Pineapple-basil granita

I was surprised at how easy it was to make this granita, but I doubt I'll be making too many of them in the near future -- a birthday gift arrived in the mail from my aunt and uncle: a well timed, much appreciated ice cream maker!

This delicious dessert shouldn't be too hard to transform into sorbet, and for those without a magical machine of their own, it already comes pretty close to the smoothness of a sorbet, with the requisite amount of attention and care over an hour and a half in the freezer. I was inspired by this recipe on a cool blog called Cookworm, but I eliminated the simple syrup -- pineapple is sweet enough already without any added sugar.

Still, I can't wait to mix up a batch of red curry coconut ice cream to go with it. Check back soon for future adventures in frozen desserts.



PINEAPPLE-BASIL GRANITA

Time: 10 minutes preparation, 1 1/2 hours in the freezer

1 pineapple
3 stalks fresh basil
juice from 1 lemon

1. Cut the pineapple into chunks.
2. Remove leaves from basil.
3. Add pineapple, basil, and lemon juice into a food processor and blend until smooth.
4. Freeze, being sure to stir and break up large pieces with a fork every 20 minutes or so, until granita reaches the desired consistency (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours).

Yield: 2-4 servings

This post is part of Heart of the Matter 15: Herbal Essence.