
If you have a metal baking pan, use it; it will chill the mixture faster than a glass one. And remove the granita from the freezer when you scrape it—too much cold air will escape if you do this while the door's hanging open.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
Granita:
Lemon cream and assembly:
Preparation
For granita:
Step 1
Purée blackberries, sugar, crème de cassis, if using, lemon juice, salt, and 1 cup water in a blender until smooth. Strain purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a 13x9x2" baking pan, pressing on solids.
Step 2
Freeze mixture until edges begin to set, about 30 minutes. Using a fork, scrape to break up frozen portions. Freeze, scraping and breaking up mixture every 20-30 minutes, until mixture resembles fluffy shaved ice, 2-4 hours.
Step 3
DO AHEAD: Granita can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and keep frozen. Scrape before serving.
For lemon cream and assembly:
Step 4
Just before serving, whisk mascarpone, cream, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest in a medium bowl until soft peaks form.
Step 5
Serve granita topped with lemon cream, halved blackberries, and more lemon zest.