It is starting to feel like summer outside and my kids ask for ice cream or a Popsicle everyday. I came up with a healthier option of an icy treat for them, Granita!! It was a huge success as even my pickiest kid loved it and asked for more!

This is perfect refreshment on a hot summer day. Granita is a Sicilian semi-frozen dessert, made from pureeing the fruits, and has the texture of a sorbet, slushie or “sno-cone” as my kids like to call it.

My husband had made a fruit basket out of a whole watermelon few days back so I had some watermelon scrapings in my refrigerator that I have used to make this granita. You can use any fruit you like. This is a great way to use the over ripe berries. Just freeze them and use them later to make granita!!

Recipe                                                  Servings: 8                              Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 cups seedless watermelon chunks
• ½ cup cane sugar
• 1 lime, juice
• ¼ cup mint leaves

Method

1. Add all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Pour into a 9×13-inch glass or metal baking dish.
3. Keep uncovered in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
4. Take the pan out and lightly scrape with a fork to break up large ice clumps; return to freezer.
5. Continue with this process every 30 minutes for about 3 hours.
6. Store into an airtight container to freeze for up to a week.
7. Serve garnished with mint or plain!

Notes

• Watermelons can vary in flavor, so taste the mixture before freezing and add more honey or lime if desired.
• You can strain the liquid through a mesh strainer before freezing it if you like.
• You can use 2 tbsp. of honey instead of sugar.