Strawberry Mascarpone Granita

Refreshing in flavor and easy to make, granita is popular throughout Italy. Granitas are a mixture of water, sugar and flavoring. They are grainy in texture and are frozen in a pan in the freezer. Strawberries are my son's favorite fruit and so I thought of incorporating them into this granita. Mascarpone gives the recipe a creamy texture. The recipe is easy to make and a perfect dessert for warm weather.

This recipe will yield 8-12 servings
 

Ingredients:

• 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

Method:

1. Place the water, 1/2 sugar, and mint in a small pan and bring to a simmer.
2. Stir occasionally to help dissolve the sugar. 
3. Let simmer over low heat to steep the mint. 
4. 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. 
5. Run the machine to puree the strawberries. 
6. Add the mascarpone cheese, lemon juice, and salt. Run the machine until the mascarpone cheese is fully incorporated. 
7. Add the mint simple syrup and run the machine to combine. 
8. Place the strawberry mixture in an 8 by 8-inch glass dish and place the dish in the freezer. 
9. The mixture will take about 4 hours to freeze.
   To serve, use a fork to scrape the granita.
10. Spoon the mixture into chilled bowls. Top with the finely chopped strawberries.