Happy Summer, everybody! Summer weather has finally caught up to us here at the YinMom YangMom Allie household, and I couldn’t be happier! I just got back from Walmart where I purchased excessive amounts of Summer-related products, including, but not limited to:
Slip N Slide
Super Soakers
Insulated Water Bottles
Sunscreen
Ice Pops
Beach Towels
My kids are going to be so happy when they get home from school in an hour or so!!!
But I still do have that hour to fill, and of course my favorite way to do that is by cooking up a treat.
I haven’t been able to get this granita idea out of my brain since I first spotted it on Happy Valley Chow. (Eric is a super talented guy with tons of fabulous food ideas to share, so if you don’t already know him, definitely go get lost in his blog when you get some down time!)
A granita is sort of like water ice or maybe like coarser-textured sorbet. It’s also a bit like shave ice or a snow cone, except, instead of squirting a flavored syrup over ice, you actually freeze the juice/liquid, every so often breaking up the ice crystals with a fork.
I have always shied away from making granita because I thought it sounded like a pain, having to keep at it with the fork every half hour or so. But this idea makes it so much simpler! All you need is a food processor with a cheese-grating blade.
I chose to make a sweet tea granita; it just puts me in mind of Summer! I love drinking sweet tea but for some reason I only think to make it in the summer. Sometimes I use green tea, sometimes black, sometimes I add berries, sometimes citrus, sometimes a handful of mint from my herb garden. I prefer it a little less sweet than they drink it in the South, so if you have a real sweet tooth, by all means add more sugar/honey/agave. Make it your own, yo!
- 2½ cups water
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 tea bags (black)
- ½ lemon, sliced
- In a medium pot, bring the water and sugar to a bare simmer over high heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar completely. Remove from heat, add the tea bags and lemon slices, and steep for about 15 minutes. Pour the tea into an 8×8″ glass baking dish, and cool completely.
- Freeze overnight, or until solid.
- Place a hot towel under and around the baking dish, to soften the ice around the edges. Turn the ice out onto a cutting board, and cut into chunks. Process the chunks in a food processor, with the grating blade.
- Scoop the granita into serving dishes and serve immediately.
This is such a refreshing treat and so easy to prepare! I can’t wait to enjoy some on the patio with Mr. Allie later tonight while we watch the kiddos tire themselves out with all their new backyard toys!
), and y’all know how much I love to give a home-baked gift.
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