Originally a Sicilian dessert, granita is similar to sorbet and Italian ice, usually with sugar as its main ingredient. Here, we’ve taken the natural goodness of fresh apricots and the natural sweetness of Apricot SweetLeaf® Liquid Stevia Sweet Drops™ to make this refreshing warm-weather dessert healthier.
Ingredients:
1 1/4 pounds (567 grams) fresh apricots, pitted, unpeeled, coarsely chopped 3 1/2 cups water 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Apricot Sweet Drops™ Fresh mint to garnish
Method:
In a medium-size sauce pan, add apricots, water and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally until apricots have broken down, about 15 minutes. Pour mixture into a fine-mesh sieve over an approx 22cm -by-30cm shallow baking dish. Press purée with the back of a spoon to push pulp and juice through sieve. Scrape underside of sieve, bottom and sides of sieve to get as much apricot juice into dish. Discard solids. Whisk in lemon juice, vanilla extract and Apricot Sweetleaf Drops. Taste mixture to determine if you need more apricot drops. Freeze for 2 hours. Scrape mixture with a fork from outer edges to center of the dish. Freeze for 30 minutes and repeat. Continue procedure of scraping for another 3 times every 30 minutes. When ready to serve, spoon into serving dishes and garnish with fresh mint. *Arrowroot powder is a gluten-free powder similar to cornstarch. You can find it in health food stores and online. Tapioca starch/flour can be substituted for a similar result.
Recipe and photo courtesy Sugar-Free Mom.
