Moscato d’Asti, a sweet sparkling Italian wine, makes a fine match for the slightly bitter grapefruit in this dessert. You can substitute a drier sparkling wine or even Champagne for different—but still delicious—results.–Martha Stewart
LC Boozy Fruit Note
Is there a simpler, more sophisticated dessert that a splash of sparkling wine over fruit? This dessert—or breakfast, if you’re so inclined—is something of a deconstructed Champagne cocktail of sorts. Accord it the reverence it deserves.
Grapefruit in Moscato Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ruby red grapefruit, chilled
- 4 sugar cubes, preferably raw sugar such as turbinado or demerara, or a couple slight spoonfuls granulated or superfine sugar
- 1 bottle (750-ml) Moscato d’Asti
Directions
- 1. Supreme the grapefruit by lopping off the bottom and top so that a little of the fruit is exposed and the grapefruit can stand upright on a cutting board. Starting at the top, cut away the peel and white pith with the tip of a sharp paring knife, following the curve of the fruit as you slice down one side of the fruit. Then use the knife to carefully carve out segments from between membranes.
- 2. Place several grapefruit segments and 1 sugar cube or a half spoonful or so of sugar in each serving glass. Then top it off with the Moscato. Serve immediately.
Thirsty for more? Sip on these:
- Cham-Pom Spritzers from Bell' Alimento
- French 75 Champagne Cocktail from The Culinary Life
- Sparkling Ginger Daisy from Leite's Culinaria
- Sgroppino | Lemon Chill from Leite's Culinaria
Grapefruit in Moscato Recipe © 2009 Martha Stewart. Photo © 2009 Lisa Hubbard. All rights reserved.
[Anna Scott] This wonderfully refreshing dish can act as a dessert or a palate cleanser between courses. The simplicity of it appealed to me, especially for a midweek dessert. I’d never tried Moscato d’Asti before, and I really enjoyed the sweet, muscadine taste of this sparkling wine. Even by itself, the wine was fantastic, but adding the chilled grapefruit segments brought to it a nice contrast of tart and sweet. I made this dessert in small glass dessert cups so we could see the bubbly reaction when I added the wine to the sugar cube and grapefruit. Perhaps a sprig of mint for garnish would add a nice color for presentation. Overall, I really enjoyed this dish!
[Natty T.] The simplicity of flavor and preparation make this recipe the perfect dessert. It’s light, refreshing, with a perfect balance of sweet and acid. Next time, I’d like to see how the flavors develop if the grapefruit sits in the moscato for an hour, maybe adding a pinch of salt and some fresh mint.
[Cindy Z.] This is just about the easiest dessert out there—so simple, and so very delicious. The contrast between bitter and sweet is mouthwatering. I didn’t have sugar cubes, so I sprinkled about a teaspoon of turbinado sugar on the grapefruit segments. I made this for friends, and they were very impressed.
[Karen Taylor] I didn’t expect much from this recipe, as I’ve tried other simple and quick fruit desserts and consistently have been disappointed. I love sparkling booze though, so I caved and decided to give this a shot. It took less than 10 minutes to make—including segmenting the citrus. I used a bottle of cava and decided not to use sugar cubes because I wanted the sugar to dissolve into the wine and coat the grapefruit. So, I sprinkled about 2 teaspoons of superfine sugar over the grapefruit and splashed on about a 1/4 cup of cava for six segments—just enough to bathe the grapefruit. It was delicious. This would be a perfect end to a summer barbecue as it’s so light and refreshing. I was only sorry that I hadn’t made a double portion.
We served this in little glass bowls, but if I were to do it again, I’d add more grapefruit segments, double the sugar and half-fill a pretty sundae bowl or generously-sized champagne coupe with cava or prosecco, so there’s a little bit more of the citrusy booze to enjoy. Try this recipe—you won’t be sorry!
My oh my – breakfast. A BRIGHT way to start the day.
Completely!
Mmmmm…Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and wouldn’t this make an excellent addition to a breakfast-in-bed tray.
Oui, Chef, what a great idea. Hey all you married guys and kids out there! You hear Oui, Chef? Mom’s Day is coming–break out the Moscato and grapefruit.