Cherry Granita

Stirring granita during the freezing process lets large, flaky ice crystals form. It can be wrapped and frozen, up to 1 week; scrape again before serving.

2 lbs cherries, stemmed and pitted, or 3 bags (12 oz each) frozen cherries, thawed
½ cup raw sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¾ cup almond flavoured liqueur, such as Disaronno (optional)

To Serve:
whipped cream or mascarpone cheese

In a blender, purée cherries, raw sugar, and lemon juice, freshly squeezed until raw sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth. Pour into an 8" square baking dish. Freeze 6 hours, scraping with a fork every hour (mixture should be icy and fluffy).

To serve, pour 1 Tbsp. liqueur into each of 12 small bowls or glasses. Top with ½ cup granita and a small dollop of whipped cream, if desired. Serve immediately.

Makes 12 servings.