The ultimate way to cool down on a hot summer day is with a granita! Granita hails from Sicily and is essentially a fancier shaved ice typically made with fresh fruit. In Sicily, they actually often eat granita for breakfast with a side of brioche, because Italians know how to live. You can make granita with any fruit, but we got a perfect mini watermelon in our CSA box this past week and bunch of fresh basil and this idea was born.
The beauty of a granita is that no fancy equipment or gadgets are needed other than a blender! It does require a bit of monitoring, as you do need to agitate/scrape the ice every few hours to get the right consistency, but it only takes minutes to prep. Simply blend up your watermelon with the juice of one lime, a teaspoon of honey, and a few leaves of fresh basil. Pour into a shallow dish and place into freezer! So easy!
Pre-freezing
It’s the perfect light dessert for summer BBQs and can be made into a refreshing adult treat by adding your choice of liquor (we prefer tequila or rum!). Happy summer!
Watermelon, Basil and Lime Granita
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Watermelon seeds removed and chopped
- 1 Lime
- 6-7 Leaves fresh basil
- 1 Teaspoon honey
Instructions
- Add watermelon, juice of 1 lime, basil, and honey to blender.
- Blend on high for until all ingredients are well mixed.
- Pour into a large pyrex container, cover, and place in freezer.
- Every 1-2 hours, check on the granita and mix using a fork to create a slush type consistency. Do this 3-4 times or until desired texture is reached.
- Serve with fresh basil on top.
- Optional: Can add your liquor of choice before freezing. Tequila, Rum or Gin would go well. I would start with 1-2 ounces and adjust for taste.