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Strawberry and Mascarpone Granita

I love the flavor of granitas but the texture is usually quite granular and icy; the mascarpone smoothes this version out so it is more like a sherbet. Don’t scrape it until just before you serve it, as it will melt and look less appetizing

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 cups coarsely chopped strawberries, plus 1 cup finely diced strawberries
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of salt

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place 1/2 cup of the sugar and the mint in a small pan with 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar. Let simmer over low heat for 5 minutes to steep the mint. Then strain the mint from the simple syrup. Discard the mint.

    Step 2

    In a food processor, combine the 2 cups of coarsely chopped strawberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Run the machine to purée the strawberries. Add the mascarpone, lemon juice, and salt and process until the mascarpone is fully incorporated. Add the mint syrup and combine. Pour the strawberry mixture into an 8x8-inch glass dish, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer. The mixture will take about 4 hours to freeze.

  2. To Serve

    Step 3

    Use a fork to scrape the granita. Spoon the mixture into chilled bowls. Top with the finely diced strawberries. Serve immediately.

Reprinted with permission from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2008 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.
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