Sunday, April 19, 2009

Take A Bite Of: Strawberry Mascarpone Granita




How about a little refresher for your mouth? And not the alcoholic kind. It is spring. And when it is spring in Georgia, it is hot-hot-hot. (To match the summer, when it is hot. And the fall, when it is hot.) And since you are all preparing to head into the warmer months as well, what better means to cool off than this incredibly quick and delicious cooler. Thanks Giada. And it couldn't be easier. Bon Appetit.


Strawberry Mascarpone Granita









Ingredients (for 4 - 6 servings)


1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 cups chopped strawberries, plus 1 cup finely chopped
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Pinch salt


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


In a food processor combine 2 cups of strawberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Run the machine to puree the strawberries. Add the mascarpone cheese, lemon juice, and salt. Run the machine until the mascarpone cheese is fully incorporated.



Add the mint simple syrup and run the machine to combine. Place the strawberry mixture in an 8 by 8-inch glass dish and place the dish in the freezer. The mixture will take about 4 hours to freeze.


To serve, use a fork to scrape the granita. Spoon the mixture into chilled bowls. Top with the finely chopped strawberries. Serve immediately.


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