Cooking Through Alton: Cranberry Granita

The dish
Let us all give thanks, because Alton's Cranberry Granita is an absolute hit. Think sorbet with just the right balance of tart and sweet. The cranberry and lime zest blend together in absolute harmony and burst with flavor.

The difficulty
Alton does it again with a super-easy recipe. Just take half a bag of fresh cranberries and boil with two cups of water and one cup of sugar. Remove from heat after seven minutes, blend, mix in some lime zest and toss in the freezer. Come back the next morning and start scraping.

The presentation
You will blow your guests away with the simple, yet elegant presentation. One suggestion is to use martini glasses. I also scraped my frozen granita with an ice cream scooper (this makes for a nice ball). Place one scoop in the glass, top with some fresh mint and even a little more lime zest. The vibrant colors and basic presentation will be a crowd pleaser.

The slim down
What drew me to this recipe was the health factor. This one's a rarity on the Thanksgiving table: it's healthy. If you're counting calories, you might want to cut down on a little of the sugar, and sprinkle in some substitute sweetener.

The tips
When you're straining the cranberries after blending, you may need to stir the mixture a bit. Otherwise, the cranberry skins and seeds sink to the bottom and block the holes of the sieve, making it difficult for the juice to seep through.

The verdict
Out of all the Alton recipes I did for this Thanksgiving series, the Cranberry Granita was my favorite. I couldn't get over how easy it was to prepare and how tasty it ended up. I also believe your guests will be appreciative of a lighter dessert option after devouring all of those typical Thanksgiving heavy food items.

There you have it, a complete Thanksgiving menu:
Turkey and Stuffing
Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Cranberry Sauce
Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes
Best Ever Green Bean Casserole