Strawberry Granita with Lemon Verbena Whipped Cream Recipe

Strawberry Granita with Lemon Verbena Whipped Cream

Serves 4

 

1/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon 

1/2 cup water

1 pound of strawberries, topped

Juice of half a lemon

1 cup cream, divided in half

1 tablespoon sugar

Small handful lemon verbena, fresh or dried

 

Place 4 serving bowls in the freezer. 

To make the granita, start by dissolving the sugar in the water in a small saucepan over low heat. Let cool. Place the strawberries, sugar water and lemon juice in a blender and puree until smooth. Pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer and pour into a large, shallow baking dish. Place the mixture in the freezer. After 30 minutes, remove the mixture from the freezer and mix it with a fork before returning it back to the freezer. Repeat this process about 3 more times, using a fork to rake the mixture each time until the granita is fully frozen. 

To make the whipped cream, warm half the cream with a tablespoon of sugar in a small saucepan until it just comes to a simmer. Remove the cream from the heat and add the torn lemon verbena leaves. Allow the herbs to steep in the cream for about 20 minutes. Pour the cream through a strainer, remove and discard the leaves. Combine it with the rest of the reserved cream and place it in the refrigerator to cool. Once it’s completely cooled, whip the cream until soft peaks form. 

Top each bowl of granita with a generous dollop of whipped cream.