Granita, despite my children calling it ice cream, is actually a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and various flavourings. It is related to sorbet and Italian ice; but in Sicily it has a coarser, more crystalline texture – a bit like this recipe below. 
Watermelon is a childhood memory for me. It reminds me of hot days, living in a hot, hot place, and my mother deciding to to make dinner, because who wants to cook when it’s 42C outside?! It reminds me of sweet sticky nectar running down my arms, of getting hosed down in the garden. It’s a good memory, and while we now live on – quite literally – the opposite side of the world, and the watermelons are round and have softer skins, but I love that I’m able to pass this same memory on to my own little girls now too. 
When there’s left over watermelon – and sometimes there is – I like to make a watermelon and rose water granita. It keeps the watermelon going for a few days more and it is just so refreshing.
I hope you’ll love it as much as I do!
- 80g caster sugar
- 125 ml water
- 600g watermelon
- 1 teaspoon rose water
- Add 80g caster sugar to a saucepan with 125ml water and bring it to boil. Allow it to boil for 3 minutes, then put aside to cool down completely.
- Liquidise the watermelon – a couple of minutes in a food processor should do it – and add the rose water. Place in the fridge.
- Once the sugar syrup is cool, mix the two together and place in the freezer. I use a metal bowl.
- Remove from the freezer every 30 mins to stir, making sure to break up all the lumps. After 90 minutes and three stirs, the granita should be ready to eat.
- Decorate with washed rose petals if you have any, and enjoy.
- Add 80g sugar to the Thermomix and pulse 3 or 4 times.
- Add water and boil Varoma/Speed 2/3 mins.
- Put aside to cool down completely.
- Add the watermelon to the Thermomix and add the rose water, then speed 5/2 mins.
- Once the sugar syrup is cool, mix the two together and place in the freezer. I use the ThermoServer.
- Remove from the freezer every 30 mins to stir, making sure to break up all the lumps. After 90 minutes and three stirs, the granita should be ready to eat.
- Decorate with washed rose petals if you have any, and enjoy.