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Hibiscus-Mint Granita

By Art Smith

5.0

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Photo by Stephen Hamilton

Granita is a light dessert, one you could enjoy any day of the week. The hibiscus flowers make it extra special and elevate the simple ice to dinner-party status. The trick to the granita's texture is to stir, or mash, it several times during freezing. This prevents it from freezing in a solid block.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Serves 4

Ingredients

6 dried hibiscus flowers, about 1/2 ounce
3/4 cup sugar
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
4 whole fresh mint leaves

Preparation

  1. Method:

    Step 1

    Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Remove from the heat and steep the hibiscus flowers in the water for 5 to 7 minutes. Discard the hibiscus flowers. Add the sugar to the hot water and stir until melted. You may need to return it to the heat for a minute or two to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Add the lime juice and chopped mint leaves.

    Step 2

    Pour the liquid into a shallow bowl and place in the freezer. Freeze for 3 to 4 hours while mashing the large chunks of ice every 30 minutes or so.

  2. Assembly:

    Step 3

    Spoon the granita into chilled glasses and garnish with the whole mint leaves.

Nutrition Per Serving

120 calories
0 g fat
0 g sat fat
0 mg chol
3 mg sodium
34 g carb
28 g sugar
1 g fiber
0 g protein
26 mg calcium
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From Art Smith's Healthy Comfort © 2013 by Art Smith. Reprinted with permission by Harper One, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.
TagsGranitaFrozen DessertDessertHibiscusHerbs & SpicesMintDairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreeEasyCookbooksHarper Collins

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