Granita is a refreshing Italian desert enjoyed by one and all. Considering our hot and humid weather, it is also one that fits perfectly into our culinary desires for anything sweet and cool to beat the tropical heat.
IIt is also a good way to sneak those nutritious fruit juices into a child who has problem eating fruit. Give them a cup of juice and they’ll turn up their noses, make it into a desert with sugar and ice and they’ll be banging the door down for more. There are many granita recipes, here’s one enjoyed in my household.
Strawberry Granita
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
2 pints very ripe strawberries
Method
Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cool to room temperature. Cut stalks off and puree the strawberries. Stir the puree into the cooled syrup.
Transfer the mixture to a shallow pan and place in the freezer. Pour the mixture into the pan and place in the freezer.
Every 30 minutes, using a fork, stir the granita, scraping it off the bottom and sides of the pan. Break up the frozen parts near the edges into smaller chunks and rake them toward the center.
Continue to freeze and break up ice crystals until completely frozen, about 3 hours. If at any time the granita freezes too hard, simply leave it out at room temperature for a few minutes until it softens enough to be stirred again with a fork. Then return it to the freezer.
When ready to eat scoop into bowls, garnish accordingly and eat immediately!
There can be many different flavours of granite, once you make the base, it's just a matter of freezing it accordingly. Go wild!
By Mayuri Jayasinghe
0 Comments