An Earl Grey granita is a perfumed, grown-up iced dessert: bold bergamot tea frozen and forked into scented icy flakes. The strength of the blend matters, because freezing flattens flavour, so a delicate Earl Grey would taste of almost nothing while this keeps its bergamot. Lovely with a little orange, or a splash of gin for the adults.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Earl Grey Strong Granita recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/earl-grey/earl-grey-strong-granita/
It uses Teapigs Earl Grey Strong, a bold whole-leaf bergamot Black Tea. Fifteen minutes of work, a few hours freezing, serves six.
You'll need
- 5 Teapigs Earl Grey Strong tea temples
- 700ml just boiled water
- 90g caster sugar
- Juice of half a lemon and a strip of orange zest
- A wide, shallow freezer proof tray
Method
- Steep the 5 temples in 700ml just boiled water for 4 minutes only; a bold blend gives a strong base in 4 minutes, and over steeping makes a granita bitter once frozen.
- Stir the sugar, lemon juice and orange zest into the warm brew until the sugar dissolves, then cool and remove the zest.
- Pour into the wide tray and freeze flat so it sets fast and even.
- After 1 hour, drag a fork through the icy edges into the centre. Repeat every 30 to 45 minutes for about 3 to 4 hours.
- Each forking breaks the crystals so it sets as fragrant, light flakes.
- Fork through again and serve in chilled glasses; add a teaspoon of gin per glass for an adult version.
Want the background, not just the brew?
Brewed with: Teapigs Earl Grey Strong, 15 Tea Bags 37.5g
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