STRAWBERRY GRANITA

The perfect cool refreshing ice dessert for summer. To zhuzh it up for New Year and holiday entertaining, spoon into chilled glasses and top with whipped cream, or place a spoonful into a strawberry daquiri. It couldn’t be simpler to make, just allow six hours to prepare ahead for freezing time. The only decision is which cordial to choose from the Balnarring Preserves or Torello Farm range. Make it now while strawberries are plentiful and sweet as can be.

Serves 4-6

500g strawberries, hulled

250ml ‘Rose up your life’ Balnarring Preserves Botanical cordial, or choose from any of the range

50ml limoncello or any citrus-based liqueur (optional)

You’ll need a shallow metal tray measuring about 20 x 30cm. Make space in the freezer for the tray to sit flat.

Place strawberries and cordial into bowl of a blender of a food processor and blend to a puree. Blend in the liqueur, if using. Pour the mixture into the tray and transfer to the freezer. After an hour, run the tines of a fork across the surface break up the mixture, dragging any ice crystals formed around the edges into the centre. Return to the freezer and repeat the process scratching every hour to form ice-crystal flakes. The process takes 4 to 5 hours depending on the temperature of your freezer.

When ready to serve, spoon into chilled glasses and serve straight away.

The granita can be made up to a few days ahead.

Serving suggestion: serve topped with whipped cream for a Sicilian style dessert.

 Recipe by Fiona Hammond, Dec 2023.