Refreshing and fruity: two of my favorite adjectives when describing a dessert. They definitely apply to this Strawberry Granita, which is a type of homemade water ice made from fruit. Granita is originally from Italy, where it is typically made from lemons and their juice. We made ours with fresh strawberries, citrus juice, and sugar, and it was delightful!

Served topped with vegan coconut whipped cream, this strawberry granita was like cool strawberries and cream on a summer’s day. You could also add this icy flaky dream to cocktails, serve on top of vegan ice cream or frozen yogurt, or enjoy all by itself! It takes a bit of patience, but the result is very worth the freezer time.

Granita is sweet and refreshing when made from watermelon, mango, blood oranges (really any fruit with a high water content), or even coffee or wine! Try out this method with your favorite fruit or whatever you have on hand!

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb strawberries (or 1 1/2 large containers), de-stemmed and roughly chopped
1/4 cup lemon or lime juice — I did a 50/50 split
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions
Place strawberries, citrus juice, sugar, and salt in a blender. Puree until completely smooth. Pour into a metal cake pan and place in the freezer. Every 30 minutes for at least 4 hours, use a fork to scrape away at the frozen edges and then return to the freezer. This should result in a flaky, icy granita.

To serve, top with coconut whipped cream or spoon over vegan vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt. It also makes a great addition to cocktails!

Serves 8