Strawberry-Lime Granita with Coconut Cream

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6

Plump, juicy strawberries are perfect to include in any Mother’s Day menu. Here we transform the berries into a refreshing granita that’s super easy to prepare – no ice cream maker needed. To serve with the granita, we whip the thick cream from a can of coconut milk with a little maple syrup and vanilla bean paste to create a fluffy coconut cream. Scoop everything into old-fashioned glasses, garnish with lime zest and sliced strawberries, and you’ve got a delicious dessert for Mum. The granita can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 week; scrape it with a fork before serving. The coconut cream is best made just before using.

Ingredients

For the granita:

2/3 cup (155 g) sugar
3 cups (750 ml) water
3 cups (500 g) ripe strawberries, stemmed, plus sliced strawberries for garnish
Zest of 1 lime plus juice of 2 limes
Salt

For the coconut cream:

2 cans (each 400 ml) full-fat coconut milk, chilled in the refrigerator overnight and unshaken
2 Tbs. maple syrup or granulated sugar
1 Tbs. vanilla bean paste

Directions:

To make the granita, place a 23-cm square baking dish in the freezer to chill.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and let cool.
In a blender, combine the sugar water, strawberries, lime juice and a pinch of salt and blend until smooth.
Pour the strawberry mixture into the chilled baking dish. Place the dish, uncovered, in the freezer for 4 to 6 hours, scraping the mixture with the prongs of a fork every hour to help form tiny ice flakes.
Meanwhile, make the coconut cream: Chill the bowl of an electric mixer in the freezer for 10 minutes or in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Scoop the cream from the top of the canned coconut into the chilled bowl (reserve the remaining coconut milk for another use) and add the maple syrup and vanilla bean paste. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed until a thickened cream forms, a level below soft peaks, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
To serve, divide the coconut cream among 6 old-fashioned glasses, then top each with a few spoonfuls of the granita. Garnish with the lime zest and a few sliced strawberries and serve immediately. Serves 6.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen

Strawberry-Lime Granita with Coconut Cream