Fresh Strawberry Granita

Serves: 8
 
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
3 -4 cups strawberries, halved or quartered, depending on their size
Juice of ½ lemon
Pinch of salt
 
Optional – replace ½ cup water with ½ cup Framboise strawberry liqueur

1. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sugar is fully dissolved.
2. Cool the syrup to room temperature.  Set aside.
3. Place the strawberry pieces in a blender with a tablespoon of water.  Blend until completely smooth.
4. Place a fine strainer over a medium to large bowl.  Line the strainer with a cheesecloth.
5. Pour the puréed strawberries into the cheesecloth.  Let drain for a few minutes.
6. Pick up the edges of the cheesecloth and begin to twist them around, forming a pouch of the fruit.  Over the strainer, squeeze the pouch continually by twisting the ends of the cheesecloth to press the juices out and into the bowl.
7. Discard the remaining solids and put the juice back into the blender.
8. Add the water/sugar syrup to the blender along with the lemon juice and the salt.
9. Mix well.
10. Pour the mixture into a large flat pan or dish.  The larger the dish the more shallow the mixture, the easier the scraping.
11. Place the pan or dish into the freezer for about 30 to 35 minutes.
12. Take a fork and scrape it across all of the partially frozen mixture.  You can stir the resulting mixture slightly and gently and then re-spread it throughout the dish or pan.
13. Repeat the scraping every fifteen to twenty minutes for up to 4 or 5 hours.  Basically until you are ready to serve.
14. Granita may be store in a sealed container for up to a week.  To refresh its granularity, let it thaw slightly an hour or so before serving.  Return the granita to the freezer briefly, maybe 15 minutes, then scrape it with a fork as before.

 
COFFEE GRANITA
 
Serves: 4
 
Time: 15 minutes, plus 2 to 3 hours freezing
 
3 cups freshly brewed strong coffee
1/2 cup sugar, or to taste
1 tablespoon cocoa powder, optional
 

1. Stir coffee, sugar and cocoa together; taste and add more sugar if necessary.
2. Pour mixture into shallow metal or glass pan or bowl.  Freeze about 30 minutes, or until ice crystals begin to form at the edges.  Gently stir the crystals back into the liquid, not breaking them up entirely.
3. Continue to stir and break up clumps of crystals every half-hour or so.  When the entire mixture has the texture of soft crushed ice, it's ready to serve.