My ice cream machine has been put to good use lately for weekend desserts. Vanilla bean ice cream and a chocolate ice cream with chocolate chunks has been our family favourites but Tilly has been requesting a strawberry sorbet.
Last weekend I was reading a liftout in the paper and there was an article on chef Skye Gyngell which prompted me to spend the whole week grabbing every moment I could to read through her cookbooks. I found this recipe for Strawberry Granita in her book ‘A Year In My Kitchen’ which I thought might make Tilly happy and give the ice cream machine a holiday.
Incredibly simple to make. Just a simple sugar syrup mixed with the pureed strawberries then poured into a container and into the freezer. The recipe suggests serving it with a little cream but I really think this needs nothing. Top with a sliced strawberry or a sprig of mint and it is perfection in a glass. Tilly was so delighted!
strawberry granita
(a slight variation of recipe in Skye Gyngell’s book ‘A Year In My Kitchen’)
125g caster sugar
250ml water
400g strawberries, hulled
juice of 1/2 lemon
In a small saucepan stir together the sugar and water over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down to a simmer and let it bubble away for a couple of minutes. Take off the heat and leave to cool down completely.
Puree the strawberries and the lemon juice and strain through a sieve. Stir in the cooled sugar syrup then pour into a shallow container and freeze for 2 hours. Remove from the freezer and drag a fork through the granita to break it up. Then return to the freezer and leave to freeze until set.
When ready to serve, run a fork through the granita again and scoop into chilled glasses. Top with a sliced strawberry, a sprig of mint or a drizzle of cream.
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Hi, this granita looks yummy! I make a raspberry one and serve it with vanilla bean cream and it tastes like a Raspberry Split iceblock! Could I possibly ask what Ice Cream maker you have? I have been wanting one and would like recommendations (I have a Kitchenaid and am wondering whether to get the attachment or a completely different machine) Thanks. And congrats on your job, sounds wonderful for you!
I haven’t had a split ice block for years – they were my favourite as a kid. Yum! I have a Cuisinart Ice Cream maker 1.5L. It was a bargin at $50. It was a deal of day special but I think they usually cost around $100. Previously I had a Breville Scoop machine which I had bought off ebay for $20 or thereabouts. I had no complaints with it but the bowl got broken when we moved and it cost $50 to replace it plus shipping. Both are small but I can just fit in a full quanitity of my favourite recipes. These will churn the ice cream to a soft serve texture and then I will pour this into a container, pop a lid on and leave in the freezer until firm – usually a few hours. But the results are perfect – never icy. My advice would be to only buy a new appliance if you can find it cheap otherwise get the Kitchenaid attachment. It is bigger – 1.9L – so that in itself is an advantage. I’m sure they will all achieve the same results at the end of the day.
Thanks for that!