I’m going to be honest here. I’m not quite ready to let go of summer. And you know what? I shouldn’t have to since summer doesn’t officially even end for another few weeks.
I knew I’d be spending most of the afternoon today outdoors in the heat today and wanted a nice and refreshing treat waiting for me when I got home. This afternoon I went to the beach to get fried clams with Kate one last time and then my roommate’s friends, who live down the street, had people over. There were burgers, cupcakes, homemade s’mores, and other non-figure flattering foods, so I wanted something light and refreshing to enjoy once I got home!
I decided to make David Lebovitz’s very simple Strawberry Granita from his book The Perfect Scoop, which was part of my birthday gift from Sues. The other part was the ice cream attachment for my Kitchen Aid, in case you were wondering. What can I say? My friends treat me well 😉
Strawberry Granita (makes about 1 quart)
Adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
Print this Recipe!
• 2 lbs strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup water
• Several drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice
In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries and sugar. Mix until the sugar is just dissolved and the strawberries begin to release their juices. Cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature for about an hour.
Combine the strawberries, including their liquid, water, and lemon juice in a blender and puree until smooth.
Pour the mixture into a strainer to eliminate all of the seeds. I usually use the backside of a mixing spoon to press all of the liquids through the strainer.
Then transfer the liquid into a rectangular glass dish that is at least 8 inches long with a 2 inch rim.
Place glass dish in freezer. Start checking on it after about 1 hour. Using a fork, begin chipping away at the edges of the strawberry mixture and begin to break it into smaller pieces.
Place the dish back in the freezer and continue checking every 30 minutes until small crystals begin to form. I actually couldn’t wait any longer so I think I took mine out of the freezer a bit earlier than I should have 😉 But it still tasted absolutely delicious and was beyond refreshing. It cooled me down quickly! Literally. I dropped some down my shirt by accident. Woops.
While I was eating the granita it obviously began to melt a bit and the consistency reminded me a bit of the Haagan-Dazs fruit sorbets. Which is an icy version of HEAVEN. I’m glad to know it’s so easy to create at home now!
Hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day weekend! And here’s hoping you enjoy the rest of your summer. Until it’s officially over, that is 🙂
[Chels]
i must say…i’m excited for fall… but with recipes like this, summer could last a little longer, i suppose!
so beautiful and simple! i always want to make granitas but i never have freezer room!
Yum, this looks delicious! I think I could eat granitas all year long, nevermind about the season!
Mmm- i bet itd be fun to do a mixed berry version too.
So refreshing! I made watermelon granitas this weekend – couldn’t believe how easy they were!
I love granita in the summer, this looks so good!
I have made coffee granitas and this looks fab!
(btw, im a wordpress girl now so adios malware!)
I think I am definitely in the opposite camp of most people when it comes to this. As much as I like summer, fall is my absolute favorite, so I’m not going to lie, i got pretty excited when we had a chill in the air yesterday and I had to throw on a hoodie.
So not ready for summer to be over, fall just means being busy and that is no fun! I have yet to make a Granita, but I really should try this out – prolong summer somehow!
This looks so refreshing, and perfect for the “end” of summer. 😉
O.k. I’ve been looking for a cute, cheap, creative way to label different things in the kitchen and seeing your sugar bowl just gave me a great idea! Thank you! So, is it just chalk paint?