It’s prime citrus season and I am here for it. Crimson blood oranges, fragrant Meyer lemons, tart and sweet mandarins, bitter grapefruit- I love them all. Blood orange is one of my favorites, mostly for its vibrant and variant hues of burgundy, fuchsia, and magical ombre sunset orange centers. And what better way to celebrate this beautiful citrus varietal than with a refreshing boozy granita, or adult slushy if you want to get real technical.

A blend of blood orange and Meyer lemon juice mixed with sweet Moscato d’Asti wine, and orange liqueur make for a boozy, sweet, and citrusy combo. The mixture gets frozen and scraped with a fork every half hour until the mixture is a fuchsia, fluffy, slushy dream. A dessert and cocktail all in one, adulting at its finest.

Boozy Blood Orange Granita

Ingredients:

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C water

1 Tbsp citrus zest (a mixture of blood orange and Meyer lemon)

1/2 C blood orange juice, fresh squeezed

1/3 C Meyer lemon juice, fresh squeezed (regular lemons will work if you can’t find the Meyer variety)

1 1/4 C Moscato D’Asti wine

1/2 C Cointreau

In a small saucepan make the simple syrup by combining the sugar, water, and citrus zest. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Let cool completely.

in a shallow, freezer safe dish (I like to use a metal or glass 9 x 13” baking dish), combine the simple syrup, blood orange juice, Meyer lemon juice, Moscato D’Asti wine, and Cointreau. Mix thoroughly.

Place container in the freezer, uncovered, for 2 1/2 hours, scraping with a fork every 30 minutes to break up the ice crystals, until it is frozen and in a shaved ice consistency.

Spoon out and serve in small bowls or glasses.