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Watermelon GranitaTad Seaborn/The Globe and Mail

Nothing says summer like finding the words "iced" or "chilled" on a menu, especially so when the dish contains watermelon. As we head into hot, sticky weather, this simple granita is fun way to create quick snowcones for a casual barbecue or an elegant dessert for a weekend meal. The basil simple syrup is worth keeping on hand as a sweetener for my staple summer drink, iced tea.

Basil Simple Syrup

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/2 basil leaves

Watermelon Granita

5 cups cubed watermelon

1 lime

1/3 cup basil simple syrup

Method

Syrup

Add 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar into a small pot. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from heat. Add a 1/2 cup of lightly packed basil leaves (bruise with a knife before adding to release more flavour). Set aside for 20 minutes. Then strain.

Granita

Add 5 cups cubed watermelon (seedless, or remove the seeds) into a blender or food processor. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime and 1/3 cup of the basil simple syrup. Blend until smooth and liquid. Taste and adjust sweetness.

Pour into a 9-by-9-inch pan (stay away from anything too flimsy such as aluminum foil). Put the pan into the freezer and check back in 45 minutes to one hour. The mixture will be starting to freeze. Scrape through the ice with a fork to start creating slush. Return in one more hour and do the same. (I did this three times then left it overnight.) Remove from the freezer about 15 minutes before needed (to thaw a bit), then scrape through the slush one more time before serving.

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