Neapolitan Delight

This Italian frozen dessert is somewhere between a granita and a boozy fruit ice, and it could not be simpler. Fresh peaches get cubed, tossed with sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, and a generous pour of apricot brandy, then frozen into a slushy, scoopable treat.

The apricot brandy does double duty. It intensifies the stone fruit flavor of the peaches and lowers the freezing point of the mixture, so it stays softer and more scoopable than a straight fruit ice would. A tablespoon floated on top of each serving hits you with that boozy aroma the second the bowl lands in front of you.

Use the ripest peaches you can find. Peak-season summer peaches have enough natural sweetness and perfume to carry this dessert. Out-of-season peaches taste flat and mealy, so canned halves are honestly a better substitute during winter months.

Chef Tips

• Stir the mixture a few times during freezing to break up ice crystals and keep the texture smooth.
• The lemon juice prevents browning and adds acidity that keeps the sweetness from being cloying.
• Let the frozen mixture sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping. Rock-hard frozen fruit is tough to serve.
• Chill your serving bowls in the freezer beforehand so the dessert doesn’t melt on contact.

Variations

• Use nectarines instead of peaches for a slightly firmer texture and tangier flavor.
• Swap apricot brandy for Amaretto for an almond-scented version.
• Blend the mixture smooth before freezing for a sorbet-like consistency instead of chunky fruit ice.