Lemon-Mint Granita

4 from 3 ratings

"Granitas are like sorbets’ messier cousins. They aren’t as refined (smooth and silky). Their ice crystals are jagged and lumpy and they can look a little strange sometimes. But you can’t deny how refreshing they are, or their strong flavor. They’re made very similarly to sorbets except you skip the machine part and rough them up every hour with a fork, so they’re also easy to make. You may not think that lemon and mint go together, but they do. This tart granita is a perfect after-dinner treat. The mint is subtle in this one—you will taste it after the cold, refreshing ice crystals have melted on your tongue. I also like to serve this as a palate cleanser if I’m serving a big meal."- Pamela BraunRecipe excerpted with permission from FFrozen Paleo: Dairy-Free Ice Cream, Pops, Pies, Granitas, Sorbets, and More by Pamela Braun. To purchase your own copy, click here.

Servings

servings

Ingredients

1 cup water
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaces
lemon zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 3-4 lemons)

Directions

Pour the water and honey into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, and heat over medium heat until honey has dissolved into the water. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the mint leaves and zest and cover the pan. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Strain out the mint and lemon zest and add lemon juice to the syrup. Stir to make sure that everything is thoroughly combined.
Pour the mixture into an 8 x 8 x 2-inch (20.32 x 20.32 x 5.08-centimeter) pan and freeze it for 1 hour.
Bring the pan out of the freezer and use a fork to scrape whatever bits of it have frozen.
Return it to the freezer for another hour. Again use a fork to scrape whatever bits have frozen—you’re creating ice crystals. You may need to do this 1 or 2 more times until you get the consistency you like. It really depends on how cold your freezer is.
Scrape again before serving.