Strawberry Blueberry Granita

As my neighbor would say, it’s hotter than seven acres of burnin’ stumps out there. It might be only Spring for some of you, but with temperatures already nearing 100 in Texas, Summer has arrived. You just gotta have a treat to beat the heat. When the margaritas run dry (scandal!) granita is a great back up! This flavor combination reminds me of my favorite gelatto du0: Fruits of the Forrest and Lemon. Sweet and tart and most of all cold – this dessert hits the spot!

So gather up your ingredients, this is going to be the easiest dessert you make all summer!

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Strawberries

1 Cup of Blueberries

1 Large Lemon

1/2 C Sugar

1/2 C Water

Wash and clean your berries and let’s get going!  OK I admit it, this dessert is easy, but it does require some equipment.  Break out your blender or food processor and throw in those berries.

Blend until smooth – if you need a bit of liquid, simple add the simple syrup to finish the job.  While that blender is off working, make the simple syrup.  Equal parts sugar and water heated on the stove until all the sugar is dissolved.

Next, zest the lemon and add to the blender along with the juice of the lemon.  I like mine tart so I add a whole large lemon.  If you’d like the berries to shine through a bit more, you can omit the zest which really packs a lemon-y punch.

Once you’ve blended pour the slushy mixture into a freezer safe container.  Allow your concoction to set for an hour and go in and stir it all up.  Keep repeating that process until it’s completely frozen (2-3 hours).

When you’re ready to serve, just grab a fork to break up any remaining chunks and create that crushed ice effect.

Dish it up, top with vodka if you need to, and enjoy!  One brain freeze coming your way!  With the way this summer is shaping up, I predict a LOT of granita flavor combinations will be coming out of this kitchen!

–Martta