I love strawberries! Strawberry cupcakes. Strawberry ice cream. Strawberry shortcake. Strawberry preserves. Believe it or not, I used to be allergic to strawberries when I was wee little. I would break out into these awful rashes. Not sure what the cause was, but glad it went away as I got older.

Guess what? Strawberries were on sale for $2.50 for an entire pound! Yes that is a steal in my opinion. I also had leftover mascarpone in the fridge so I came across this recipe in the Giada’s Kitchen cookbook. The mint flavor is subtle while the mascarpone adds a creaminess to the granita so it doesn’t feel like you’re eating a snow cone. Though those are quite refreshing on a hot summer day too. This is the perfect treat for those that don’t have an ice cream maker, like myself.

Chop up a little mint.

The mint is infused in the simple syrup which will be added to the strawberry mixture.

This is what summer is all about.

No need to chop the strawberries precisely. Let the food processor do all the work.

Use a slotted spoon to discard the mint leaves.

We’re on our way to making a delicious granita.

Puree the strawberries. Then add a little mascarpone for a creamy texture.

Pretty in pink.

Pour the pureed mixture into a glass dish. This is an 8×6 dish, but typically you’d use an 8×8 dish. It’s all I had. The cup of strawberries in the background are the remaining diced strawberries that will be garnished on top when ready for serving.

This is a sure sign the granita is ready. I like to let the granita sit out for 5 to 10 minutes to thaw. Then I take a big ice cream scoop and scoop out the strawberry goodness!

Strawberry Mint Granita
from Giada’s Kitchen

1 pound of fresh strawberries is the perfect amount for this dessert.

serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
juice of 1 lemon
pinch of salt
1 cup strawberries, hulled and diced

Directions
In a small saucepan, add the water, 1/2 cup of sugar, and mint. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Stir occasionally to help dissolve the sugar. Continue simmering over low heat for 5 minutes to steep the mint. Remove the pan from heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the mint. Set aside.

In a food processor, add the quartered strawberries and the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Puree the strawberries. Add the mascarpone, lemon juice, and pinch of salt. Run the machine until the mascarpone is blended with the strawberries. Add the mint simple syrup and run the machine to blend the syrup with the strawberry mixture. Pour the strawberry mixture into an 8×8 glass dish. (I used an 8×6 and worked perfectly fine). Cover the dish with a lid or plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours.

To serve, use a fork to scrape the granita and spoon into bowls. (The dish can also be thawed 5 to 10 minutes to allow the granita to soften before serving). Top with the diced strawberries and serve immediately.