by in a blur. It’s hard to believe that in just a couple short weeks one of my babies will be starting high school and the other will be starting kindergarten. We may be close to fall and heading back to school, but I am still baking up a storm with all the summer produce. My method for picking the best fruit for my next baking project is usually choosing what fruit I can smell when I first walk into the farmer’s market. Lately it’s been strawberries and peaches. ALL the peaches as you will see in my next post. Hint, hint, wink, wink.

Chocolate Dipped Key Lime Bars

But being a citrus lover as I am, I stopped short in my tracks earlier this week when I saw the bags and bags of tiny little key limes, and recalled a yummy treat I had while we were recently vacationing in Sarasota, Florida. While hanging out in a local ice cream shop, I noticed that one of their specialties was chocolate dipped key lime pie. Me being somewhat burned out on ice cream (how is that even possible, right?), I decided to try it and found that I very much enjoyed it. So I picked up a few bags of those little key limes and created something similar at home – these chocolate dipped key lime pie pops.

Tart, creamy and packed with key lime juice and zest, these chocolate dipped key lime pie pops are a breeze to make and so delicious and refreshing all on their own. Add some toasted graham cracker crumble and dip them in semi sweet chocolate and they crazy addictive.

Chocolate Dipped Key Lime Pie Pops

Before making the pops, I mix together crushed graham crackers, melted butter and a little bit of sugar to make the graham cracker crumb “crust” part of the key lime pie pops. I bake the crumbs until golden and brown and set them aside to cool completely. This also crisps up the graham crackers a bit so they are less likely to get soggy in the pops.

If you’ve ever had to squeeze key limes, then you know that they yield little juice and you will need to squeeze a LOT of key limes to get a full cup worth. You can most definitely use regular Persian limes for these pops. I used key limes and Persian limes interchangeably while testing the recipe. Just keep in mind that key limes are considerably more flavorful and sour than regular limes. Definitely avoid bottled key lime juice as it has an artificial and bitter flavor.

Chocolate Dipped Key Lime Pie Pops

To make the pops, I use this ice pop mold. It’s sturdy, easy to use and easy to clean. I whisk the milks, cream, salt and zest together, then I whisk in the lime juice until thoroughly mixed. For ease of pouring into the pop molds, I usually transfer the mixture to a measuring cup with a spout. I pour the mixture into the molds until 1/3 to 1/2 of the way full, then add a layer of the graham cracker crumb. Gently push the crumb into the mixture just a bit to ensure there aren’t any air pockets. Fill the molds with the rest of the lime mixture, leaving about 1/2 inch at the top.  I like to tap the mold on the counter so that the mixture is compact in the molds and there is not any air pockets around the graham cracker crumb. Add more graham cracker crumb on top and gently pack in the crumbs to reach the top of the mold.

Chocolate Dipped Key Lime Pops

I like to freeze my pops overnight to ensure they’re fully frozen all the way through. Removing the pops from the mold can be tricky. Place the mold into a few inches of lukewarm water for 20-30 seconds to loosen the pops. Remove the mold from the water and carefully remove the pops from the mold. If you find that the pops are still stuck, place back into the lukewarm water for another 20 seconds or so before trying to remove the pops again.

Once the pops are ready to be dipped, I melt good quality semi sweet chocolate with coconut oil to thin the melted chocolate just a bit. I only partially dipped the pops for this recipe but if you want a fully dipped key lime pop, double the chocolate and oil called for in the recipe. I used coconut oil because I enjoy the slight coconut flavor that really compliments the pops. You can use shortening instead if you wish. Then I sprinkled some reserved graham cracker crumbs over the chocolate and popped them back into the freezer to harden up the chocolate and to keep the pops frozen until serving.

Chocolate Dipped Key Lime Pops

Seriously guys, so, so good. I hope you enjoy these chocolate covered key lime pops as much as I do.

If you try my chocolate dipped key lime pie pops, let me know! Leave a comment in the comment area below and be sure to snap a photo and tag it #littlevintagebaking on Instagram. I love seeing your Little Vintage Baking creations!

For more summery treats check out these recipes:

Roasted Peach Crisp Ice Cream

Lavender Lemon Shortbread Bars

Chocolate Dipped Key Lime Pie Bars
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Chocolate Dipped Key Lime Pops

Tart and creamy key lime pie pops with crunchy graham cracker crust crumble dipped in semi-sweet chocolate and sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time9 mins
Total Time19 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chocolate Dipped Key Lime Pie Pops
Servings: 10 Pops
Author: Ashley

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crumbs

  • 3 graham crackers, finely crushed
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tsp granulated sugar
  • pinch of fine sea salt

Key Lime Pops

  • 1 cup (250ml) fresh key lime juice
  • 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tbsp key lime zest
  • 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) whole milk
  • 1 can (397g) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 1/2 cups (265g) semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

Graham Cracker Crumbs:

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • Place the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt into a small bowl and mix to combine. 
  • Pour in the melted butter and mix to thoroughly combine. The mixture should be evenly coated with butter.
  • Pour the mixture out onto the parchment lined sheet pan. Place into the oven and bake for 7-9 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden brown and fragrant. 
  • Let the graham cracker crumb cool completely before using.

Key Lime Pie Pops:

  • In a medium bowl, whisk the whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, salt and lime zest together until thoroughly combined. 
  • Whisk in the lime juice and whisk until completely incorporated.
  • Pour the mixture into a large spouted measuring cup. Pour the mixture into the molds 1/3-1/2 way full.
  • Add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of the graham cracker crumbs, pushing down gently to eliminate any air pockets.
  • Pour the rest of the key lime mixture into the molds, leaving about 1/2 inch at the top of the mold for the graham cracker crumbs. 
  • Add more graham cracker crumbs to fill up the molds, pushing down on the crumbs gently to pack. Lightly tap the mold onto the counter to get rid of any air pockets.
  • Place the lid onto the mold and place the sticks into the pops. Place the pops into the freezer for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
  • Once the pops are frozen, melt together the chocolate with the coconut oil. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Remove the pops from the mold and dip in the chocolate mixture. Place the pops on parchment paper after dipping. Sprinkle the pops with the graham cracker crumb mixture and place back in the freezer until serving. 

Roasted Peach Crisp Ice Cream

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I’ve made an exciting change to my life that I’m super excited to share with you all. It’s been a couple months since I’ve posted last and I’ve been really bummed about it – it’s been crazy busy! In addition to blogging, baking and caking, I’ve been working with my husband on his growing business (which I love), and it’s really gotten me to reconsider where I want to take my business. So, I’ve decided to take on limited wedding cake clients and focus more blogging, and teaching baking and cake decorating. With that said, I’m stoked about this decision and I’m looking forward to seeing where this new journey takes me.

Roasted Peach Crisp Ice Cream

Now, let’s talk about this star of this show, er, blog post. Roasted peach crisp ice cream. Roasted and caramelized peaches and crunchy oat and pecan crisp swirled into creamy and decadent vanilla bean ice cream. All you love in a baked fruit crisp packed into a delicious and out of this world ice cream.

I mean, there’s nothing quite like homemade ice cream. It’s creamier, richer and more flavorful than the store-bought tub variety. So, it’s no surprise that when the weather started to get warmer, I instantly had homemade ice cream on the brain. I got a new ice cream machine for Christmas that I have been patiently waiting to use. And, with the abundance of seasonal, summer fruits at the farmers markets – including ripe, fragrant and juicy peaches, I knew that’s how I wanted to break in my new machine.

Roasted Peach Crisp Ice Cream

Using ripe peaches reduces the amount of sugar you need to add to your peaches before roasting, but they also just simply taste better by leaps and bounds. I tossed peeled, pitted and sliced peaches in some brown sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt and roasted them in the oven to bring out more of their natural sugars and deepen the peach flavor.  When the peaches are caramelized, roasted and cooled, I chop them up into smaller pieces and pop them into the refrigerator.

The crunchy crisp topping is the same topping I use for my go-to fruit crisp recipe. I used toasted pecans for this recipe, mostly because it’s my favorite nut to bake with, but any nut will work here. Almonds would be amazing as they go really well peaches. Roasting the pecans deepens their flavor, keeps them crunchy and completely transforms them from meh to amazing. For optimal flavor, don’t skip toasting your pecans. Bake the crisp topping until golden brown, let it cool completely, then store in the refrigerator until the ice cream is churned and you’re ready to layer in the roasted peaches and the crisp topping.

Roasted Peach Crisp Ice Cream

The ice cream base I used for my roasted peach crisp ice cream is a standard custard, or French-style base made with egg yolks. My preferred dairy to use is heavy cream and whole milk. You can also just use half and half if you wish. I find that this is a good balance to create a silky, creamy ice cream without being too rich. You can definitely play around with dairy ratios, but keep in mind, the more fat you use, the smoother, creamier and richer it will be. Like the traditional style custard, I use egg yolks in my ice cream. Egg yolks prevent ice crystals, which allows the ice cream to last longer. Egg yolks also make for a richer tasting and textured ice cream due to it’s emulsifying qualities.

The mixture of sugar, eggs, milk and cream and salt are cooked until thickened, strained and allowed to cool a bit before adding extracts. I used both vanilla and vanilla bean paste for optimal vanilla flavor. Once room temperature, the mixture is set aside in the fridge to chill completely – 8 hours at the very least. You want your ice cream base to be super cold. I make my ice cream base 24 hours in advance before I need it. At this time, I also put my ice cream machine bowl in the freezer to freeze completely.

Roasted Peach Crisp Ice Cream

After I churn my ice cream and it resembles soft serve, I layer the ice cream, the peaches and the crisp topping into my preferred container (I used a 9×5 loaf pan here) and swirl to evenly mix. Pop the ice cream into the freezer to harden up a bit more before serving. I like to top my scoops of ice cream with extra crisp topping when serving.

Did I mention how warm my studio was when photographing my roasted peach crisp ice cream? But really, I sort of love all the little drips and melty pools of ice cream in the photos. Luckily, my roasted peach crisp ice cream was promptly eaten by guests I had coming over. And by promptly eaten, I mean essentially inhaled.

Roasted Peach Crisp Ice Cream

If you try my roasted peach crisp ice cream, let me know! Leave a comment in the comment area below and be sure to snap a photo and tag it #littlevintagebaking on Instagram. I love seeing your Little Vintage Baking creations!

For more fruity desserts, check out the recipe for my raspberry swirl cheesecake brownies or this Meyer lemon ginger tart with toasted honey meringue!

Roasted Peach Crisp Ice Cream
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Roasted Peach Crisp Ice Cream

Roasted and caramelized peaches and crunchy oat and pecan crisp swirled into creamy and decadent vanilla bean ice cream.
Course: Dessert
Keyword: Roasted Peach Crisp ice cream

Ingredients

Roasted Peaches:

  • 2 cups fresh peaches, peeled and pitted, sliced I used 5 small/medium size peaches
  • 2 tbsp light brown brown sugar
  • 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Crisp Topping:

  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (80g) all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (25g) old fashioned oats
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup (50g) light brown sugar
  • 6 tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks
  • 1/4 cup (30g) pecans, chopped and toasted

Ice Cream Base:

  • 1 1/2 cups (355ml heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 cups (355ml) whole milk
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 7 large egg yolks
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla bean paste

Instructions

Make the ice cream base.

  • Set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart bowl into a larger bowl that has been filled with ice water. Place a strainer over the smaller bowl and set aside.
  • Combine the milk, cream, sugar and salt into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they have lightened in color. 
  • Gradually pour some of the milk/cream mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly as you slowly pour. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan.
  • Cook over low heat, stirring and scraping the pan constantly with a spatula, until the mixture is silky, thickens and reaches a temperature of 170-175F.
  • Strain the mixture into the bowl on the ice and stir the mixture over the ice until the mixture cools to room temperature.
  • Stir in the vanilla and vanilla bean. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for a minimum 8 hours, preferably overnight or 24 hours.

Make the roasted peaches.

  • Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to keep the peaches from sticking.
  • Combine the peach slices, brown sugar salt and cinnamon into a medium size bowl and toss to coat.
  • Pour the peaches onto the sheet pan. Space them out into one even layer. 
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until softened, tender and caramelized. Flip the peaches halfway through cooking and rotate the sheet pan.
  • Let the peaches cool completely on the sheet pan. Once cool, chop the peaches into smaller pieces. Place in a container and store in the refrigerator until the ice cream is ready.

Make the crisp topping.

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pulse to combine. Add in the oats and the butter and pulse until the mixture comes together and forms large clumps.
  • Stir in the chopped pecans. Turn out the crisp onto the sheet pan and spread into an even layer.
  • Bake the crisp for 10-15, stirring halfway through, until deep golden brown.
  • Let the crisp cool completely then place into a container and store in the refrigerator until the  ice cream is ready.

Freeze and compile the ice cream.

  • Freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. This should take 25-40 minutes. Your ice cream should be thick like soft-serve. 
  • Once the ice cream is frozen, layer the ice cream, peaches and crisp into the container of your choosing. I used a 9x5 loaf pan. Use a knife to swirl in the peaches and crisp thoroughly. 
  • Cover the ice cream with cling wrap. Place the ice cream back into the freezer to harden and remove a few minutes before serving. Serve your ice cream scoops with some additional crisp topping sprinkled on top. Enjoy!