Sunset Granita

We've been baking in three-digit temperatures the last few days and the heat is not going to let up anytime soon. So, before I start melting, I decided to make my first Granita.

Granita is a dessert consisting of sugar, water, and flavoring. It is then frozen in a shallow pan, then scraped to create its coarse texture. Granita originated in Sicily but can be found all over Italy so "Italian Ice" is another common name for it.

Granita is very versatile. You can make it with syrup, fruit puree (i.e. apple, watermelon), coffee, cocktail mixers (i.e. margarita or mojito), and even add alcohol. I decided to make two versions. The first one was made with orange, lime, and Triple Sec, and the second with Coco Pandan syrup and Vodka. The two colors combined gives it a sunset hue so I'm calling this my "Sunset Granita" :)

Orange-Lime Granita
Juice from 1 large orange
Juice from 1 lime
2 T. sugar
1/2 C. water
Triple Sec (optional)

Coco Pandan Granita
3 T. Coco Pandan syrup
1/2 C. water
Vodka (optional)

Pour each mixture in a shallow baking pan and place in the freezer. It should freeze in about 1 hour. If it doesn't check every 15-20 minutes. After it's frozen, take them out and start scraping the ice using a spoon or fork.
Serve a spoonful of each flavor in a cup. Ahhhh....refreshing! It's the perfect 'grown-up' treat to beat the HEAT! :)