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Watermelon Granita with Cardamom Syrup

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rating deanayers
This dessert was a wonderful finish to a crown roast of lamb in our gourmet group. It sounded so simple some of my friends were skeptical, but they loved the flavor and refreshing taste. The Cardamom syrup was the fate comli. My wife and I tasted it before the syrup was added and it was delicious without the syrup, too.

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Watermelon Granita with Cardamom Syrup

  • healthy HEALTHY
  • make ahead MAKE-AHEAD
  • Vegetarian VEGETARIAN
ACTIVE TIME: 30 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 3 HRS 15 MIN
SERVES: 6
The Good News Watermelon is a great source of vitamin C. Here, Marisa Churchill turns it into a fat-free granita, which she drizzles with a fragrant cardamom syrup.
ingredients
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3 pounds seedless watermelon, rind removed, flesh cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (6 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cardamom pods, crushed
directions
  1. In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the water with 3/4 cup of the sugar and stir over moderate heat until dissolved, 2 minutes.
  2. In a blender, working in batches, puree the watermelon with the sugar syrup and lemon juice until smooth. Pour the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and freeze for 30 minutes. Using a fork, stir the granita; continue stirring every 30 minutes, until frozen and fluffy, about 3 hours.
  3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar with the cardamom pods and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until the sugar is dissolved, 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Strain the syrup and refrigerate.
  4. Fluff the granita with a fork. Scoop into bowls, drizzle with the cardamom syrup and serve immediately.

NOTES One Serving 202 cal, 0 gm fat, 0 gm sat fat, 55 gm carb, 1 gm fiber.

Recipe by Marisa Churchill
From A Pastry Chef’s Healthy Desserts
This recipe originally appeared in May, 2008.