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Watermelon Granita
Sweet watermelon, still heavy with juice, meets a quick homemade lime syrup in this incredibly refreshing Italian-style ice. You won't need a fancy ice cream maker to pull this off. A simple freeze-and-scrape method builds that signature flaky, snow-like texture right in your baking dish. It's the ultimate cooling treat for a hot afternoon, doubling easily as a light palate cleanser after a rich dinner.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (2 to 3 limes)
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- 6 cups 1-inch cubes seeded watermelon
Instructions
- 1Combine the lime juice, water, and sugar in a 1-quart saucepan. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- 2Place the seeded watermelon cubes in a blender or food processor. Blend on high speed for about 2 minutes until completely smooth. Pour in the cooled lime syrup and blend briefly to combine.
- 3Pour the mixture into an ungreased 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Cover the dish and freeze for 1 hour.
- 4Remove the dish from the freezer and scrape the mixture thoroughly with a fork to break up the ice crystals. Return it to the freezer for at least 3 more hours, scraping every 30 minutes until it develops a fine, icy texture. Frequent scraping is what builds that signature fluffy snow. Scoop into chilled cups when you're ready to eat.
Notes
- Texture: A granita is an Italian ice dessert that's grainier than sorbet, resembling a fluffy, flavorful snow.
- Make ahead: You can prepare the lime syrup up to a week in advance and store it in the fridge.
- Storage: Keep leftover granita covered in the freezer. If it freezes solid, just let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and scrape it again with a fork before eating.